Innovation Strategist Sr

Resp & Qualifications

PURPOSE:

To establish CareFirst as a market leader, the role of Consultant, Pharmacy Innovation and Strategy is responsible for identifying, scoping, measuring, and implementing innovative solutions for high priority pharmacy challenges and opportunities. Through internal and external collaboration with a range of partners, this role will define, scope, and execute on prioritized initiatives that implement new capabilities, product offerings, strategic partnerships, innovative businesses, and applications. This role includes working closely with a small, dedicated solution development team (or "pod") to create innovative solutions from opportunity through concept and validation.

Leveraging data-driven insights, this role will carefully monitor the pharmacy marketplace and regulatory landscape to anticipate and leverage changes, trends, and opportunities to identify, create, and drive strategic business value and measurable return on investment.  The Consultant is responsible for surfacing, consolidating, and elaborating upon their findings to support the creation of a strategic pipeline of innovative opportunities for future pharmacy implementation. By applying strategic frameworks and industry best practices, the Consultant will establish repeatable and scalable approaches for continuous monitoring and improvement of core Pharmacy functions (health plan value, specialty drug management, PBM/third party vendors, network management, etc.).

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

80%        Development and delivery of innovative solution sets (products, services, businesses, repeatable processes, etc.) from opportunity to proof of concept to validated minimum viable product (MVP) to repeatable/scalable production solution: 

• Understands how to apply industry leading design and development methodologies and performs key activities using these methodologies and respective tools to converge innovative ideas to a set of digital and tangible solutions, products, and/or services
• Actively participates (and leads when needed) stakeholder interviews, design workshops, and other activities with stakeholders/SMEs to gain deeper insights into potential solution sets
• Develop strategic roadmaps and plans to iterate on prototypes and proofs of concept to identify new potential solutions and business models for commercialization and/or internal transformation
• Partner with various stakeholders and associate groups (health services,finance, analytics, IT, marketing, etc.), both internally and externally, to drive efficient and effective momentum and progress with minimal disruption to day-to-day business activities
• Perform against action plans, meetings, recaps, prepare presentation materials, ad hoc analyses, and other supporting materials as needed to continually drive progress towards milestones
• Experience with change management communications and/or communications planning
• Leads strategic discussions, working sessions, and workshops through active planning, collaboration, strong questioning, critical thinking, action items, and sharing knowledge
• Develops appropriate vision and storytelling for project planning, testing cycles/results, and solution evolution including development of effective program and project management artifacts that demonstrate measurable progress towards achieving pharmacy business goals
• Continuously learn through self-study, engagement with the innovation and strategy community, and professional development opportunities (e.g. books, workshops, conferences, certifications)
• Excellent communication skills and the ability overcome political, organizational, and systematic barriers to key milestones and goals
• Understanding of healthcare and pharmacy industry, CareFirst business lines, and the competitive environment of innovation and strategy in a tightly regulated market

20%         Data-driven strategic recommendations:

• Partners with data and analytics teams to identify and capture of key metrics, objectives and key results (OKRs), outcomes, benchmarks, and measures of solution validation at each stage of development and cycle (Research, Design, Development, Beta test, etc.).
• Leveraging multiple data sets to generate a holistic picture, have the ability to deduce business needs and innovation opportunities, gather requirements, generate shared understanding, work through tradeoffs, recognize patterns and opportunities, and deliver optimal solution roadmaps
• Support and guide executive leadership by leveraging data and analytic outputs to surface key findings and trends and report on measurable progress

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education Level: Bachelor's Degree in Design, Business, Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering.

Experience: 5 years an innovation role – at a specialized consulting firm, incubator, accelerator, venture studio, a design firm, and/or within a corporate innovation team, product development, product strategy, or a startup leadership role with oversight of multiple concurrent initiatives and teams of direct and indirect reports, preferably experience building tech solutions

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

• Data-driven strategic recommendations: Contribute to (and/or lead) recommendations and capture of key metrics, outcomes, and measures of solution validation at each stage of development and cycle (Research, Design, Development, Beta test, etc.). Leverage these outputs to support recommendations made to the Innovation Leads and Innovation Director for presentations to governance bodies (Healthworx and CareFirst leaders), whether to advance the solution to a next stage, pivot, or discontinue, etc.

• Interim or ad hoc project and strategic initiative leadership. Mentor and coach members of project solution development teams (including Strategists and other HWX and core CareFirst colleagues).Take ownership of special projects as self-identified or directed by HWX leadership.

• Must be able to meet established deadlines and handle multiple customer service demands from internal and external customers, within set expectations for service excellence. Must be able to effectively communicate and provide positive customer service to every internal and external customer, including customers who may be demanding or otherwise challenging. 

Salary Range: $102,456 - $203,489

Salary Range Disclaimer

Salary will be based on education, location, experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, CareFirst offers benefits such as a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements).

Department

PBM

Equal Employment Opportunity

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield is an Equal Opportunity (EEO) employer.  It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Where To Apply

Please visit our website to apply: www.carefirst.com/careers

Federal Disc/Physical Demand

Note:  The incumbent is required to immediately disclose any debarment, exclusion, or other event that makes him/her ineligible to perform work directly or indirectly on Federal health care programs.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The associate is primarily seated while performing the duties of the position.  Occasional walking or standing is required.  The hands are regularly used to write, type, key and handle or feel small controls and objects.  The associate must frequently talk and hear.  Weights up to 25 pounds are occasionally lifted.

Sponsorship in US

Must be eligible to work in the U.S. without Sponsorship

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