AVP, Head of Medicare National Strategic Partnerships

CVS Health•Work At Home-Connecticut, CT

7d•$157,800 - $363,936

About The Position

We’re building a world of health around every individual — shaping a more connected, convenient and compassionate health experience. At CVS Health®, you’ll be surrounded by passionate colleagues who care deeply, innovate with purpose, hold ourselves accountable and prioritize safety and quality in everything we do. Join us and be part of something bigger – helping to simplify health care one person, one family and one community at a time. The AVP, Head of Medicare & SSI National Strategic Partnerships, serves as the executive leader responsible for Aetna’s national distribution strategy across Individual Medicare Advantage, Senior Supplemental Insurance (SSI), and Ancillary products. This newly combined organization includes 9 direct reports and a team of more than 32 colleagues, led by multiple Executive Sales Directors and Senior Sales Managers, collectively accountable for generating over $21 billion in revenue in 2026. The role also oversees an annual budget exceeding $110 million. This leader will drive the integration and continued evolution of two high-performing organizations—Individual Medicare National Accounts and SSI Sales—establishing a unified, data-driven approach to growth across Aetna’s Medicare product portfolio. By aligning sales strategy, distribution capabilities, and partner engagement, the AVP will help advance key Medicare priorities, strengthen member retention, and increase lifetime member value. In addition, the AVP will champion operational excellence, influence enterprise sales and account management policies, and serve as a visible thought leader and strategic advisor both internally and externally. The role requires cultivating strong relationships with senior executives, industry partners, and key distribution stakeholders while positioning Aetna for sustained growth in an increasingly competitive marketplace. The AVP is accountable for defining and executing enterprise-wide partnership, sales, and market expansion strategies that increase profitable enrollment, enhance Aetna’s presence within national accounts, and strengthen long-term strategic relationships across the company's most critical distribution channels. Through visionary leadership and disciplined execution, this individual will play a pivotal role in driving growth, market differentiation, and business performance across the Medicare and SSI portfolios.

Requirements

20+ years of progressive leadership experience in sales, account management, Medicare distribution, or related healthcare organizations.
Proven track record of driving strategic growth and executing national expansion strategies within Medicare Advantage and/or Medicare Supplement markets.
Executive-level experience leading complex, multi-layered sales organizations, including leaders of leaders, with accountability for large-scale performance and results.
Deep expertise in relationship management, contract negotiation, and navigating complex partner, broker, and stakeholder ecosystems.
Strong business acumen with advanced capabilities in business intelligence, data analytics, forecasting, and sales performance management.
Exceptional strategic thinking, decision-making, and organizational leadership skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across all levels of an organization and with external partners.
Executive presence and outstanding communication skills, including public speaking and presentation capabilities that effectively engage senior leaders, board members, partners, and large audiences.
Proven ability to attract, develop, and retain top talent while fostering an inclusive, highly engaged, and high-performing culture that drives organizational success.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.

Responsibilities

Develops and executes the sales strategy for national distribution partnerships across Individual Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement, and ancillary Senior Supplemental Insurance products. This currently represents 80% of all Medicare Advantage sales and nearly 100% of Medicare Supplement and SSI sales.
Establishes long‑range plans for market expansion, revenue optimization, and portfolio growth through national distribution channels, NMOs, and strategic distribution partnerships.
Evaluates emerging trends, regulatory developments, competitive positioning, and partner insights to inform enterprise‑level decision‑making and anticipate market shifts.
Shapes policy and programmatic direction for sales, account management, and aligns with retention strategy to support profitable growth and organizational objectives.
Serves as the senior executive interface for national strategic partners, large‑scale aggregators, and distribution organizations.
Cultivates trusted, multi‑layered relationships with partners, advancing collaboration, innovation, and shared business outcomes.
Provides strategic, data-driven guidance to partners on Aetna products, capabilities, market strategy, and compliance requirements.
Represents Aetna and CVS Health externally as a thought leader and ambassador for Medicare and SSI distribution strategy.
Oversees end‑to‑end external distribution strategy, forecasting, pipeline development, and performance analytics for both Medicare and SSI national distribution channels.
Directs the use and evolution of CRM systems, reporting frameworks, and business intelligence tools to enhance transparency, predictability, and data‑driven decision‑making.
Ensures alignment of sales forecasts, partner commitments, reporting, and performance insights across product portfolios and distribution segments.
Establishes KPIs, dashboards, and performance benchmarks and leverages insights to drive timely course‑correction and opportunity capture.
Oversees negotiation of high‑impact distribution agreements, and NMO relationships, ensuring alignment with enterprise financial, operational, and compliance standards.
Ensures governance over pricing, contractual terms, incentive programs, and partner performance requirements.
Leads resolution of complex partner escalations and ensures consistent, high‑quality service delivery and operational execution.
Advises and collaborates with marketing, product development, actuarial, field strategy, operations, compliance, and consumer experience teams to drive integrated go‑to‑market execution.
Ensures synchronization of product, distribution, and operations strategies to deliver compelling partner value propositions and superior broker and member experiences.
Champions innovation and cross‑functional problem‑solving to accelerate profitable growth initiatives and unlock strategic opportunities.
Leads, mentors, and develops a team of 9 direct reports and a total of 32+ high‑performing colleagues spanning Medicare National Strategic Partnerships and the SSI Sales team.
Builds a cohesive leadership structure for the combined teams and establishes performance goals aligned to the Medicare Sales and the Enterprise strategy.
Drives an accountable, inclusive, and growth‑oriented culture focused on talent development, operational discipline, and continuous improvement.
Oversees workforce planning, succession planning, and capability building to ensure strong leadership pipelines and organizational scalability.