Executive Medical Director, Medical Affairs

CVS Health; Connecticut; Hybrid; USD 184,000 - 397,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision coverage

Paid time off

Retirement savings options

Wellness programs

Job summary

CVS Health, through its Aetna Medical Affairs MD Quality function, seeks an Executive MD Quality Lead to shape the future state of MD quality governance. You will lead methodological upgrades, calibration, and cross-LOB alignment to ensure clinically sound MD decisions across lines of business.

The role drives governance, performance oversight, and accountability, partnering with ACS to advance enterprise-wide quality improvements and ensure member-first outcomes.

Qualifications

• Leadership experience in clinical quality or MD performance calibration
• Strong understanding of clinical coverage determinations and medical necessity criteria
• Experience designing structured training programs to improve performance
• Ability to influence senior clinical and business leaders in a complex organization
• Experience with quality metrics, audit findings, and governance

Responsibilities

• Oversee governance of Aetna’s centralized MD Quality function, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards and regulatory requirements
• Lead a multidisciplinary team to strengthen audit rigor and consistency in MD reviews
• Analyze decision trends to identify high-impact areas for targeted improvement
• Evaluate audit methodologies to ensure actionable, defensible findings
• Lead MD Quality forums to set standards and drive cross-LOB alignment
• Prioritize quality improvement and remediation efforts with high impact
• Oversee tracking of quality metrics and outcomes for accountability
• Represent MD Quality in executive forums with performance updates and risk mitigation
• Serve as trusted clinical advisor promoting a culture of quality and accountability
• Own cross-functional partnership with ACS for E2E alignment and quality improvement

Skills

Leadership

Clinical expertise

Regulatory knowledge

Analytical skills

Executive communication

Education

Board-certified MD or DO

Healthcare quality/public health training

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.

Position Overview

Quality is part of Aetna’s DNA. We are committed to ensuring that every MD decision reflects sound clinical judgment, consistent application of evidence-based criteria, and an unwavering focus on doing what is best for our members. To strengthen and scale this commitment, Aetna Medical Affairs is establishing a centralized MD Quality function to oversee and ensure the quality of MD decisions across lines of business. This team will ensure rigor, consistency, transparency, and accountability in MD review processes - reinforcing our strong track record while evolving our oversight model to meet the demands of a complex and highly regulated environment.

The Executive MD Quality Lead will lead this function, serving as the clinical authority responsible for shaping the future state MD Quality operating model. This role will advance review methodology, performance calibration, and governance to ensure MD decisions remain clinically sound and aligned with enterprise standards and member-first principles.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee governance of Aetna’s centralized MD Quality function, ensuring alignment with enterprise standards and regulatory requirements
• Lead a multidisciplinary team (Clinical and Admin Auditors, Trainers, Data Analyst, and Program Ops Manager) to strengthen audit rigor and consistency in MD reviews
• Analyze decision trends and variability to ID high-impact areas for targeted improvement
• Evaluate audit methodologies and insights to ensure findings are actionable, defensible, and aligned with priorities
• Lead MD Quality forums to set standards and drive transparency and cross-LOB alignment
• Prioritize quality improvement and remediation efforts, focusing on highest-impact interventions
• Oversee tracking of quality metrics and outcomes to ensure accountability and sustained improvement at individual and team levels
• Represent MD Quality in executive forums, providing updates on performance trends, risks, and mitigation strategies
• Serve as a trusted clinical advisor, advancing a culture of quality, rigor, and accountability
• Own cross-functional partnership with ACS, driving E2E alignment and quality improvement

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of clinical experience with progressive leadership in utilization management, medical policy, clinical operations, or quality oversight
• Experience leading clinical quality review or MD performance calibration
• Deep understanding of clinical coverage determinations, appeals, regulatory standards (e.g., CMS, NCQA), and medical necessity criteria
• Experience developing structured training programs to improve performance
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior clinical and business leaders in a complex, matrixed organization
• Strong analytical skills, including interpretation of variability metrics, IRR results, and audit findings
• Executive presence and communications skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing/transforming internal clinical quality or audit programs
• Direct experience IRR methodology and performance calibration frameworks
• Familiarity with multiple lines of business (Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid)
• Background in change management or leading enterprise-wide quality improvement initiatives

Education

Board certified MD or DO required; training in healthcare quality, public health, health policy, or healthcare administration

Pay Range

The typical pay range for this role is:

$184,112.00 - $396,550.00

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.

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: 09/25/2026

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