Director, Strategic Healthcare Programs

Baxter International; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 184,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Plan)

401(k) Retirement Plan

Health and dental coverage

Paid time off 20–35 days

Flexible Spending Accounts

Job summary

Baxter International is seeking a Director, Strategic Healthcare Programs to lead the design, development, and execution of innovative healthcare programs across the U.S. You will connect with payers, providers, IDNs, ACOs, and CMS programs, translating policy into opportunities and coordinating across sales, marketing, HEOR, and contracting teams.

You will influence senior stakeholders with compelling narratives, drive pilots, and build partnerships that improve outcomes while reducing costs.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in U.S. healthcare (provider, payer, medtech, pharma, or consulting).
• Proven track record of commercial success in healthcare program models (bundled payments, shared savings, risk-based contracts, CMS models).
• Deep understanding of U.S. health system economics and reimbursement pathways.
• Strong commercial acumen to build narratives and close opportunities.
• Executive presence with ability to influence senior leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to lead across functions and build networks.

Responsibilities

• Lead development of strategic healthcare program approaches differentiating our portfolio.
• Map healthcare ecosystems at national, regional, and local levels identifying stakeholders.
• Partner with key customers to co-create programs aligned with their priorities.
• Build narratives showing outcomes, cost reductions, and customer impact.
• Develop pilots and partnerships with focus on rural health and underserved populations.
• Align commercial, medical, HEOR, finance, and contracting teams around strategy.

Skills

10+ years healthcare

Commercial programme success

US health system knowledge

Executive presence

Cross-functional leadership

Influence C-suite

Networking skills

HEOR exposure

Job description

This is where your work makes a difference. At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond. Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results. Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride.

Position Summary

We are seeking a commercially driven leader to serve as Director, Strategic Healthcare Programs, leading the design, development, and execution of innovative healthcare programs across the U.S. healthcare landscape. This individual will bring a deep understanding of the U.S. health system—including payers, providers, IDNs, ACOs, GPOs, and CMS programs—combined with exceptional commercial instincts and the ability to translate complex market dynamics into compelling customer narratives. The role requires a natural connector and influencer who thrives on customer mapping, insight generation, and narrative building, while also orchestrating collaboration across multiple internal functions (sales, marketing, HEOR, medical affairs, contracting, policy, finance, operations).

What you’ll be doing

Market & Customer Strategy

• Lead the development of strategic healthcare program approaches that differentiate our portfolio in the U.S. market.
• Map healthcare ecosystems at national, regional, and local levels to identify key stakeholders, influencers, and decision-makers.
• Stay ahead of policy and reimbursement shifts (e.g., CMS TEAM, DRGs, bundled payments, shared savings models) and translate them into actionable opportunities.

Customer Engagement & Program Development

• Partner with key customers (IDNs, health systems, ACOs, and payers) to co-create strategic healthcare programs aligned with their priorities.
• Build compelling, insight-driven narratives that demonstrate how our solutions improve outcomes, lower cost of care, and support customer success.
• Lead the development of pilot programs and partnerships that demonstrate measurable outcomes and customer impact.
• Identify and develop partnerships aligned to rural health, health equity, and underserved population initiatives, leveraging federal, state, and value-based funding mechanisms to expand access to care and improve outcomes

Internal Leadership & Collaboration

• Serve as the internal "glue" across commercial, medical, HEOR, finance, and contracting teams to align on strategy and execution.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration to integrate strategic healthcare programs into go-to-market plans and commercial execution.
• Influence senior leadership and regional teams by providing thought leadership, business cases, and field insights.

Insight & Advocacy

• Translate complex healthcare economic and clinical data into compelling commercial stories.
• Represent the company in external forums (congresses, roundtables, and advisory boards) to shape perception and build credibility in strategic healthcare programs.
• Build evidence, case studies, and customer success stories that can be scaled across markets.

What you’ll bring

• 10+ years of experience in U.S. healthcare (provider, payer, medtech, pharma, or consulting).
• Proven track record of commercial success in healthcare program models such as bundled payments, shared savings, risk-based contracts, or CMS innovation models.
• Deep understanding of U.S. health system economics, including reimbursement pathways, risk models, and provider incentives.
• Exceptional commercial acumen—able to see opportunities, build narratives, and close them.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills—able to influence C-suite customers and senior internal leaders.
• Demonstrated ability to build networks and lead without authority, orchestrating diverse functions to deliver outcomes.
• Experience with HEOR, policy, or health economics is a strong plus.

We understand compensation is an important factor as you consider the next step in your career. At Baxter, we are committed to equitable pay for all employees, and we strive to be more transparent with our pay practices. The estimated base salary for this position is $184,000-$253,000 annually. The estimated range is meant to reflect an anticipated salary range for the position. We may pay more or less than the anticipated range based upon market data and other factors, all of which are subject to change. Individual pay is based upon location, skills and expertise, experience, and other relevant factors. This position may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, commission, and/or long-term incentive.

US Benefits at Baxter (except for Puerto Rico)

This is where your well-being matters. Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles. Our health and well-being benefits include medical and dental coverage that start on day one, as well as insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance. Financial and retirement benefits include the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount, and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching. We also offer Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave. Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits.

Baxter Equal Employment Opportunity

Baxter is an equal opportunity employer. Baxter evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status, disability/handicap status or any other legally protected characteristic.

Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal

Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal

Reasonable Accommodations

Baxter is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities globally. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, please click on the link here and let us know the nature of your request along with your contact information.

No matter your role at Baxter, your talent, skills, and time has a direct impact on people's lives. Since 1931, we have been at the forefront of innovation by bringing smarter, more personalized care to patients around the world. Now, we're more determined than ever to make a lasting impact as we are redefining healthcare delivery across the care journey. Our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives motivates us as we create a culture in which each of us can succeed. This is where you belong.

#LI-PB1