Senior Stars Program Manager

Medica is a nonprofit health plan with more than a million members that serves communities in Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri, and beyond. We deliver personalized health care experiences and partner closely with providers to ensure members are genuinely cared for.

We're a team that owns our work with accountability, makes data-driven decisions, embraces continuous learning, and celebrates collaboration - because success is a team sport. It's our mission to be there in the moments that matter most for our members and employees. Join us in creating a community of connected care, where coordinated, quality service is the norm, and every member feels valued.

The Senior Program Manager for CMS Part C & D CAHPS (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) and HOS (Health Outcomes Survey) is a critical leadership role within Medica's Quality & Stars organization. This position drives strategy, execution, and performance improvement for CAHPS and HOS measures, which are pivotal to the success of Medica's Medicare Stars Ratings. The role requires deep expertise in member experience, survey methodology, and cross-functional program management to influence outcomes across the enterprise.

Key Accountabilities:

• Lead enterprise-wide strategy for CAHPS and HOS performance across Medicare contracts
• Translate CMS Stars methodology and cut point trends into actionable insights and improvement plans
• Partner with leaders across Quality, Stars, Member Engagement, Operations, Marketing, and Member Experience to align initiatives with Medica's strategic roadmap
• Manage end-to-end CAHPS and HOS program cycles, including survey preparation, vendor coordination, and post-survey analysis
• Oversee timelines, deliverables, and compliance with CMS protocols
• Develop and maintain dashboards, forecasts, and performance tracking tools
• Collaborate with teams across Member Experience, Population Health, Operations, Health Equity, Provider Quality, and Communications
• Facilitate provider engagement strategies to improve member experience and functional health outcomes
• Support internal and external reporting, including Board updates and provider-facing materials
• Monitors and analyzes member experience indicators and Medicare CAHPS survey results, identify performance drivers, and lead root cause investigations to ensure goals, objective and outcomes are met
• Monitor year-over-year trends, forecast performance against CMS cut points, and recommend targeted interventions
• Translate complex data into executive-level summaries and strategic recommendations
• Works with health plan, providers, and vendors to review best practices, programs, and processes for improvement opportunities

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience, plus 5 years of work experience beyond degree
• 5+ years of experience in Medicare Stars, CAHPS/HOS, or member experience strategy

Preferred Qualifications:

• One year of experience with survey design, methodology and experience measurement
• 7+ years of experience in Medicare Stars, CAHPS/HOS, or member experience strategy
• Strong understanding of CMS Stars methodology, especially Part C and D survey measures
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and influence without direct authority across all levels of an organization
• Experience coordinating and managing multiple projects and initiatives simultaneously
• In-depth knowledge of Medicare products, regulations, and Star Ratings
• Exceptional analytical, communication, facilitation, and presentation skills
• Ability to navigate ambiguity in a complex and matrixed environment
• Proven ability to think strategically and implement tactically and collaboratively
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint) and reporting, database, and analytics applications
• Experience with survey vendors, CMS protocols, and regulatory compliance

Skills and Abilities:

• Strategic thinker with a bias toward action and measurable impact
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving clarity across teams
• Passionate about improving member experience and health outcomes
• Adept at translating data into stories that inspire change

This position is an Office role, which requires an employee to work onsite, on average, 3 days per week. We are open to candidates located near one of the following office locations: Minnetonka, MN, Madison, WI, Omaha, NE, or St. Louis, MO.

The full salary grade for this position is $77,100 - $132,200. While the full salary grade is provided, the typical hiring salary range for this role is expected to be between $77,100 - $115,710. Annual salary range placement will depend on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, education, work experience, applicable certifications and/or licensure, the position's scope and responsibility, internal pay equity and external market salary data. In addition to compensation, Medica offers a generous total rewards package that includes competitive medical, dental, vision, PTO, Holidays, paid volunteer time off, 401K contributions, caregiver services and many other benefits to support our employees.

The compensation and benefits information is provided as of the date of this posting. Medica's compensation and benefits are subject to change at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law.

Eligibility to work in the US: Medica does not offer work visa sponsorship for this role. All candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. Employment is contingent on verification of identity and eligibility to work in the United States.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer, where all qualified candidates receive consideration for employment indiscriminate of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.