Innovation Partnership Director

GEHA (Government Employees Health Association, Inc., pronounced G.E.H.A.) is a nonprofit member association that provides medical and dental benefits to more than two million federal employees and retirees, military retirees and their families. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

GEHA has one mission: To empower federal workers to be healthy and well.

Offering one of the largest medical and dental benefit provider networks available to federal employees in the United States, GEHA empowers health and wellness by meeting its members where they are, when they need care. We serve our members with products they value and a personalized customer experience, sustained by a nimble and efficient organization. 

Reporting to the VP of Innovation Investment, The Innovation Partnership Director is the architect and day-to-day catalyst of G.E.H.A’s innovation partnership and pilot engine, turning bold ideas from our network of startups, industry partners, and the G.E.H.A Ventures portfolio into real-world impact for our members. The Innovation Partnership Director’s mission is to build a portfolio of innovation partnership models from concept to pilot to enterprise-scale rollout. Through delivering on these innovation objectives, these models will serve to create innovation champions through insights and lessons learned along the way with exposure to new solutions and ways of working. By shaping the playbooks, fostering cross-functional teamwork, building reporting, and spotlighting wins, you’ll embed innovation into G.E.H.A’s culture and help each promising collaboration—whether through startup partnership or sourced through our venture investments—deliver measurable value in access, quality, and cost of care all while achieving our strategic objectives.SKILLS

Key Responsibilities:

• Architect a repeatable “idea-to-impact” framework: intake, diligence, pilot design, legal/VMO coordination, launch, and post-pilot decision gates.
• Maintain a living library of templates, KPIs, and best practices to shorten cycle times and raise pilot quality.
• Train and support business owners on the framework and serve as their thought partner through each stage.
• Drive cadenced Pilot Reviews with Finance, Operations, VMO, Legal, Compliance and other stakeholders to unblock issues and keep pilots on timeline/budget.
• Function as the single point of contact linking partners, portfolio companies, and G.E.H.A stakeholders (Clinical, IT, VMO, Privacy, Security, Finance).
• Align pilot goals with enterprise goals and actively communicate progress to leadership.
• Own pilot scorecards: ensure data integrity, interim read-outs, and support final go/no-go recommendations.
• Support negotiation of commercial and technical terms that position successful pilots for enterprise-wide rollout.
• Surface partnership or co-development opportunities within the existing venture portfolio; shepherd them through the same framework.
• Define success metrics—clinical, member experience, financial—and build dashboards for real-time visibility.
• Conduct post-mortems to codify lessons learned and update the framework accordingly.
• Publish quarterly “Innovation Impact Reports” highlighting outcomes, wins, learnings, and other impacts.
• Function as a thought partner with the G.E.H.A Ventures team to evaluate potential investments.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Finance, Operations Management, or related field; MBA or equivalent is highly beneficial.
• Minimum of 10+ years of experience in business development, operations management, or similar roles, with a preference for experience in corporate innovation roles, startup environments, with a focus on healthcare solutions. Preferred: Former start-up founder.
• Proven experience in developing, managing, and scaling pilot projects.
• Strong skills in relationship building, negotiation, and project management.
• In-depth understanding of U.S. healthcare, business operations, growth strategies, and pilot project dynamics.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and leadership abilities.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Proficient in business software and analytics tools.

This role is a unique opportunity to play a critical role in shaping and enhancing the value of G.E.H.A's innovation portfolio, driving strategic partnerships, operational excellence, and successful pilot project outcomes. The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker, an effective communicator, and an enthusiastic advocate for innovation and growth.

Work-at-home requirements

• Must have the ability to provide a non-cellular High Speed Internet Service such as Fiber, DSL, or cable Modems for a home office.
• A minimum standard speed for optimal performance of 30x5 (30mpbs download x 5mpbs upload) is required.
• Latency (ping) response time lower than 80 ms
• Hotspots, satellite and wireless internet service is NOT allowed for this role.
• A dedicated space lacking ongoing interruptions to protect member PHI / HIPAA information

How we value you

• Competitive pay/salary ranges
• Incentive plan
• Health/Vision/Dental benefits effective day one
• 401(k) retirement plan:  company match – dollar for dollar up to 4% employee contribution (pretax or Roth options) plus a 6% annual company contribution   
• Robust employee well-being program
• Paid Time Off
• Personal Community Enrichment Time
• Company-provided Basic Life and AD&D
• Company-provided Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
• Tuition Assistance Program

Please note that the salary information is a general guideline only.  GEHA considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, as well as, market and business considerations when extending an offer.

The annual base salary range for this position is $160,937 - $226,863 USD.

GEHA is an Equal Opportunity Employer, which means we will not discriminate against any individual based on sex, race, color, national origin, disability, religion, age, military status, genetic information, veteran status, pregnancy, marital status, gender identity, and sexual orientation, as well as all other characteristics and qualities protected by federal, state, or local law. GEHA will not discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their compensation or the compensation of another employee or applicant. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Our diversity drives innovation deepens connections and strengthens our organization.

GEHA is headquartered in Lee's Summit, Missouri, in the Kansas City area. We recognize the importance of balance and flexibility and offer hybrid and work-from-home options for many of our roles.