Program Manager, Revenue Cycle Connectivity Strategy

Join us as we work to create a thriving ecosystem that delivers accessible, high-quality, and sustainable healthcare for all.

The Program Manager, Revenue Cycle Connectivity Strategy will lead the development and execution of a comprehensive payer interoperability and engagement strategy designed to expand connectivity coverage across 50+ payer partners, representing approximately 40% of total volume drivers. This role will manage a portfolio of initiatives spanning four key service lines—Remittance Tracking, Enrollment, Authorization Management, and Denials/Appeals—driving measurable improvements in efficiency, cost savings, and collaboration.

The ideal candidate combines strategic and analytical acumen with deep understanding of payer-provider connectivity and healthcare revenue cycle operations. They will own the end-to-end lifecycle of payer engagement—from opportunity identification and business case development to commercial negotiation and cross-functional delivery—ensuring alignment across internal teams and external stakeholders.

This role is pivotal in advancing enterprise interoperability goals, improving financial performance, and fostering long-term, value-based relationships with payer partners.

Key success measures include expansion of payer coverage from, delivery of operational savings, and timely execution of strategic initiatives that enhance performance across all service lines.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Payer Portfolio Management

• Lead and expand payer connectivity strategy to cover 50+ payer relationships, representing ~40% of volume drivers.

• Develop and manage the portfolio of payer interoperability initiatives across four key service lines: Remittance Tracking, Enrollment, Authorization Management, and Denials/Appeals.

• Support the creation and execution of joint business cases that identify cost savings, performance improvements, and shared investment opportunities.

Data & Collaboration Enablement

• Develop shared data assets with payer partners to provide mutual visibility into business performance and opportunities for collaboration.

• Translate insights into actionable payer engagement strategies and value propositions.

Pipeline Development & Negotiation

• Build and maintain a structured payer interop pipeline by service line:

  • Conduct environmental scans to identify revenue cycle opportunities.

  • Develop ROI models to inform prioritization and investment decisions.

  • Bring payers to the table and influence their prioritization of joint initiatives.

  • Lead commercial and SLA negotiations.

Cross-functional Execution & Alignment

• Coordinate execution of payer initiatives across internal functions, including Operations, R&D, and Product teams.

• Partner with FP&A to monitor and report financial impact versus benchmarks and goals.

• Ensure clear communication, accountability, and alignment across teams on payer engagement strategy.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or related advanced degree preferred.

• Experience:

  • 6–10 years (Manager) / 8–12 years (Sr. Manager) in strategy, payer relations, or healthcare interoperability roles.

  • Strong understanding of payer-provider connectivity, RCM operations, or healthcare technology ecosystems.

  • Demonstrated ability to manage strategic partnerships, influence senior stakeholders, and negotiate value-based agreements.

• Skills:

  • Exceptional strategic, analytical, and financial modeling skills.

  • Strong program management and stakeholder engagement abilities.

  • Excellent communication and executive presence.

Success Measures

• Expansion of payer engagement coverage.

• Delivery of operational savings beyond committed.

• Timely execution of strategic initiatives across all four service lines.

• Improved payer collaboration and SLA performance metrics.

Expected Compensation

The base salary range shown reflects the full range for this role from minimum to maximum. At athenahealth, base pay depends on multiple factors, including job-related experience, relevant knowledge and skills, how your qualifications compare to others in similar roles, and geographical market rates.  Base pay is only one part of our competitive Total Rewards package - depending on role eligibility, we offer both short and long-term incentives by way of an annual discretionary bonus plan, variable compensation plan, and equity plans.