Director, Behavioral Health Strategic Planning and Performance

Job Description

Your Role

The Behavioral Health Services (BHS) team is responsible for developing the foundation for and executing a best-in-class behavioral health insurance product for Blue Shield, including creating pricing models by line of business, and establishing a core operations infrastructure. The Director, Strategic Planning & Performance will report to the Vice President, Behavioral Health Services. This role is responsible for enterprise scoping of all annual business planning and direction of the team budget, as well as leading projects required to support programs and partners, ensuring implementation is on time, within budget and benefits realized. This leader is responsible for strategic and operational alignment and integration across projects/programs in support of the Behavioral Health Services' goals and objectives. This leader will also establish key performance metrics to evaluate and evolve operational performance and adjusting strategies as needed. They will serve as a trusted advisor to leaders to improve behavioral health performance results, modeling BSC leadership behaviors to achieve department goals for people, process and technology.

Responsibilities

Your Work

In this role, you will:

• Support the VP, BHS in the management and implementation of strategic and operational initiatives and projects within the Healthcare Services organization and company-wide
• Partner collaboratively with Behavioral Health leadership in the design and development of a multi-year strategy plan by leveraging the use of data/analytics to inform and technology solutions to streamline operational efficiencies to align to the organization's overall objectives and goals
• Ensure strategic direction of projects/programs and alignment of such with Healthcare Services and enterprise-wide goals and objectives, acts as the business unit liaison to corporate initiatives and projects
• Design, implements, and runs governance model for managing performance against annual plan. Identify areas for process improvement within the team and across the organization and provide actionable recommendations
• Define projects required to support programs and partners to ensure their implementation on time, within budget and with benefits realized. Drive special projects and initiatives to improve business results
• Monitor and represent the business unit interests in program(s) from initiation through delivery and tracks for continuous improvement
• Participate cross-functionally in business planning to support business unit strategy, organize the interdepartmental activities and may perform operational responsibilities
• Coordinate the management process for the VP including input and reports from cross-organizational teams, including but not limited to Leadership team meetings, Executive Dashboard, other ongoing meetings and reporting as needed
• Work with various stakeholders to identify causes of major Healthcare Services operational or service issues, facilitates needed investigations, analyzes data and related findings, and develops reports incorporating conclusions and detailed recommendations
• Drive special projects and initiatives to improve business results
• May assist in the planning and direction of budgets
• Promote a culture of process excellence. Lead efforts to address and act on feedback to improve employee engagement and provide a great place to work

Qualifications

Your Knowledge and Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, including 6 years of management experience required
• Requires at least 10 years prior experience in a health plan or managed care organization
• Health plan operations experience
• Bachelor's degree required
• Master's degree preferred;
• Background in accounting/finance/consulting preferred
• Lean Sigma, Six Sigma or experience with process improvement methodology a plus
• Requires the ability to lead through influence and operating comfortably in a highly matrixed environment
• Exceptional verbal and written communication and program/project management skills, including an ability to communicate effectively at an executive level
• Experience driving complex, multi-faceted projects to successful completion required;
• Experience managing mid- to larger size teams and influencing adjacent matrixed cross-functional teams
• Ability to prioritize and manage work and trade-offs against critical project timelines in a fast-paced environment
• Strategic thinker with end to end view who has an eye for detail, is organized, and can manage multiple programs simultaneously
• Excellent influence and engagement skills in building alignment and accountability without formal ownership or authority over talent resources
• Ability to build strong and sustainable relationships and the capability to interact within all levels of the organization
• Ability to work cooperatively and strategically in a team environment with all levels of professional, technical and administrative staff and to integrate resources on a timely and organized basis
• Acumen to handle complex situations and multiple responsibilities simultaneously with the urgency of immediate demands on the operations
• Ability to deal with highly confidential information and act as a liaison between the business leader and other constituencies, both internal and external.

About the Team

About Blue Shield of California

As of January 2025, Blue Shield of California became a subsidiary of Ascendiun. Ascendiun is a nonprofit corporate entity that is the parent to a family of organizations including Blue Shield of California and its subsidiary, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan; Altais, a clinical services company; and Stellarus, a company designed to scale healthcare solutions. Together, these organizations are referred to as the Ascendiun Family of Companies.

At Blue Shield of California, our mission is to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable. We are transforming health care in a way that genuinely serves our nonprofit mission by lowering costs, improving quality, and enhancing the member and physician experience.

To achieve our mission, we foster an environment where all employees can thrive and contribute fully to address the needs of the various communities we serve. We are committed to creating and maintaining a supportive workplace that upholds our values and advances our goals.

Blue Shield is a U.S. News Best Company to work for, a Deloitte U.S. Best Managed Company and a Top 100 Inspiring Workplace. We were recognized by Fair360 as a Top Regional Company, and one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States by Points of Light. Here at Blue Shield, we strive to make a positive change across our industry and communities - join us!

Our Values:

• Honest. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical and integrity standards. We build trust by doing what we say we're going to do and by acknowledging and correcting where we fall short.
• Human. We strive to listen and communicate effectively, showing empathy by understanding others' perspectives.
• Courageous. We stand up for what we believe in and are committed to the hard work necessary to achieve our ambitious goals.

Our Workplace Model:

At Blue Shield of California and the Ascendiun Family of Companies, we believe in fostering a workplace environment that balances purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility. As we continue to evolve our workplace model, our focus remains on creating spaces where our people can connect with purpose - whether working in the office or through a hybrid approach - by providing clear expectations while respecting the diverse needs of our workforce.

Two Ways of Working:

• Hybrid (Default): Work from a business unit-approved office at least two (2) times per month (for roles below Director-level) or once per week (for Director-level roles and above).Exceptions:

o Member-facing and approved out-of-state roles remain remote.

o Employees living more than 50 miles from their assigned offices are expected to work with their managers on a plan for periodic office visits.

o For employees with medical conditions that may impact their ability to work in-office, we are committed to engaging in an interactive process and providing reasonable accommodations to ensure their work environment is conducive to their success and well-being.

• On-Site: Work from a business unit-approved office an average of four (4) or more days a week.

Physical Requirements:

Office Environment - roles involving part to full time schedule in Office Environment. Based in our physical offices and work from home office/deskwork - Activity level: Sedentary, frequency most of work day.

Please click here for further physical requirement detail.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

External hires must pass a background check/drug screen. Qualified applicants with arrest records and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, State and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or disability status and any other classification protected by Federal, State and local laws.