Client Engagement Manager

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan•Detroit, MI

About The Position

Responsible for retaining and growing existing and assigned accounts in support of organizational strategic, financial, and performance goals. The role carries out core sales and business development activities, including strategic account and agency planning, sales consultations, identifying sales opportunities, and supporting renewals. It manages local accounts through agency or consultant interactions. The Client Engagement Manager develops, refreshes, and executes multi-year strategic account and agency plans to grow and retain accounts and relationships. This includes identifying opportunities, risks, and mitigation strategies; presenting plans to internal leadership and external accounts, agencies, or consultants; and using plans to guide annual strategic discussions. The role provides account-specific advice on benefit design, products, programs, solutions, healthcare delivery alternatives, funding options, and financial tradeoffs, consulting relevant business areas to confirm feasibility before finalizing sales. The position builds relationships with account decision makers by understanding buying habits, preferences, and decision processes. It uses account feedback and data-driven insights to identify service improvements and growth opportunities, and educates accounts, agencies, and consultants about BCBSM products and programs. The role coordinates with internal functions such as Underwriting/Actuary and Finance on pricing, oversees renewal and proposal pricing decisions, and uses product and program value propositions to inform retention strategies and negotiations. The role also oversees resolution of sales and business development issues related to renewals, product or solution design and selection, and recurring concerns. It coordinates communications about issue-resolution progress with internal and external stakeholders and supports internal sales responsibilities, including training account contacts and contributing to strategic sales and portfolio planning.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Sales and Marketing, or a related field.
Five years of sales and account management experience.
Valid Michigan Accident and Health Insurance License, required within 90 days of the employee’s start date or license expiration date.
Valid Michigan driver’s license, required within 90 days of the employee’s start date or license expiration date.
Extensive, well-developed technical knowledge of healthcare insurance products and programs, including Medicare Advantage, self-funding arrangements, stop loss, ancillary products such as dental and vision, pharmacy, and product buy-ups.
Extensive knowledge of financial arrangements and medical economics, understanding of competitor offerings, and capacity to adapt to industry complexity and change.
Ability to partner with account support team members to guide clients in decision-making on relevant solutions and agencies in supporting their customers.
Ability to synthesize client feedback efficiently, resolve client concerns, and surface key risks.
Strong communication skills, including concise and clear communication across channels and tools such as CRM, documents, calls, and meetings with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to articulate BCBSM’s value proposition clearly and compellingly, including how products and services can contribute to account strategies.
Ability to understand the complexity of healthcare and clinical, utilization, and financial data.
Ability to identify potential cross-sell and up-sell opportunities from internal and external sources and convert opportunities by delivering finalist presentations and closing sales.
Strong analytical skills and ability to manage competing priorities and leverage available resources, time, and budget.
Ability to influence and collaborate effectively across organizational teams and stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Salesforce Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Retain and grow existing and assigned accounts in support of organizational strategic, financial, and performance goals.
Manage local accounts through agency or consultant interfacing.
Develop, refresh, and execute multi-year strategic account and agency plans to grow and retain accounts and relationships, identifying opportunities, risks, and mitigation strategies.
Present strategic account and agency plans to internal leadership and to external accounts, agencies, or consultants for review and alignment.
Use strategic plans to drive annual strategic discussions and other planning efforts with accounts.
Advise accounts on benefit design, products, programs, solutions, healthcare delivery alternatives, funding options, and financial tradeoffs; obtain support for complex issues as needed.
Consult relevant business areas to confirm solution feasibility and inform recommendations before finalizing sales.
Understand account, agency, and consultant buying habits, preferences, and decision-making processes, and build trust with key decision makers.
Use account feedback and data-driven insights to identify service improvements and opportunities such as service enhancements or new programs.
Educate accounts, agencies, and consultants about BCBSM products and programs.
Coordinate with internal functions, including Underwriting/Actuary and Finance, on pricing and oversee pricing decisions for renewals and requests for proposals.
Use knowledge of BCBSM product and program value propositions to inform retention strategies during negotiations and proposal development.
Address and oversee resolution of sales and business development issues involving renewals, product or solution design and selection, and recurring issues.
Coordinate and communicate issue-resolution progress and status internally and externally as needed.
Coordinate and assist with education and training for account contact personnel.
Provide input to strategic sales and portfolio planning.