Health Plan Contracts Chief

Job Description and Duties

This recruitment requires a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ). Responses to the identified qualification factors are required for this CEA recruitment. Please see the instructions for the SOQ under the Special Requirements section of this job posting.

Anticipated Interview Dates: We anticipate holding in-person interviews on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. We look forward to meeting with you!

This position will run until filled, with cutoff dates for review. The first cutoff date will be September 13, 2026, followed by every Sunday until filled.

California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) is currently seeking a talented leader to become Chief of the Health Plan Administration Section.

CalPERS purchases health care for 1.5 million Californians, making it the largest public employer purchaser of healthcare in California and the second largest in the United States. Annually, CalPERS spends nearly $14 billion on healthcare, with approximately $2.5 billion of which is spent on pharmaceuticals. This Chief will lead the team to develop and administer contracts with Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans, self-funded Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans, and corresponding Population Health Manager (PHM) and Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM). The Chief is responsible for helping the CalPERS Board of Administration (Board) to determine covered benefits, manage health care costs, refine benefit designs, and pursue quality improvement efforts. Telework Information: This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, with up to two days of remote work and three days or more onsite, per week.

Sponsorship:  CalPERS does not participate in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes

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Special Requirements

Statement of Qualifications (SOQ)

An SOQ is required and serves as the examination for this CEA recruitment and must be included with your application.

Please provide a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) for the hiring manager's review. Applications received without an SOQ or those that do not respond to the specific questions below will not be considered.

The SOQ must be typed, titled "Statement of Qualifications", and each response must be numbered and list all relevant experience, education, and training, including places of employment, dates, and duties performed. You must provide responses including specific examples for each of the qualification factors outlined below. Your Statement must not exceed two pages in length and must not use smaller than 11-point font. Failure to follow this format and Application Instructions may result in disqualification.

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following SOQ factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate and must address the following:

1. Describe your ability and experience in planning, organizing, and directing the work of multi-disciplinary professional and administrative staff providing contract procurement, administration, oversight, and compliance activities. 
2. Describe your experience working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, subject matter experts, and senior leadership to develop policies, procedures, or processes that measure and assess contract performance. 
3. Describe your demonstrated communication skills and experience presenting sensitive and complex issues and technical requirements, both verbally and in writing, in a way that is understood by a wide range of stakeholders including executive leadership, a governing board or similar body.
4. Describe your leadership experience and demonstrated ability to think strategically and function as a member of a high-functioning senior leadership team.

Note: Resumes, letters, and other materials will not be evaluated or considered as responses to the Statement of Qualifications.

Applications received without the SOQ or with an SOQ not properly formatted will not be considered.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Possess strong contract management skills and the demonstrated ability to facilitate the establishment of priorities and provide policy direction, preferably with experience working in health policy, the health care industry, health economics, finance administration and business strategies. The ideal candidate will have worked in a health-related governmental or private sector position with experience as a senior manager in such an entity.
• Be a proven leader capable of building and retaining a team of exceptional professionals, with a track record for identifying the right initiatives and leading a team that executes them; have demonstrated ability to think strategically and function effectively as a member of a top management team; and have experience in an administrative or executive capacity, at least equivalent to a Manager II with responsibility for policy development and program administration.
• Be highly collaborative, capable of working with other exceptional leaders to identify and execute critical goals as a team.

Benefits

CalPERS team members are eligible for a number of benefits. Health benefits and leave programs are available for most team members. Benefit eligibility may depend on length of service and collective bargaining agreements.

Some added benefits CalPERS offers include:

• Alternate Work Schedules
• Flexible Work Hours
• Onsite childcare facility
• Onsite fitness center
• Onsite café and nearby restaurants
• Free onsite parking available Mondays and Fridays
• Free offsite parking available with shuttle service Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays

For more details about employee benefits, visit the California Department of Human Resources website.

Additional Information

Live Scan
Candidates are required to submit to a criminal history review process utilizing Live Scan fingerprinting.

CalPERS Disclosure Requirements
If employed, you may be subject to rules imposed by  Personal Trading Regulations and  Conflict of Interest Code that apply to CalPERS team members, which require disclosure of certain investment information and use of a designated trading platform for securities transactions, as well as filing a  Statement of Economic Interest (Form 700)

Sponsorship
CalPERS does not participate in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes.

Background Investigation
In addition to Live Scan, this position requires additional background screening prior to employment.

Please do not include any confidential information on any documents in your application package. Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents include, but is not limited to, your social security number, date of birth, marital status, personal photos, a copy of your driver’s license, equal employment opportunity data.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Statement of Qualifications - In addition to completing your online job application, you must provide a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) for the hiring manager’s review. Please see the Special Requirements section for instructions and questions for the SOQ. Applications received without an SOQ will not be considered. We ask that you not use Artificial Intelligence assistance when composing your written response. Written responses are an attempt to assess and gain an understanding of your personal writing and communication skills and abilities.