CONTRACTS DIRECTOR

Gateway Foundation Inc•Chicago, IL

3d•$94,000 - $130,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Gateway Foundation, Inc. is a national non-profit dedicated to helping individuals with substance use and mental health disorders. Established in 1968, Gateway provides essential tools and knowledge for recovery, positively impacting hundreds of thousands of lives. Operating through its Community Services, Corrections Divisions, and Corporate Headquarters, the organization is recognized for innovative, effective treatment approaches and maintaining high standards. Why join us? Discover a rewarding career where you can find both personal and professional fulfillment while aligning your values with your work. You'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact by aiding individuals in overcoming addiction. We pride ourselves on being an organization that values you and strives to be an employer of choice, fostering a vibrant culture that promotes teamwork and professional growth. Your voice matters here; we actively listen to and value our employees' thoughts, allowing you to be part of organizational decisions.Join Gateway Foundation today and become part of a team dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of others.JOB SUMMARY Responsible for initiating, reviewing, negotiating, and monitoring managed care contracts and single case agreements. This role ensures compliance with regulatory requirements, organizational policies, and payer guidelines while fostering strong relationships with providers to support quality care delivery and cost-effective services. Manages and coordinates the communications and relationships with managed care providers. This role reports directly to the CFO.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field (master’s degree preferred but industry experience may be a substitute).
5 years of relevant, progressive work experience managing payer contracts, with demonstrated experience in contract negotiations.
Knowledge of protocols in contract management and healthcare insurance regulatory requirements.
Analytical and problem-solving abilities with strong attention to detail.
Organizational skills to manage efficiently manage all relevant contracts, terms, and renewal dates.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build relationships and effectively influence others at all levels in the organization.
Ability to communicate efficiently and effectively with others, in groups or individually, to gather and present information.
Ability to respond to telephone and email inquiries in a timely and professional manner.
Ability to use a keyboard and display screen to receive, retrieve, and/or review information and data on a regular basis.
Ability to continually proofread, check and verify data and information from printed to digital documents.
Ability to travel to various locations by vehicle, airplane, or train.

Responsibilities

Manages overall contract negotiation process with insurance payers ensuring alignment with internal guidelines, reimbursement strategies, and financial standards.
Reviews proposed contract language for new agreements, renewals, and initiates single case agreements and amendments to align with treatment services and to ensure accuracy and compliance with applicable state and federal laws, accreditation requirements, and regulatory standards.
Coordinates the internal approval process to ensure timely and proper internal reviews and authorized signatures, including coordinating with finance, program, legal and the CEO to obtain final reviews and approvals of changes, agreements and contracts.
Analyzes utilization, cost trends, and provider performance to guide contract negotiations and secure favorable terms that align with organizational goals and objectives.
Builds and maintains collaborative working relationships with payers and leverages established business relationships to maximize utilization for treatment services and value-based care initiatives.
Conducts competitive analyses to determine covered services, market-aligned reimbursement rates and billable services, providing data-driven recommendations for contract revisions.
Proactively identifies and assesses potential contractual risks, contributing recommendations to executive leadership to ensure effective mitigation strategies to protect and safeguard the organization’s interests.
Works closely with legal, operations, quality, and finance teams to manage contract performance, monitor adherence to contract terms, resolve issues related to contract execution and to promptly resolve compliance issues. Develop training aids to assist with contract implementation.
Tracks and maintains accurate contracts, related records, and provider information, including electronic and physical records and contract renewal dates, for reference and auditing purposes. Maintain a master matrix related to contracts with insurance payers.
Prepares regular reports on contracting activities, compliance issues, and performance metrics for leadership review.
Works collaboratively with internal customers to develop and revise relevant policies and procedures to improve efficiency and compliance. Coordinates and supports payer contract audits and reviews to ensure compliance, including developing corrective action plans, ensuring timely response, and working with internal departments to address findings.
Facilitates training for managed care agreements, develops relevant supporting job aids, and ensures staff completed and document required training for each agreement.
Ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, as well as organizational policies, contracts, and accreditation standards.
Monitors and reviews value-based contract arrangements, and incentive payments to inform programs and leadership of opportunities for improvement.
Monitors updates to payer manuals, policies & procedures, and overall program design in order to effectively implement applicable changes across the organization.
Provides organizational wide support for questions on funding, contracting, and operational requirements as it relates to contractual obligations.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
Employee wellness program promoting health and fitness and offering cash-saving premiums
Employee assistance programs focused on mental health
403(b) Retirement Plan with 3% employer match
Short-term and Long-term Disability and Life and AD&D Insurance paid for by Gateway
Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
18 paid time off days per year – accrual rates increase with years of service
9 paid company holidays
Work-life-balance
Training & Development Programs
Tuition Reimbursement - up to $5,250 per calendar year
eLearning access to online courses that provide CEU’s and job-related training
Clinical Supervision: Formal and informal guidance