Head of Enterprise Innovation

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina • Durham, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Head, Enterprise Clinical Innovation will be responsible for activating and scaling innovation across our family of consumer-focused, healthcare solution companies and partners. Success in this role means consistently looking “up & wide” to identify innovations, translate them into pilot-ready solutions, and partner with business and operational leaders to test, prove value, and scale what works. We’re making health care better for all – by listening deeply, challenging what’s possible, and putting care at the heart of everything we do. Join a purpose‑driven team where ideas spark change, growth is encouraged, collaboration fuels impact, and you’re supported with the flexibility and trust to do meaningful work. In this newly created position, the Head of Enterprise Innovation, you will be a senior, enterprise-facing leader responsible for activating and scaling innovation across a family of consumer-focused, healthcare solution companies and partners. Qualified candidates in NC or ready to relocate to NC will be given preferred consideration. Success in this role means consistently looking “up & wide” to identify innovations, translate them into pilot-ready solutions, and partner with business and operational leaders to test, prove value, and scale what works. The role requires a broad-gauged view of innovation domains (e.g., clinical, HR, IT, finance), tech-forwardness (AI, digital, automation, interoperability), understanding of healthcare dynamics and market change, and ability to bridge strategy and execution. You’ll help the enterprise deliver new care models, customer experiences, products, partnerships, and reimbursement innovations. If you thrive at building innovation ecosystems, shaping proof-of-value pilots, and scaling transformative solutions with measurable outcomes, this role is an opportunity to make a material impact.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or advanced degree (where required).
• 10+ years of progressive experience in innovation, strategy, product, transformation, digital health, or healthcare operations (including health plan, provider, TPA, health tech, or adjacent).
• Demonstrated leadership in innovation programs—including opportunity identification, pilot design, value measurement, and scaling across business lines.
• Strong understanding of healthcare delivery, payer dynamics, and clinical/operational workflows.
• Proven ability to work across complex stakeholder groups with strong executive presence, communication, and influence skills.
• Strong analytical and structured problem-solving capability; comfortable with ambiguity and rapid iteration.

Nice To Haves

• Clinical background and/or direct care delivery experience (e.g., MD, DO, RN, NP, PA, PharmD) preferred.
• Proven success leading digital health, AI-enabled transformation, interoperability initiatives, or automation programs in healthcare.
• Experience designing and scaling RPM, home-based care, medication adherence, or longitudinal care management innovations.
• Experience with value-based care (VBC) models, reimbursement innovation, payment analytics, and performance measurement.
• Track record of building innovation ecosystems (labs, incubators, venture partnerships, accelerator programs, or internal innovation communities).
• Expertise in building business cases, measurement frameworks, and KPI systems for pilots and scaled implementations (clinical, financial, operational, and experience outcomes).
• Strong grasp of vendor/partner evaluation and governance; experience forming strategic alliances across start-ups, enterprise vendors, and community organizations.
• Familiarity with modern ways of working (e.g., agile product methods, design thinking, lean experimentation, human-centered design).

Responsibilities

• Proactively Surface and Shape Enterprise Innovation Needs: Engage deeply with business, operational, strategy, and technology leaders across the family of companies and partners to understand their most significant opportunities and challenges. Through iterative dialogue, careful listening, and your perspective on the “art of the possible”, you will help translate core business priorities into well-defined innovation opportunities and hypotheses.
• Activate an Enterprise Innovation Model (Insights → Pilots → Testing & Scaling): Build and run a repeatable innovation engine that sources insights, prioritizes opportunities, and designs pilots, while translating strategy into execution through strong business cases, clear KPIs, and disciplined outcome measurement. Use learnings from pilots to inform iteration, investment decisions, and scaling across businesses based on clinical, financial, operational, and experience impact.
• Create and Run an Innovation “Lab & Delivery” Ecosystem: Establish an enterprise innovation ecosystem that spans clinical care delivery, IT, HR, and other functions. This includes two-sided enablement: on one hand, engaging start-ups, non-profits, emerging innovators, academic/clinical collaborators; and on the other, employees across the enterprise. Enablement mechanisms would include seed funding, office/virtual space, access to SMEs, structured pilot support, partnership exploration, and scaling playbooks.
• Shape Innovative Vendor Partnerships with a Strategic Lens: Influence strategic vendor partnerships and build “build/partner/buy” perspectives. Ensure partnerships drive differentiated outcomes, scalable capabilities, and customer value.
• Champion Customer Excellence Through Innovation Partner with CX, clinical, operations, and digital teams to redesign journeys and experiences—improving access, equity, satisfaction, and measurable outcomes.
• Select examples of innovation areas include but are not limited to: Therapeutic and care pathway redesign; digital engagement, RPM, and digital therapeutics; home-based and hybrid care models; medication adherence and longitudinal condition management; ecosystem-based solutions including in partnership with the Foundation; value-based reimbursement and payment innovation; and AI-, automation-, and interoperability-enabled capabilities (e.g., VBC analytics, utilization management innovation, “bring your own AI” models, and workflow automation across care, operations, and customer journeys).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees