A great place to work - Data Scientist Optum Employee Review

5.0
Jun 16, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Optum is one of the main data analytics drivers within the UnitedHealth Group. If you have an interesting in data analysis/data science and interested in working with the latest in big data tools, then Optum is a great place to work. Although there are many groups working within Optum, they all are generally focused on improving member health outcomes and/or reducing fraud, waste and abuse in the health insurance/medical industry. So the work you do is valuable and a benefit to society. Management are quantitatively sophisticated, and very open to proposals and innovations from the lower ranks. If you have something that you believe will be more efficient, cost-effective and/or accurate than an existing tool, they will listen to you. And are often willing to give you the time needed to experiment with and learn new tools and methodologies. Optum, and UnitedHealth in general, has always been a leader in telecommuting. I believe nearly a quarter of their entire staff was working remotely even before the pandemic, so they have a sophisticated and well-developed system for remote work. My immediate team consisted of people in 3 different time zones within the US, and several people working locally at a European hub (but working remotely with the rest of the team in the US).

Cons

My experience at Optum was very positive. My experience may not be representative of everyone else in the company, but this is definitely a place I would work again.

Explore other reviews about Optum

5.0
Apr 8, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Good pay and people are awesome

Cons

Working for a very large company hard to keep up with emails

1
3.0
Jun 4, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Some very talented people give so much of themselves to the company, the clients and their co-workers. I work with (and have worked with) some excellent, smart, supportive people.

Cons

Too many layoffs. Upper management is clueless about how the day to day work gets done, what it takes to make certain changes to processes, and how to treat employees. Some are great. Mostly, they just look at numbers. So many of us have been doing our jobs long enough to know what is needed for certain requests. But we don't get a voice. We just have to do it and suck it up. They are firing ('reduction in force') all of the seasoned staff and let the rest deal with the fall-out. So many teams are losing good people but those people are training their off-shore replacements before they are told about being cut. So how is that a reduction in force? It's just a reduction in payroll numbers. Everyone is on edge just waiting for the next axe to fall. And we have to try and learn or teach another role with less experienced people and more work. It's crazy. On milestone anniversaries, they send an email recognition but once the milestone gets to over 15 years, you are a target. Pay and benefits are fine by me. Raises are practically non-existent, even after layoffs and asking employees to take on more responsibility. that's messed up. They talk about work/life balance but that doesn't trickle down to the actual workers who are so stressed they fear for their jobs if they don't do the extra mile. Many of us are just hanging on instead of quitting so we can at least get some severance. Others are actively looking.

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