Manager, Community Relations

Centene Management Company•Latham, NY

13d

About The Position

The Manager, Community Relations manages community relations activities for the health plan and leads frontline staff responsible for community engagement, relationship building, provider and community partnerships, and field-based outreach. The role oversees local engagement strategies that strengthen the health plan’s community presence, support member growth and retention, improve access to health plan resources, and ensure outreach complies with regulatory, contractual, and organizational standards. The manager leads staff across Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Rochester, requiring regular travel. The role maintains consistent regional outreach and team performance, oversees staff development and field execution, and builds partnerships with community organizations, providers, faith-based organizations, schools, advocacy groups, and other stakeholders. The manager works with internal teams, monitors local needs and market activity, reviews performance data, represents the health plan in community settings, and provides updates and recommendations to leadership. The position requires a bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience, at least five years of relevant experience, a driver’s license, and completion of New York State of Health-approved training and required annual recertification courses. The schedule is Monday through Friday, with occasional evenings and weekends based on business needs. The role may involve remote, hybrid, field, or office work schedules. The annual pay range is $87,700 to $157,800, adjusted based on job-related factors. Total compensation may include incentives, and benefits are subject to program eligibility.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in public relations, marketing, health administration, public health, social services, business, communications, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 5 years of experience in community relations, outreach, marketing, sales, public health, provider engagement, or managed care.
Experience leading, coaching, or managing field-based teams or direct reports.
Experience building relationships with community-based organizations, providers, advocacy groups, government entities, faith-based organizations, schools, or other community stakeholders.
Experience with public speaking, community presentations, partner meetings, and external stakeholder engagement.
Experience using data and reporting to monitor outreach performance.
Driver’s license required.
Must complete and pass the NY State of Health approved training program.
Must complete all required annual recertification courses and learnings.
Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed for community events, enrollment activity, and market support.
Regular travel across Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Rochester is required.

Nice To Haves

At least 2 years leading field or outreach teams, ideally in healthcare or sales.
Proven success driving KPIs and team accountability.
Skill coaching staff to stronger performance.
Previous managed care experience, especially Medicaid, Medicare, Child Health Plus, Essential Plan, or other government-sponsored programs.
Bilingual or multilingual capabilities based on territory and community needs.
Proficiency in CRM, reporting tools, and Excel.

Responsibilities

Manage and provide direct oversight to Community Relations staff, including performance management, coaching, scheduling, development, and day-to-day field execution.
Develop and execute community engagement strategies to strengthen relationships with community-based organizations, providers, faith-based organizations, schools, advocacy groups, elected and community leaders, and other local stakeholders.
Build, maintain, and deepen strategic partnerships that support community trust, health plan visibility, member education, growth, and retention.
Oversee community outreach activities, events, presentations, sponsorship activations, and local engagement initiatives across assigned territories.
Partner with Sales, Marketing, Provider Relations, Quality, Retention, and other internal teams to align community engagement activities with business priorities.
Monitor community needs, market trends, competitor activity, and local partnership opportunities to inform outreach strategy and territory planning.
Review outreach activity, event outcomes, partnership effectiveness, and productivity reports to assess performance and identify improvement opportunities.
Ensure direct reports are trained on products, compliance requirements, approved talking points, outreach standards, documentation expectations, and escalation pathways.
Support relationship-building with providers and provider-facing organizations to improve community education, referral opportunities, and access to health plan resources.
Represent the health plan at community meetings, health fairs, provider and community forums, task forces, and stakeholder events.
Assist with escalated community, provider, and partner concerns related to outreach, education, or access.
Ensure community relations activities comply with applicable government, regulatory, contractual, privacy, marketing, and organizational standards.
Prepare updates, reports, and recommendations for leadership regarding community engagement performance, partnership impact, risks, and opportunities.
Perform other duties as assigned and comply with all policies and standards.