Program Manager, Consultant

Your Role

The Middle Market and Small Business Strategic Planning and Performance team develops long-term strategies and annual plans. The team also supports performance tracking and management and coordinates cross-functional teams to drive growth, improve financial outcomes, and execute key initiatives. The Program Manager, Consultant will report to the Senior Manager, Strategic Planning and Performance – Middle Market and Small Business. In this role, you will help shape the strategic direction and performance agenda for the business by leading high-impact initiatives, identifying emerging risks and opportunities, and delivering actionable insights to senior leadership. You will act as a connector across multiple functions, driving alignment, accountability, and execution on key growth, affordability, and performance objectives.

Our leadership model is about developing great leaders at all levels and creating opportunities for our people to grow – personally, professionally, and financially. We are looking for leaders that are energized by creative and critical thinking, building and sustaining high-performing teams, getting results the right way, and fostering continuous learning.
 

Your Work

In this role, you will:

• Support performance management processes, KPI development, business reviews, and action planning to achieve growth, affordability, and financial objectives
• Assess business performance, market dynamics, and emerging risks and opportunities to inform strategic planning and executive decision-making
• Manage and continuously improve sales reporting and performance tools, ensuring accurate, timely, and actionable information is available to support day-to-day sales operations and decision-making
• Lead cross-functional meetings and foster teamwork, drive escalation and resolution of issues, while promoting collaboration and coordination across a broad range of stakeholders
• Lead strategic initiatives and special projects that drive growth, affordability, operational performance, and financial outcomes across the Small Business and Mid-Market lines of business
• Develop executive-ready analyses, business cases, presentations, and recommendations to support strategic decision-making and performance management
• Partner with Sales, Finance, Actuarial, Network, Clinical, Product, and Operations teams to identify opportunities, solve complex business challenges, and advance key priorities
• Facilitate forums, leadership meetings, and cross-functional working sessions to drive alignment, accountability, and execution of strategic initiatives
• Consult and make recommendations to senior management/executives on significant issues
• Interact with all levels including senior management and influence decision-making
   

Your Knowledge and Experience

• Requires a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Requires at least 7 years of prior relevant experience
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, structure complex business challenges, and translate insights into actionable solutions
• Advanced analytical capabilities, including proficiency in Excel, Power BI, Tableau, Salesforce, or similar analytics and visualization tools, with the ability to synthesize complex data into meaningful business recommendations
• Ability to influence without direct authority and build strong, collaborative relationships across functions and organizational levels
• Self-starter with a proven ability to work independently, take ownership, and deliver high-quality results with limited direction while balancing strategic priorities with operational execution
• Healthcare and/or consulting experience is required; knowledge of healthcare sales, economics, affordability, network strategy, and health plan operations preferred

Hybrid

This role requires employees to be in-office based on our hybrid workplace model, balancing purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility. For most teams, this means coming into the office two days each week.

Employees living more than 50 miles from an office location will work with their manager to determine in-office time based on business need.

About Blue Shield of California

As of January 2025, Blue Shield of California became a subsidiary of Ascendiun. Ascendiun is a nonprofit corporate entity that is the parent to a family of organizations including Blue Shield of California and its subsidiary, Blue Shield of California Promise Health Plan; Altais, a clinical services company; and Stellarus, a company designed to scale healthcare solutions. Together, these organizations are referred to as the Ascendiun Family of Companies. 

At Blue Shield of California, our mission is to create a healthcare system worthy of our family and friends and sustainably affordable. We are transforming health care in a way that genuinely serves our nonprofit mission by lowering costs, improving quality, and enhancing the member and physician experience. 

To achieve our mission, we foster an environment where all employees can thrive and contribute fully to address the needs of the various communities we serve. We are committed to creating and maintaining a supportive workplace that upholds our values and advances our goals.

Blue Shield is a U.S. News Best Company to work for, a Deloitte U.S. Best Managed Company and a Top 100 Inspiring Workplace. We were recognized by Fair360 as a Top Regional Company, and one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States by Points of Light. Here at Blue Shield, we strive to make a positive change across our industry and communities – join us!  

Our Values: 

• Honest. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical and integrity standards. We build trust by doing what we say we're going to do and by acknowledging and correcting where we fall short. 
• Human. We strive to listen and communicate effectively, showing empathy by understanding others' perspectives.
• Courageous. We stand up for what we believe in and are committed to the hard work necessary to achieve our ambitious goals. 

Physical Requirements:

Office Environment - roles involving part to full time schedule in Office Environment. Based in our physical offices and work from home office/deskwork - Activity level: Sedentary, frequency most of work day.

Please click here for further physical requirement detail. 

Equal Employment Opportunity:

External hires must pass a background check/drug screen. Qualified applicants with arrest records and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with Federal, State and local laws, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or disability status and any other classification protected by Federal, State and local laws.