Senior Director / Senior Manager – Product Ownership & Program Management

Perficient•SOMERVILLE, CA

19d•$81,978 - $178,090•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced leader who combines Product Ownership, Project/Program Management within the Data ecosystem, and deep Healthcare Payer domain expertise to drive strategic digital transformation initiatives. This role will serve as the bridge between business stakeholders, technology teams, and healthcare operations, ensuring successful delivery of payer solutions that improve member experience, operational efficiency, compliance, and business outcomes. The ideal candidate will possess strong healthcare payer knowledge, including Claims, Enrollment, Provider Management, Care Management, Utilization Management, Prior Authorization, Value-Based Care, and Regulatory Compliance, while leading cross-functional teams through the entire product and delivery lifecycle.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Healthcare Administration, Business, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field.
12+ years of experience in Healthcare Payer organizations or healthcare consulting.
8+ years of Product Management/Product Ownership experience.
8+ years of Project or Program Management experience delivering enterprise-scale initiatives.
Deep understanding of healthcare payer business processes and operating models.
Proven experience managing executive stakeholders and large cross-functional teams.
Strong knowledge of Agile, Scrum, SAFe, and hybrid delivery methodologies.
Experience with healthcare platforms such as Facets, QNXT, HealthEdge, GuidingCare, Cognizant TMG, or similar payer systems.
Strong analytical, communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.
Experience working with healthcare data, analytics, AI, and digital transformation initiatives.
Knowledge of interoperability standards including HL7, FHIR, and healthcare data exchange frameworks.
Experience leading cloud, data modernization, and enterprise transformation programs.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree (MBA, MHA, MPH, or related discipline).
PMP, PMI-ACP, SAFe, CSPO, or equivalent certifications.
Consulting experience with healthcare clients is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

Define and own product vision, roadmap, and strategic priorities aligned with organizational goals.
Partner with executive stakeholders to identify business opportunities, evaluate market needs, and prioritize investments.
Translate business objectives into actionable product requirements, epics, features, and user stories.
Partner with the Data ecosystem in defining the Architecture, Ingestion frameworks, Consumption patterns and aligning it across the Enterprise
Drive product backlog prioritization and ensure alignment between business value and technical execution.
Establish success metrics, KPIs, and outcome-based product measurement frameworks.
Lead discovery workshops, design thinking sessions, and business process optimization initiatives.
Lead large-scale healthcare transformation programs from inception through implementation and post-production support.
Manage project scope, schedule, budget, risks, dependencies, and stakeholder communications.
Establish governance models and executive reporting mechanisms.
Coordinate cross-functional teams including Product, Engineering, QA, Data, Architecture, Operations, and Business SMEs.
Drive Agile delivery practices and oversee sprint planning, release planning, and milestone tracking.
Ensure successful deployment, adoption, change management, and benefits realization.
Serve as the primary healthcare payer subject matter expert across strategic initiatives.
Guide solution design and operational improvements across: Claims Processing, Member Enrollment & Eligibility, Provider Data Management, Care Management, Utilization Management, Prior Authorization, Grievances & Appeals, Value-Based Care, Population Health, Medicare, Medicaid, and Commercial Lines of Business
Ensure compliance with CMS, HIPAA, NCQA, HEDIS, and healthcare regulatory requirements.
Assess business processes and recommend transformation opportunities leveraging digital, data, and AI capabilities.
Build trusted relationships with executive leadership, business owners, clients, and external partners.
Facilitate strategic discussions and drive consensus among diverse stakeholder groups.
Present business cases, program status, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership.
Act as the voice of the customer and advocate for business priorities throughout execution.
Identify opportunities to leverage AI, automation, analytics, and digital technologies within payer operations.
Drive adoption of data-driven decision-making and product performance insights.
Collaborate with enterprise architecture and data teams to develop scalable healthcare solutions.
Evaluate emerging healthcare technologies and industry trends.