Pharmacy Innovation Project Manager (Specialty Pharmacy)

Excellus BCBS•De Witt, AR

4d•$62,400 - $129,384

About The Position

This position delivers multiple concurrent, sometimes accelerated, Pharmacy Innovation projects and programs with quality, on schedule, within budget, and in support of department strategy. It conducts operational process analysis, identifies process improvements, refines programs, makes recommendations, and executes action plans. Working with internal and external partners, the project manager oversees projects from initiation through post-implementation monitoring and maintenance, supporting ideation, solutioning, resourcing, delivery, monitoring, and stakeholder communication. The role plans and coordinates matrixed teams and project activities across the innovation cycle: ideation, assessment, delivery, and refinement. It creates and executes project work plans, monitors schedules and progress, reports on activities, tracks the Pharmacy Innovation and Pharmacy Services pipeline and market developments, and supports internal, market, and competitive research. Projects may involve cross-divisional interfaces with Pharmacy Innovation, LBS, PHE, customer service, IT, and other functions. The role may also take on product management and user experience responsibilities alongside program management. The project manager represents Pharmacy Innovation in project approval and stakeholder settings; identifies and resolves issues, elevating them when appropriate; develops project metrics, proposals, and monitoring reports; and improves communication within and beyond Pharmacy Innovation. The position educates and trains stakeholders on project processes and tools, translates user needs for technical staff, and supports transitions from implementation to operations. It promotes continuous improvement, efficiency, productivity, cost reduction, and value-stream outcomes, while maintaining member privacy and adhering to corporate policies, mission, and values. Regular and reliable attendance is expected, and other duties may be assigned. At Level II, the role additionally represents supported-area leadership in project decisions and forums, manages cross-functional teams, oversees project economics, costs, budgets, staffing, resources, and risks, and develops contingency and change-management plans. It coaches team members, manages multiple project teams, and mentors staff on project management methodology and processes. At Level III, the role additionally leads change strategies benefiting LBS and the Health Plan, represents leadership in cross-divisional and regional forums and potentially externally, and works with senior management to assess the impact and risks of C-suite work and develop mitigation plans.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or a relevant field.
At least five years of demonstrated performance in healthcare administration, operational management, or another related area.
At least three years of project management experience for Level I; five years for Level II; and eight years for Level III, or five to six years plus PMP/PMI or comparable certification for Level III.
Demonstrated leadership skills.
Demonstrated ability to develop and achieve project scope, manage costs and planning, and meet project deliverables.
Demonstrated ability to form and foster high-performance cross-functional teams.
Highly effective communication skills.
Demonstrated knowledge of quality principles, especially root cause analysis and problem solving.
Very strong analytical and business process development skills.
Strong organizational and multitasking skills.
In-depth knowledge of application delivery, management structures, and reporting procedures.
Level II: At least three years of experience managing cross-functional teams.
Level II: Experience drafting internal and external communications conveying project findings and status.
Level II: Demonstrated experience with multiple project methodologies, such as waterfall, agile, and SDLC.
Level II: Experience coaching and mentoring others in process improvement and project management.
Level II: Ability to apply process improvements in matrixed environments.
Level III: At least five years of experience managing cross-functional teams.
Level III: Demonstrated experience communicating with senior management through informal discussions, written reports, scheduled meetings, and executive presentations.
Level III: Experience training individuals and teams on process improvement and project management.
Level III: Ability to apply process improvement to large systems and matrixed environments.
Ability to travel across the health plan service regions as needed.

Responsibilities

Plan, direct, and coordinate matrixed teams and concurrent Pharmacy Innovation projects and programs through ideation, assessment, delivery, and refinement.
Create, schedule, execute, monitor, and report on project work plans and process improvement initiatives.
Support internal and cross-divisional process improvement and program refinement, including collaboration with LBS, PHE, customer service, IT, and other functions.
Determine customer requirements and translate them into operational plans; potentially perform product management and user experience responsibilities.
Represent Pharmacy Innovation at project approval meetings and support prioritization and justification of assigned work.
Track Pharmacy Innovation and Pharmacy Services pipeline initiatives and market developments; assist leadership with internal, market, and competitive research.
Independently assess and monitor projects, identify problems, develop and implement solutions, evaluate outcomes, troubleshoot, and escalate issues when needed.
Educate and train stakeholders on project processes and tools; communicate with users, customers, colleagues, management, and technical staff.
Serve as a company-wide project contact and answer questions about projects and related education.
Create and deploy monitoring reports for the Pharmacy Innovation project portfolio outside the Strategic Project Monitoring conducted by the EPMO.
Enhance communication channels within and outside Pharmacy Innovation concerning priorities, project work, and cross-divisional impacts.
Review project scope and progress with management, sponsors, and teams and resolve project issues.
Establish project metrics; develop, propose, and negotiate proposals, quotations, and add-ons; and support transitions from implementation to operations.
Apply appropriate tools to estimate and plan work, produce work plans to required standards, and contribute to long-term plans.
Promote continuous process improvement, efficiency, productivity, waste and cost reduction, and program value-stream outcomes.
Monitor and report resolution of high-impact problems, exceptions, and scope change requests.
Maintain member privacy and comply with corporate privacy policies, Code of Conduct, mission, and values.
At Level II, represent supported-area leadership in project decisions and meetings; manage cross-functional teams and project economics, budgets, staffing, resources, and risks; develop contingency plans; control scope and change management; coach teams; and mentor project management staff.
At Level III, develop and implement change strategies benefiting LBS and the Health Plan; represent leadership in relevant committees and meetings; and work with senior management to identify and mitigate risks related to C-suite work.