Lead Director, Production Services Operations

Role Description

CVS Health is recruiting for the Lead Director, Production Services position. As a key member of the Digital, Data, Analytics and Technology (“DDAT”) team, this role will join a dynamic organization committed to the acceleration of business growth, enhancement of the customer experiences, and enablement of operational efficiencies by powering CVS Health to be a ‘digital first, technology forward and data driven’ company. The Lead Director reports directly to the Executive Director of Production Services in support of DDAT Pharmacy Services.

The Lead Director, Production Services, will lead the centralized operational team on a day-to-day basis and will be responsible for the overall effectiveness of the production and running the business operations. They have accountability to collaborate across a complex organization to ensure service levels and performance guarantees are met. They oversee the root cause analysis of problems and incidents, and the continuous process improvement activities to ensure suspect processes are improved and problems aren’t repeated.

Additionally, they are responsible for reporting analytics and performance metrics ensuring leadership has clear visibility into trends, system reliability and uptime, while coordinating with the infrastructure team to maintain transparency and alignment. The Lead Director will own production operations for Pharmacy Services (Caremark) and will be accountable for keeping the lights on across multiple products, infrastructure, and operational organizations.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in production operations and management, exceptional leadership abilities, and a commitment to continuous improvement. They will be both a builder and operator, capable of establishing governance, maturing processes, and driving cross‑tower alignment in a highly regulated, high‑complexity environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Management, Business Administration, or a related field; Master degree preferred; equivalent experience will be considered
• 12+ years in production operations, SRE leadership, infrastructure operations, or large‑scale technology operations, including at least 5 years in a leadership role
• Proven experience in a matrixed environment, with a strong understanding of cross-functional collaboration and leading without authority
• Proficiency in production management software and tools; familiarity with Lean Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies is a plus
• Strong background in operational governance, process engineering, and incident/problem management
• Proven ability to define and implement KPIs, OKRs, and operational dashboards, with previous experience in executive data analytics reporting
• Executive presence and stakeholder management skills suitable for a regulated, high‑visibility environment
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels

Requirements

• Lead centralized Production Services defining clear ownership boundaries between central and distributed engineering teams.
• Coordinate production activities across multiple departments and teams in a matrixed environment to optimize resource utilization and efficiency.
• Establish and enforce operational governance, including standards, processes, best practices and operating cadences across applications, infrastructure, and security domains.
• Oversee all aspects of production operations, ensuring adherence to quality standards, timelines, and budget constraints.
• Own production stability and resilience, ensuring predictable operations across all technology towers.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively with senior leadership regarding production performance, challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
• Serve as the central operational leader for production systems, maintaining awareness of system health and emerging issues while coordinating cross-functional efforts to resolve conflicts, mitigate risks, and drive timely resolution of production challenges and bottlenecks.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to identify and resolve operational issues, ensuring minimal disruption to production schedules.
• Lead oversight of production risk and incident resolution, maintaining oversight of root cause analysis processes and coordinating cross-functional efforts to ensure cross-team corrective actions to reduce recurring issues.
• Drive initiatives for process improvement, leveraging data analysis and industry best practices to enhance production efficiency and quality.
• Establish and operationalize cross-functional KPIs to measure organizational performance, maintaining oversight of KPI results and cross-team alignment to drive consistency with production targets and broader organizational objectives.
• Continuously build and mature the Production Services function, including governance, process engineering, and quality oversight capabilities.
• Establishing an intake process for new improvement opportunities, with standardized estimation and ROI framework.
• Develop and implement production strategies that align with organizational goals and drive operational excellence.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of production professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability.

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.