Senior Implementation Manager

Senior Implementation Manager – Employee Benefits

Blue Water Benefits Administrators is seeking an experienced and highly organized Senior Implementation Manager – Employee Benefits to lead the end-to-end onboarding and installation of new employer group health plans. This role serves as the operational owner of complex implementations and is accountable for ensuring financial, contractual, data, system, and vendor integrations are completed accurately and on schedule.

The Senior Implementation Manager acts as the primary coordinator between employer clients, brokers, and internal and external partners, ensuring each implementation is delivered with operational readiness, regulatory compliance, and a seamless transition into ongoing service.

Implementation Planning & Governance

• Own and manage the full lifecycle implementation of new employer group health plans from contract through go-live.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, timelines, dependencies, and deliverables.
• Serve as the primary point of accountability for implementation execution and operational readiness.

Client, Broker & Stakeholder Coordination

• Lead implementation meetings with employer clients, brokers, and internal operational teams.
• Coordinate implementation activities with external partners, including:
• Provider networks
• Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs)
• Stop-loss and reinsurance carriers
• Managed care and specialty vendors
• Ensure all internal and external stakeholders meet contractual, data, and operational requirements.

Banking & Financial Readiness

• Coordinate the setup of employer and claims-related bank accounts, including trust and operating accounts when applicable.
• Partner with finance and accounting teams to establish funding flows, claims payment schedules, and reconciliation processes.
• Validate financial and banking readiness prior to go-live.

Contract & Plan Documentation Coordination

• Coordinate execution of administrative services agreements, stop-loss contracts, network agreements, and vendor contracts.
• Ensure plan designs, contractual terms, and implementation requirements are accurately documented and aligned.
• Partner with legal, compliance, and documentation teams to support plan document and contract readiness.

Data Management & System Configuration

• Manage the collection, validation, and delivery of eligibility, census, and plan design data.
• Coordinate data exchanges with internal systems and external vendors.
• Oversee system configuration for eligibility, benefits, claims, and reporting.
• Validate data integrity and configuration accuracy prior to go-live.

Communication & Implementation Reporting

• Lead weekly and milestone-based implementation status calls.
• Prepare agendas, project updates, risk logs, and action item tracking.
• Proactively communicate timelines, risks, and readiness status to clients, brokers, and internal stakeholders.
• Escalate issues and drive resolution across teams.

Open Enrollment & Account Transition Planning

• Lead planning and execution of open enrollment for new employer groups.
• Coordinate enrollment timelines, materials, communications, and vendor readiness.
• Partner with account management and operations teams to ensure a smooth transition from implementation to ongoing service.
• Provide post-implementation stabilization support as needed.

Operational Readiness & Go-Live

• Coordinate readiness across claims, customer service, finance, compliance, and IT teams.
• Conduct final readiness reviews and secure go-live approvals.
• Ensure successful handoff to account management and operational support teams.

Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Serve as an escalation point for complex or high-profile implementations.
• Mentor and support junior implementation team members.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of BWBA's implementation standards, tools, templates, and best practices.

Qualifications & Experience

Required

• 7–10+ years of experience in health care implementations, employee benefits administration, or Third-Party Administrator (TPA) operations.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex employer group health plan implementations.
• Strong project management, coordination, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven experience working directly with employer clients, brokers, and vendor partners.

Highly Preferred

• Prior experience within a TPA, health plan, or employee benefits consulting organization.
• Experience coordinating bank account setups, financial workflows, and funding structures.
• Working knowledge of self-funded and level-funded employer health plans.
• Experience leading open enrollment planning and execution.

Preferred Attributes

• Highly organized and detail-driven with the ability to manage multiple implementations simultaneously.
• Confident communicator who can lead discussions with senior client and broker stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solver with the ability to navigate complex operational and technical dependencies.
• Collaborative leader who thrives in cross-functional environments.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, deadline-driven implementation environment.

Why Join Blue Water Benefits Administrators

Blue Water Benefits Administrators is a privately held, growing health care administrator that values service excellence, collaboration and continuous improvement. We offer:

• Competitive compensation
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Remote-friendly work environment
• Supportive and experienced leadership
• Career development and advancement opportunities