Network Development Manager (IDD & Behavioral Health)

Bark; United States; Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Equity stake

Paid time off

Medical

Vision

Online Mental Health Therapy

401(k)

Supplemental Long‑Term Disability

401(k)

Job summary

A dynamic technology company in the United States is seeking a Network Development Manager to expand its services across state Medicaid programs and HCBS waiver systems. The role involves building relationships with payers, developing partnerships, and navigating funding pathways. With requirements including 5-7 years in payer contracting, excellent relationship-building skills, and experience with Medicaid MCOs, this position offers competitive compensation and the opportunity to impact children's online safety initiatives significantly.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years in payer contracting, Medicaid network development, or managed care strategy.
• Direct experience with Medicaid MCOs or state Medicaid agencies.
• Understanding of HCBS waiver structures and Medicaid reimbursement.
• Experience with provider network development, market evaluation, or payer negotiations.
• Strong communication and relationship‑building with payers, state leaders, and provider partners.
• Proven ability to drive multi‑state, cross‑state projects independently.

Responsibilities

• Build relationships with payers and state agencies.
• Develop and manage payer partnerships.
• Support negotiations related to network participation.
• Navigate HCBS Waiver and Medicaid Funding Pathways: interpret 1115, 1915(c/i) and state plans.
• Contracting & Negotiations: support or lead negotiations on reimbursement models and rate structures.
• Build a Provider & Services Network: ensure capacity, documentation, and readiness to meet requirements.
• Create Repeatable Systems for Network Growth: develop templates and pipelines for state and payer discovery and reporting.

Skills

Payer contracting

Medicaid network development

Government programs

HCBS/IDD/BH operations

Relationship-building

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Join to apply for the Network Development Manager (IDD & Behavioral Health) role at Bark

Sr. Director, Head of People and Culture @ Bark

Job Type: Full-time

Kaysville, UT and Remote (United States Only)

Who We Are:

At Bark, we’re on a mission to keep children safer online – both at home and at school. We use cutting‑edge machine‑learning technology to detect issues like cyberbullying, sexting, signs of depression, suicidal ideation, and more. We also offer internet filtering and screen‑time limits. Learn more at www.bark.us.

Bark is expanding rapidly within state disability waiver programs. We’re hiring a Network Development Manager (IDD & Behavioral Health) to expand our footprint across state Medicaid programs, HCBS waiver systems, Medicaid MCOs, and private payers.

This is a hands‑on role for someone who understands payer strategy, state funding streams, HCBS waivers, Medicaid managed care, and commercial insurance, and knows how to build and expand provider and service networks across multiple states.

You will work nationally to:

• build relationships with payers and state agencies,
• secure approvals and contracting pathways,
• drive network growth, and
• ensure our services align with IDD and behavioral health reimbursement ecosystems.

What You’ll Do

• Network & Market Expansion Across Multiple States
• Identify priority states and markets by analyzing Medicaid waiver structures, MCO penetration, state funding opportunities, and commercial payer dynamics.
• Build a multi-state strategy to expand our IDD & behavioral health service network.
• Develop & Manage Payer Partnerships (Medicaid + Commercial)
  • Build and maintain relationships with:
  • HCBS waiver program leads
  • Medicaid MCOs and behavioral health plans
  • Commercial payers / private insurance partners
• Represent our organization in payer meetings, stakeholder sessions, and strategic discussions.
• Navigate HCBS Waiver and Medicaid Funding Pathways
  • Understand and interpret 1115, 1915(c), 1915(i), and state‑plan amendments, including allowable services and funding mechanisms.
  • Support the process of pre‑application engagement, securing invitations to apply, and participating in waiver or contracting submissions.
• Contracting & Negotiations (Medicaid + Commercial)
  • Support or lead negotiations related to network participation, reimbursement models, rate structures, and value‑based or outcomes‑linked agreements.
  • Ensure payer expectations are translated into operational, clinical, and data workflows internally.
• Build a Provider & Services Network
  • Partner with internal teams to ensure we have the right provider capacity, documentation, and operational readiness to meet payer and state requirements.
  • Identify and recruit external providers or service delivery partners when needed to meet network adequacy or program expectations.
• Create Repeatable Systems for Network Growth
  • Build templates, frameworks, and checklists for state and payer discovery, network readiness, compliance, and performance tracking.
  • Maintain a clear multi‑state pipeline of opportunities and deadlines.

About you:

Required:

• 5–7 years in payer contracting, Medicaid network development, government programs, HCBS/IDD/BH operations, or managed care strategy.
• Direct experience working with Medicaid MCOs, state Medicaid agencies, or commercial payer contracting teams.
• Understanding of HCBS waiver structures, Medicaid reimbursement, and payer decision‑making.
• Experience with provider network development, market evaluation, or payer negotiations.
• Strong communication and relationship‑building skills with payers, state leaders, and provider partners.
• Proven ability to drive multi‑step, cross‑state projects independently.

Preferred:

• Experience with IDD or behavioral health provider networks.
• Knowledge of commercial insurance reimbursement and contracting approaches.
• Expertise interpreting rate sheets, schedules of benefits, or Medicaid/waiver billing guidance.
• Familiarity with value‑based care models or alternative payment structures.

Why This Role Is Exciting

• You will shape our national expansion across Medicaid, HCBS waiver programs, and private payers.
• Your work directly accelerates access to IDD & behavioral health supports across multiple states.
• You’ll build a scalable payer and provider network model for a fast‑growing, mission‑driven organization.
• This is a rare opportunity to work across government and commercial payers in a role that blends strategy, partnerships, and execution.
• This is a market development role focusing on identifying high‑potential states, engaging state administrators, navigating approval and enrollment processes, and creating the conditions for downstream activation by Bark’s sales teams.
• Competitive compensation commensurate with experience
• Equity stake in Bark
• Paid time off
• Medical
• Vision
• On‑Demand Primary Care
• Online Mental Health Therapy
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• 401(k)
• Voluntary Long‑term and Short‑term Disability Insurance

Next Steps: Please be sure to add [e-mail] to your contact list to ensure delivery of all correspondence from us.

We recognize people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. If your experience is close to what you see listed here, please consider applying. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and excellence. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions. Please let us know if you require accommodations during the interview process.

Bark is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.