Associate Vice President, Finance - Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Discover Your Career at Emory University · Emory University is a leading research university that fosters excellence and attracts world-class talent to innovate today and prepare leaders for the future. We welcome candidates who can contribute to the excellence of our academic co ...

Job description

Discover Your Career at Emory University

Emory University is a leading research university that fosters excellence and attracts world-class talent to innovate today and prepare leaders for the future. We welcome candidates who can contribute to the excellence of our academic community.

Description

Transform Healthcare Finance at Scale

Emory Health Plan seeks an exceptional finance leader to architect and execute a $500M growth strategy, scaling operations from $800M to $1.3B over three years. A rare opportunity to lead transformational change at one of the nation's premier academic health plans serving 63,000 lives.

As Associate Vice President of Finance reporting directly to the President of the Emory Health Plan, you'll drive financial strategy, build scalable infrastructure, and shape the future of healthcare delivery during the most dynamic period in the plan's 30+ year history. Your leadership will directly impact healthcare affordability, value-based care innovation, and population health for the entire Emory community.

What You'll Lead

Strategic Financial Leadership ($800M → $1.3B)

• Architect and execute multi-year financial strategy supporting 62% growth while maintaining fiscal discipline
• Lead annual budgeting, forecasting, and scenario planning for $1.3B health plan operations
• Serve as principal financial advisor to President and governance committee on sustainability, benefit design, and strategic investments
• Design pricing strategies, rate-setting methodology, and contribution structures balancing affordability with financial integrity
• Present quarterly to EHP Governance Committee and semi-annually to University Board

Risk Management & Actuarial Oversight

• Restructure stop-loss insurance program for $1.3B scale (specific and aggregate coverages)
• Manage $80-100M reserve fund with sophisticated incurred but not reported (IBNR) calculations and actuarial validation
• Oversee relationships with external actuaries for valuations, trends, and strategic consulting
• Conduct stress testing for catastrophic scenarios including pandemics, high-cost therapies, and market disruptions
• Evaluate captive insurance and risk retention strategies appropriate for $1B+ operations

Analytics, Utilization & Value-Based Care

• Scale analytics infrastructure from 20M to 35-40M annual claims with advanced predictive modeling and machine learning
• Perform deep-dive utilization analysis identifying cost drivers, trend decomposition, and optimization opportunities
• Expand value-based care arrangements from current baseline to $300-400M (30-35% of spend)
• Design and negotiate shared savings/risk contracts with providers including capitation, bundled payments, and ACO arrangements
• Deliver ROI on care management programs and clinical interventions with measurable outcomes

Vendor Management & Cost Optimization

• Lead negotiations with TPA, PBM, stop-loss carriers, and specialty vendors managing $50M+ administrative spend
• Generate $30-50M annual savings (3-5% of budget) through strategic contracting, plan design, and operational improvements
• Evaluate and implement innovative cost strategies: reference-based pricing, centers of excellence, direct contracting, specialty drug optimization
• Establish rigorous SLAs, performance guarantees, and vendor scorecarding for accountability

Regulatory Compliance & Governance

• Ensure full compliance with ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, CAA transparency requirements, Mental Health Parity Act, and all self-funded plan regulations
• Oversee Form 5500 preparation, PCORI fees, Medicare Part D reporting, and regulatory filings
• Lead audit preparedness and coordinate with external auditors, DOL, and regulatory agencies
• Develop compliance management system with controls, documentation, and audit trails

Transformation & Innovation

• Drive adoption of emerging technologies: AI/ML for predictive analytics, RPA for automation, cloud-based financial systems
• Lead major VBC transformation initiatives
• Champion continuous improvement using Lean/Six Sigma to optimize operations for scale
• Build data-driven culture with self-service analytics, real-time dashboards, and advanced modeling capabilities

What You Bring

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Health Care Administration or related field and 10 years of progressive financial leadership experience, including direct experience with self-funded health plans, academic institutions or integrated health systems.
• MBA, MHA, MPH or other related master's degree strongly preferred.
• CPA, CMA, FSA or ASA strongly preferred.
• Progressive healthcare finance leadership with 10+ years managing self-funded health plans (50,000+ lives) or health plans with $500M+ annual spend
• Proven track record leading through significant growth or transformation (50%+ revenue/membership increase within 3-5 years)
• Deep expertise with academic medical centers, integrated health systems, Fortune 500 self-insured employers, or managed care organizations
• Direct experience negotiating and managing stop-loss/reinsurance programs for $500M+ plans
• Demonstrated success scaling value-based care arrangements to $200M+ with measurable financial outcomes
• Executive presence with board and C-suite presentation experience

Technical Mastery

• Actuarial proficiency: IBNR calculations, reserve management, trend analysis, credibility theory for large risk pools
• Claims analytics: Advanced utilization analysis, predictive modeling, risk stratification across 20M+ annual claims
• VBC contracting: Shared savings/risk design, bundled payments, capitation, quality metrics, financial reconciliation
• Financial modeling: Multi-year forecasting, scenario planning, growth modeling, contribution strategies
• Data & analytics: SQL, Tableau/Power BI, statistical analysis, machine learning applications
• Regulatory expertise: ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, CAA, Mental Health Parity, Form 5500, self-funded plan compliance

Leadership Capabilities

• Strategic thinker who translates complex financial concepts into actionable business strategies
• Exceptional communicator demonstrating leadership and cross-functional partnerships
• Change agent who leads transformation with resilience, adaptability, and coalition-building
• Team developer who builds high-performing, diverse teams and cultivates talent
• Systems thinker who sees interconnections in complex organizations and solves root causes
• Mission-driven leader passionate about healthcare improvement and population health

Key Performance Indicators

• Budget accuracy <2% variance during growth period
• Medical cost trend bps below national benchmarks
• $30-50M annual cost savings (3-5% of budget) through optimization
• VBC portfolio scaled to $300-400M (30-35% of spend) with positive ROI
• Achieve $1.3B growth target within 3-year timeline
• Clean audit opinions with zero regulatory findings
• Stakeholder satisfaction scores 4.7+/5.0 (President, governance, HR, clinical partners)
• Team engagement in top quartile with <8% voluntary turnover

Why Emory Health Plan?

Transformational Impact

• Lead a $500M growth initiative - a once-in-a-career opportunity at this scale
• Shape the future of one of the Southeast's largest academic medical center health plans
• Drive innovation in value-based care, payment reform, and healthcare delivery
• Create lasting impact on healthcare affordability and access for 63,000+ lives

Career Acceleration

• Highly visible role reporting directly to President with board exposure
• Platform for thought leadership through publications, speaking, and industry recognition
• Unparalleled scope and complexity managing $1.3B health plan through growth period
• Experience positions you for health plan president or health system CFO roles nationally

Organizational Excellence

• Top 20 U.S. News-ranked university (#24) and #1 hospital in Georgia
• Financial strength: Emory Healthcare $8B+ annual revenue with commitment to growth investments
• Innovation culture: National reputation for clinical excellence, research, and quality
• Collaborative environment: Mission-driven culture valuing diverse perspectives
• Resources: Significant investment in analytics, technology, and capabilities

Total Rewards Package (Up to $350K)

• Retirement: 403(b) with 6% employer contribution + match (up to 9% total)
• Tuition remission: Full tuition for employee, 50% for dependents at Emory University (valued at $50,000+ annually)
• Time off: generous paid time off + 11 holidays plus 2 floating holidays including winter break
• Relocation assistance: for qualified candidates
• Comprehensive benefits: Premium health/dental/vision, life/disability, wellness programs, executive health

Additional Details

Emory is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law. Emory University does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training. Students, faculty, and staff are assured of participation in university programs and in the use of facilities without such discrimination. Emory University complies with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act, and applicable executive orders, federal and state regulations regarding nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action (for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities). Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to the Emory University Department of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance, 201 Dowman Drive, Administration Building, Atlanta, GA Telephone: V) | TDD).

Emory University is committed to ensuring equal access and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to seek a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Department of Accessibility Services at or call Voice) | TDD). We kindly ask that requests be made at least seven business days in advance to allow adequate time for coordination.