Executive Director, Payer Contracting - Retail Health

CVS Health; Woonsocket (RI); On-site; USD 132,000 - 303,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

Paid time off

Retirement savings options

Wellness programs

Equity award program

Job summary

CVS Health in the United States is seeking an Executive Director, Payer Contracting – Retail Health to lead payer contracting strategy, negotiate complex agreements, and align contracts with clinical and operational needs across Finance, Legal, and Operations.

You will build high‑performing teams, manage national and regional payer relationships, and drive financial performance while advancing patient access and value-based care.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive healthcare experience, including payer or managed care contracting.
• Proven success developing payer strategies, leading complex healthcare contract negotiations, and managing senior-level payer relationships.
• Strong understanding of healthcare reimbursement models, contract economics, payer-provider relationships, and contract performance.
• Strong financial and analytical acumen with the ability to evaluate the business implications of complex contractual arrangements.
• Exceptional negotiation, executive communication, relationship management, and influencing skills.
• Proven ability to lead across a complex, highly matrixed healthcare organization and drive alignment among diverse stakeholders.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Deep experience with national and regional health plans and government and commercial payer contracting is highly valued, particularly within ambulatory, physician, or retail health environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive payer contracting strategies aligned with Retail Health priorities and growth objectives.
• Assess payer, reimbursement, and market trends and translate to contracting strategies.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on payer strategy, opportunities, risks, and performance.
• Lead and develop a high-performing payer contracting team with clear priorities and accountability.
• Lead complex payer negotiations, renewals, amendments, and strategic discussions across national and regional plans.
• Build and maintain senior-level payer relationships and expand partnerships.
• Evaluate reimbursement terms, contract economics, financial opportunities, and risks to inform negotiations.
• Oversee the payer contract portfolio and ensure contracts meet financial, operational, and strategic goals.
• Monitor contract performance and identify opportunities to improve reimbursement and value.
• Collaborate with Finance, Legal, Revenue Cycle, Operations, Clinical, and Compliance for contract development and execution.
• Lead resolution of significant contracting issues, disputes, and escalations.

Skills

Payer contracting

Negotiation

Executive leadership

Stakeholder management

Financial analysis

Healthcare market knowledge

Cross-functional collaboration

Bachelor's degree

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree

Job description

We’re building a world of health around every individual — shaping a more connected, convenient and compassionate health experience. At CVS Health®, you’ll be surrounded by passionate colleagues who care deeply, innovate with purpose, hold ourselves accountable and prioritize safety and quality in everything we do. Join us and be part of something bigger – helping to simplify health care one person, one family and one community at a time.

Executive Director, Payer Contracting – Retail Health

Position Summary

The Executive Director, Payer Contracting leads payer contracting strategy for Retail Health, with responsibility for contract negotiations, payer relationships, financial performance, and contract execution. This leader will develop and advance payer strategies that support business growth, patient access, and sustainable financial performance while ensuring contractual arrangements align with the clinical and operational needs of the business. The Executive Director serves as a key strategic partner across Finance, Legal, Operations, Revenue Cycle, Clinical, Compliance, and other enterprise stakeholders, bringing together payer strategy, financial insight, and operational execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comprehensive payer contracting strategies aligned with Retail Health business priorities, growth objectives, and evolving care delivery models.
• Assess evolving payer, reimbursement, and healthcare market trends and translate their implications into contracting strategies and recommendations.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership, providing insights and recommendations on payer strategy, contracting opportunities, risks, and performance.
• Lead and develop a high‑performing payer contracting team while establishing clear priorities, accountability, and consistent contracting practices.
• Lead complex payer negotiations, renewals, amendments, and strategic contract discussions across national and regional health plans.
• Build and maintain senior‑level payer relationships and identify opportunities to strengthen and expand those partnerships.
• Evaluate reimbursement terms, contract economics, financial opportunities, and risks to inform negotiation strategies and business decisions.
• Oversee the payer contract portfolio, establishing priorities and ensuring contracts deliver against financial, operational, and strategic objectives.
• Monitor contract performance and identify opportunities to improve reimbursement, contract value, and overall performance.
• Partner with Finance, Legal, Revenue Cycle, Operations, Clinical, and Compliance to ensure effective contract development, implementation, and ongoing execution.
• Lead resolution of significant payer contracting issues, disputes, and escalations.

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive healthcare experience, including significant experience in payer or managed care contracting.
• Demonstrated success developing payer strategies, leading complex healthcare contract negotiations, and managing senior‑level payer relationships.
• Strong understanding of healthcare reimbursement models, contract economics, payer‑provider relationships, and contract performance.
• Strong financial and analytical acumen with the ability to evaluate the business implications of complex contractual arrangements.
• Exceptional negotiation, executive communication, relationship management, and influencing skills.
• Proven ability to lead across a complex, highly matrixed healthcare organization and drive alignment among diverse stakeholders.
• Experience leading and developing high‑performing teams.
• Deep experience with national and regional health plans and government and commercial payer contracting is highly valued, particularly within ambulatory, physician, or retail health environments.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Pay Range

The typical pay range for this role is: $131,500.00 - $303,195.00 This pay range represents the base hourly rate or base annual full‑time salary for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls. The actual base salary offer will depend on a variety of factors including experience, education, geography and other relevant factors. This position is eligible for a CVS Health bonus, commission or short‑term incentive program in addition to the base pay range listed above. This position also includes an award target in the company’s equity award program.

Our people fuel our future. Our teams reflect the customers, patients, members and communities we serve and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every colleague feels valued and that they belong.

Great benefits for great people

We take pride in offering a comprehensive and competitive mix of pay and benefits that reflects our commitment to our colleagues and their families. This full‑time position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the physical, emotional, and financial well‑being of colleagues and their families.

• The benefits for this position include medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, retirement savings options, wellness programs, and other resources, based on eligibility.

Additional details about available benefits are provided during the application process and on Benefits Moments.

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on: 11/03/2026

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state and local laws.

Our Work Experience is the combination of everything that's unique about us: our culture, our core values, our company meetings, our commitment to sustainability, our recognition programs, but most importantly, it's our people.

Our employees are self-disciplined, hard working, curious, trustworthy, humble, and truthful.

They make choices according to what is best for the team, they live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference, and they make us the #1 Top Workplace in the area.