Director Product & Operational Excellence

Company :Highmark HealthJob Description : 

JOB SUMMARY

This senior shared services leadership role provides critical thought partnership and operational oversight to product management teams across assigned portfolios. Responsibilities include driving operational excellence, leading change management, fostering innovation to improve product health, contributing to product transformation and maturity, and strategic utilization of value levers toward outcomes. This involves identifying and eliminating inefficiencies across the product lifecycle and customer journey, enhancing processes, and leveraging technology to boost productivity. The Director will ensure seamless product adoption and user satisfaction through comprehensive change management support, aligning product development with roadmaps, customer needs, and overall business strategy. Success requires strong collaboration and influence at all organizational levels and across the totality of the product lifecycle.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Perform management responsibilities to include, but are not limited to: involved in hiring and termination decisions, coaching and development, rewards and recognition, performance management and staff productivity.  Plan, organize, staff, direct and control the day-to-day operations of the department; develop and implement policies and programs as necessary; may have budgetary responsibility and authority.
• Strategic Leadership & Transformation Execution: Develop and execute the integrated product change management and operational excellence strategy, identifying key improvement areas and aligning to product portfolio priorities, using industry best-in-class transformation methodologies as appropriate. 
• Process and Product Optimization: Lead the analysis of applicable product-related processes, identify opportunities for improvement, and help implement innovative solutions which enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve overall product performance in partnership with product management and other business functions. 
• Change Management: Lead and support change management initiatives related to product launches, updates, and other relevant changes. This includes assessing stakeholder and organizational impact, developing communication plans, training guidance and/or delivery, onboarding, knowledge management, operational performance metric recommendations, rewards strategy and other relevant operating model support to fully enable a holistic change management approach. 
• Reporting & Communication: Present progress reports to executive, product and business function leadership, influence strategic direction and communicate key findings and recommendations effectively
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with teams across operations, product management, product realization and product ownership to identify and address operational challenges and ensure alignment on priorities. 
• Business Architecture, as applicable: When appropriate and available, provide foundational business architecture oversight for product management, ensuring alignment between product strategy, operational capabilities, and the overall enterprise architecture. This includes contributing to the definition of business capabilities and information models necessary to enable mature product management. 
• Other duties as assigned or requested.

EXPERIENCE

Required

• 7 years of Product management or related enabling role

• 5 years of Management or leadership role

• 5 years of Operations role

Preferred

• 5 years in Healthcare Industry, Financial Services or equivalent industry experience

• 5 years in Lean/Six Sigma, change management or other process improvement frameworks

SKILLS

• Leading change
• Written and oral presentation
• Organization and prioritization
• Budget management and cost control
• Financial acumen
• People management

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or relevant experience and/or education as determined by the company in lieu of bachelor's degree.   

Preferred

• Master's

LICENSES or CERTIFICATIONS

Required

• None

Preferred

• None

Language (Other than English):

• None

Travel Required:

• Less than 25%

PHYSICAL, MENTAL DEMANDS and WORKING CONDITIONS

Position Type

• Office-Based or Remote Position

Physical work site required

• Frequently

Disclaimer: The job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and essential duties and responsibilities of work performed by employees within this job title. It may not contain a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to do this job.
Compliance Requirement: This job adheres to the ethical and legal standards and behavioral expectations as set forth in the code of business conduct and company policies.
As a component of job responsibilities, employees may have access to covered information, cardholder data, or other confidential customer information that must be protected at all times.  In connection with this, all employees must comply with both the Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) as described in the Notice of Privacy Practices and Privacy Policies and Procedures as well as all data security guidelines established within the Company’s Handbook of Privacy Policies and Practices and Information Security Policy. 
Furthermore, it is every employee’s responsibility to comply with the company’s Code of Business Conduct. This includes but is not limited to adherence to applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations as well as company policies and training requirements.

Highmark Health and its affiliates prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on any category protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

We endeavor to make this site accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact the email below.

For accommodation requests, please contact HR Services Online at [email protected]

California Consumer Privacy Act Employees, Contractors, and Applicants Notice