Senior Associate – Payer & Provider Strategy – Healthcare

BRG•Chicago, IL

2d•$85,000 - $115,000

About The Position

The Integrated Health Solutions (IHS) practice at Berkeley Research Group (BRG) provides end-to-end advisory support to healthcare providers, payers, investors, and other stakeholders navigating complex strategic, operational, financial, and clinical challenges. Led by seasoned healthcare executives, operators, and clinicians, IHS partners with organizations to drive sustainable performance improvement and long-term growth through strategic growth design, operating model transformation, AI and digital enablement, clinical quality and patient care optimization, and revenue strategy—helping clients build resilient, future-ready healthcare enterprises in an increasingly complex environment. Our four core service offerings include: Business Transformation Advisory Margin & Operational Improvement Clinical & Quality Transformation AI & Digital Solutions Business Transformation Advisory partners with healthcare organizations to define enterprise-wide strategy and align financial, clinical, and operational priorities to long-term objectives. This work spans enterprise and service line strategy, population health and value-based care models, long-range financial forecasting, and regulatory and alternative payment methodologies—helping leaders make informed decisions that drive sustainable growth, resilience, and system-wide performance improvement. The Senior Associate will play a leadership role on project workstreams, serve as a key analytical engine for client engagements, and help shape strategic insights and recommendations. This role requires strong analytical capability, structured thinking, and comfort interacting with client stakeholders. The Senior Associate will support enterprise-level strategy across both payer and provider clients, including growth strategy, partnership design, and integration models. Candidates should bring experience in healthcare consulting or a similar strategic environment, with enough maturity to independently drive workstreams while still operating within a team-based model. Willing to travel consistently (50%), depending on project requirements and client expectations, is required for this position.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree (MBA, MHA, MPH, MPP) preferred.
2-6 years of relevant experience in healthcare consulting, strategy, enterprise planning, or payer/provider operations.
Strong knowledge of healthcare markets, including payer and provider economics, value-based care, regulatory dynamics, and competitive positioning.
Demonstrated experience leading workstreams or major analytic components of strategy engagements.
Advanced proficiency in Excel, PowerPoint, and structured problem-solving.
Excellent communication skills, with ability to translate complex analytical findings into compelling narratives.
Strong interpersonal skills and comfort engaging with client stakeholders at multiple levels.
Ability to operate independently with sound judgment while contributing to a collaborative team environment.
Willing to travel consistently (50%), depending on project requirements and client expectations, is required for this position.
Candidate must be able to submit verification of his/her legal right to work in the U.S., without company sponsorship.

Responsibilities

Assess enterprise-level payer and provider strategies, including market positioning, growth opportunities, product portfolio strategy, and organizational prioritization.
Conduct robust market, financial, and competitive analyses across health plans, health systems, CINs, ACOs, and emerging care delivery models.
Translate complex data, trends, and regulatory dynamics into actionable insights that inform strategic recommendations.
Evaluate, design, and support the implementation of strategic partnerships between payers and providers, such as: ACOs and risk-bearing entities Clinically integrated networks Joint ventures, delegated arrangements, and provider enablement models Narrow networks and performance-aligned partnerships
Conduct readiness assessments, capability evaluations, and synergy identification for integration or partnership opportunities.
Frame ambiguous strategic problems, develop hypotheses, build analytical plans, and test insights through structured analysis.
Support development of enterprise strategies such as: Market entry or expansion Health plan and provider growth strategy Enterprise partnership roadmaps Value-based care strategy
Contribute to practice area development in enterprise strategy, payer–provider integration, and partnership models.
Support proposal development, thought leadership, and business development activities.
Mentor Associates and Analysts in project delivery and analytic approaches.