Principal Healthcare Consultant

NASCO•Brookside, DE

2d•Remote

About The Position

The Principal Healthcare Consultant helps health plan clients execute strategies to compete and win. Working with client leaders in product management and line-of-business leadership, the Principal designs competitively differentiated benefits and services for employer groups with tailored needs and identifies opportunities to leverage investments across books of business. The Principal leads engagements that translate product strategy into technology and operational designs and enables implementation within a plan’s ecosystem. The role combines strategic product advice with practical execution, advising executive clients on product strategies while ensuring client staff and NASCO can carry them out to achieve desired outcomes. The position is remote from a home office, involves frequent interaction with internal and external stakeholders, and may require travel of up to 20% for customer workshops, executive sessions, and industry events. The role requires using a workstation for at least eight hours a day.

Requirements

At least 10 years of experience in healthcare payer operations, product management, product strategy, healthcare consulting, or related leadership roles.
At least 5 years of experience leading complex strategic initiatives or consulting engagements.
At least 5 years of experience working on or with health plans.
At least 8 years in consulting, strategy, or solution design.
Experience engaging executive stakeholders and influencing strategic business decisions.
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives involving multiple business functions and stakeholder groups.
Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, public health, finance, marketing, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Legal authority to work in the United States.
Ability to use a workstation at least eight hours a day.

Nice To Haves

Consulting or advisory experience serving health plans.
Experience at a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan or national carrier, or familiarity with Blues plan operations and inter-plan programs.
Product leadership across multiple lines of business, including Medicare Advantage product development and bid experience.
Familiarity with core payer administration platforms and how platform capabilities enable or constrain product design.
Published perspectives, industry speaking, or recognized thought leadership in health plan product strategy.
Master’s degree in business administration, healthcare administration, public health, or a related field.
Advanced coursework or formal training in innovation, portfolio management, or healthcare transformation.

Responsibilities

Advise health plan executives on product strategy and innovation, including what to bring to market, when, and for which segments.
Lead product strategy engagements from initial framing through executive readout, including portfolio reviews, product concept definition, and prioritized roadmaps.
Define and design competitive health plan products, including benefit and plan design, network and pricing constructs, and funding arrangements, in collaboration with product, actuarial, finance, and sales partners.
Help plans address tailored employer group needs by identifying configurable offerings in place of one-off builds and opportunities to leverage shared capabilities across books of business to reduce costs and shorten time to market.
Assess market, regulatory, and competitive dynamics, including national carrier positioning, to shape differentiated offerings.
Translate product strategy into executable plans, targets, success measures, and timelines aligned with plan years, rate filings, and bid cycles.
Lead strategic engagements and direct other consultants’ contributions to operational design, configuration, and enablement within the plan’s ecosystem.
Participate in strategic pre-sales pursuits with commercial leaders by leading executive discovery, framing customer problems, and establishing the value case before solutions are positioned.
Develop practice perspectives and reusable frameworks on health plan product strategy and innovation with the Market Intelligence team, grounded in current market data; share them through customer forums, industry events, and published perspectives, including case studies and customer outcome proof points.
Share customer and market insights with product management to inform roadmap priorities and positioning.

Benefits

Choice of Blue Cross Blue Shield medical, dental, and vision plans.
Telehealthcare for medical and behavioral visits.
Generous PTO with buy/sell options.
Nine company holidays, a floating day off, and a day off for volunteering.
Employee Assistance Program.
Wellness program with opportunities to earn insurance discounts or credit toward health-related items.
401(k) plan with employer matching contributions.
Company-funded spending or reimbursement accounts for out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Bonus and recognition programs.
Tuition assistance.
Consultation with a financial planner.
Basic life and AD&D insurance and short- and long-term disability insurance provided; supplemental term life insurance available.
Group discount programs for mobile and technology services.
On-demand e-learning and performance support resources available at no cost.
Remote work from a home office, offering potential work/life balance and savings on commuting and work clothing.