Sr. Innovation Lead at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts in Boston, MA

The Sr. Innovation Lead in Well-B’s Innovation Center will lead idea generation, solutioning, prototyping, and piloting of innovative solutions and technologies that will create a competitive advantage for BCBSMA.

In collaboration with BCBSMA business leaders and industry stakeholders, in alignment with BCBSMA strategic priorities, this position will work to evaluate current trends and ideas; identify emerging capabilities, solutions and technologies; gain buy-in and support from leaders, associates, customers, and partners; and advance a portfolio of innovation initiatives to market.Key Accountabilities:

• Engage with BCBSMA business leaders and with key areas of the business to forge relationships and understand the challenges and strategic goals.
• Identify opportunities for innovation by understanding problems, needs, and ideas from the business, the customers (employers, providers, brokers), and the members (consumers).
• Build a pipeline of ideas, manage the pipeline, and prioritize the pipeline through criteria that ensures alignment to the strategic goals and desired focus areas.
• Explore vendors and technologies in the market that could provide a solution or component of a solution, and make build, buy, partner recommendations.
• Jointly, with the business leadership, pitch prioritized ideas to senior executives to secure approval and funding to advance through the innovation process.
• Shepherd innovation initiatives through the innovation process as part of the multi-disciplinary team.
• Jointly, with the business leaders, seek funding and recommend the development/pilot and launch and scale plan for each initiative.
• Track and report on ideas in the pipeline, on active initiatives in the innovation funnel/pipeline, and on pilots that are in development and getting launched.
• Track and report on ideas in the pipeline, on active initiatives in the innovation funnel/pipeline, and on pilots that are in development and getting launched.
• Manage hack, sprint, and incubator teams through the discovery, design, launch, and implementation phases of innovation
• Take low fidelity prototypes to higher levels through various testing and iterations of desirability, feasibility, and viability.

Key Characteristics:

• Understands the multiple stakeholders and needs in the healthcare industry
• Has the ability to lead and manage a pipeline of innovation initiatives
• Can assess opportunities where innovation can support and/or accelerate initiatives to meet goals.
• Is able to work effectively for high level strategy setting as well as tactical frame-up
• Is able to excel in environments where tasks can be ambiguous and complicated but still create and deliver solutions that senior executives can easily understand
• Effectively formulates innovative solutions in an iterative and rapid manner following the innovation process and model
• Establishes a variety of metrics (eg. revenue, medical cost, administrative cost, net promoter score, clinical effectiveness, consumer adoption, attendance, etc.) designed to track the effectiveness and value of potential solutions
• Articulates and socializes the Well-B innovation mission, goals, objectives, process, and initiatives to audiences both inside and outside of BCBSMA
• Works effectively with virtual stakeholders and teams to collaborate on innovation that supports strategy, measures effectiveness and value
• Works effectively on a co-located, multi-disciplinary innovation team of talent in the Well-B Innovation Center
• Is willing to wear multiple hats and take on a variety of roles and responsibilities as part of a lean “start-up-like” innovation team
• Has an in-depth understanding of human-centered design/design thinking, lean start-up, and agile methodologies.
• Has an in-depth understanding of the healthcare landscape
• Has an ability to apply start-up vendor solutions and emerging technologies to the needs of the healthcare industry
• Embodies our Well-B Innovation Center culture (a hard-working team energetic professionals who are collaborative, supportive, and mutually accountable to deliver visionary, human-centric solutions that will bring value to BCBSMA and help transform healthcare)
• Is self-motivated and has the ability to be proactively solve business needs with innovative solutions
• Has leadership skills and an executive presence that allows effective interaction with internal and external business and IT executives on all matters relating to innovation
• Has an ability to objectively assess and push-back with clear, value-based rationale
• Has skill in developing and interpreting analytical reports used to measure financial, clinical, and adoption value
• Has a desire to work in the co-located Well-B Innovation Center environment on a lean multi-disciplinary team
• Is proficient in building and functioning on matrixed teams across disparate functional groups
• Has strong organizational management, motivation and development skills.

Key Qualifications:

• Undergraduate Degree required, Masters Degree preferred or equivalent experience in Healthcare, Business Administration and/or Information Technology,
• 8-10 years of work experience in any combination of healthcare, consulting, and consumer technologies
• Strong preference for experience and knowledge of human centered design / design thinking
• Strong preference for experience and knowledge of healthcare or health insurance
• A true innovator with a passion for making an impact
• An understanding of Agile methodology
• A professional with a strong entrepreneurial spirit
• Successful experience working with and being a trusted advisor to business management
• A proven track record operating in a matrixed environment and driving business improvements
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation communications skills
• Attention to detail and fact-based analysis
• A complete team player who is able to effectively work across multiple functions, cultures and personalities

Location

Boston

Time Type

Full time