Senior Manager, Mental Well-being Operations Innovation

Role Description

Aetna Mental Well-being is seeking a strategic, results-oriented leader to drive technology-enabled transformation across Operations. The Senior Manager, Operations Innovation will identify high-value opportunities to improve member experience, operational performance, quality, and scalability through technology, automation, AI, and process innovation.

This role sits at the intersection of Operations, Technology, Strategy, Data, and Product and is responsible for shaping the roadmap, building business cases, leading cross-functional execution, and delivering measurable business outcomes. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical and strategic thinking with hands-on execution and thrives in complex, matrixed environments.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategy & Innovation
  • Identify opportunities to improve operational performance, member experience, scalability, and efficiency through technology, automation, and AI.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies and develop strategies to enhance member engagement and self-service capabilities.
  • Serve as a strategic partner to Mental Well-being Operations leadership by providing structured problem-solving, data-driven insights, and clear, decision-oriented recommendations.
• Business Case Development & Solution Assessment
  • Lead opportunity assessments, feasibility analysis, and solution evaluation.
  • Develop executive-ready business cases, ROI analyses, financial models, and investment recommendations.
  • Partner across Operations, Product, Technology, Finance, Strategy, Clinical, and Analytics teams to validate concepts and prioritize investments.
• Solution Delivery & Execution
  • Lead a portfolio of technology-enabled initiatives from concept through implementation and scale.
  • Translate business needs into requirements, workflows, operating models, and user experiences.
  • Drive launch readiness, testing, adoption, change management, and value realization.
  • Partner with Technology and Product teams to ensure solutions are scalable, usable, and aligned with business needs.
  • Develop and manage execution plans, milestones, dependencies, risks, and success metrics.
  • Provide concise, transparent communication to stakeholders and leadership regarding progress, risks, and outcomes.
• Performance Measurement & Continuous Improvement
  • Define KPIs and performance frameworks to measure adoption, operational impact, financial outcomes, and member experience.
  • Analyze business, workforce, operational, and member data to identify trends, opportunities, and improvement actions.
  • Establish reporting and governance processes to monitor performance and optimize results over time.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in healthcare strategy, product, analytics, technology, innovation, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional initiatives in matrixed organizations.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, including advanced Excel proficiency; experience with SQL, Tableau, Power BI, Looker, or similar tools is a plus.
• Experience developing business cases, ROI analyses, financial models, and executive-level recommendations.
• Ability to synthesize complex data into clear insights, decisions, and action plans.
• Exceptional communication, executive presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution.
• Strong project and program management capabilities, including risk management, prioritization, and delivery oversight.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, influence without authority, and drive results in fast-paced environments.
• Strong ownership, accountability, attention to detail, and bias for action.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of health plan operations and healthcare technology environments.
• Experience with behavioral health, Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), or related healthcare services.
• Experience implementing AI, automation, digital engagement, or self-service capabilities (e.g., conversational AI, chat, SMS, or in-app messaging).

Education

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Advanced degree or equivalent experience preferred.

Travel

• Up to 10–15%.

Pay Range

The typical pay range for this role is: $67,900.00 - $199,144.00. 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.

Benefits

• Comprehensive and competitive mix of pay and benefits.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Paid time off.
• Retirement savings options.
• Wellness programs and other resources, based on eligibility.

Company Description

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.