Associate Vice President, Finance

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 diversity and excellence of our academic community. Description Transform Healthcare Finance at ScaleEmory 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 LeadStrategic Financial Leadership ($800M → $1.3B)Architect and execute multi-year financial strategy supporting 62% growth while maintaining fiscal disciplineLead annual budgeting, forecasting, and scenario planning for $1.3B health plan operationsServe as principal financial advisor to President and governance committee on sustainability, benefit design, and strategic investmentsDesign pricing strategies, rate-setting methodology, and contribution structures balancing affordability with financial integrityPresent quarterly to EHP Governance Committee and semi-annually to University BoardRisk Management & Actuarial OversightRestructure 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 validationOversee relationships with external actuaries for valuations, trends, and strategic consultingConduct stress testing for catastrophic scenarios including pandemics, high-cost therapies, and market disruptionsEvaluate captive insurance and risk retention strategies appropriate for $1B+ operationsAnalytics, Utilization & Value-Based CareScale analytics infrastructure from 20M to 35-40M annual claims with advanced predictive modeling and machine learningPerform deep-dive utilization analysis identifying cost drivers, trend decomposition, and optimization opportunitiesExpand 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 arrangementsDeliver ROI on care management programs and clinical interventions with measurable outcomesVendor Management & Cost OptimizationLead negotiations with TPA, PBM, stop-loss carriers, and specialty vendors managing $50M+ administrative spendGenerate $30-50M annual savings (3-5% of budget) through strategic contracting, plan design, and operational improvementsEvaluate and implement innovative cost strategies: reference-based pricing, centers of excellence, direct contracting, specialty drug optimizationEstablish rigorous SLAs, performance guarantees, and vendor scorecarding for accountabilityRegulatory Compliance & GovernanceEnsure full compliance with ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, CAA transparency requirements, Mental Health Parity Act, and all self-funded plan regulationsOversee Form 5500 preparation, PCORI fees, Medicare Part D reporting, and regulatory filingsLead audit preparedness and coordinate with external auditors, DOL, and regulatory agenciesDevelop compliance management system with controls, documentation, and audit trailsTransformation & InnovationDrive adoption of emerging technologies: AI/ML for predictive analytics, RPA for automation, cloud-based financial systemsLead major VBC transformation initiativesChampion continuous improvement using Lean/Six Sigma to optimize operations for scaleBuild data-driven culture with self-service analytics, real-time dashboards, and advanced modeling capabilitiesWhat You BringRequired ExperienceBachelor'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 spendProven 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 organizationsDirect experience negotiating and managing stop-loss/reinsurance programs for $500M+ plansDemonstrated success scaling value-based care arrangements to $200M+ with measurable financial outcomesExecutive presence with board and C-suite presentation experienceTechnical MasteryActuarial proficiency: IBNR calculations, reserve management, trend analysis, credibility theory for large risk poolsClaims analytics: Advanced utilization analysis, predictive modeling, risk stratification across 20M+ annual claimsVBC contracting: Shared savings/risk design, bundled payments, capitation, quality metrics, financial reconciliationFinancial modeling: Multi-year forecasting, scenario planning, growth modeling, contribution strategiesData & analytics: SQL, Tableau/Power BI, statistical analysis, machine learning applicationsRegulatory expertise: ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, CAA, Mental Health Parity, Form 5500, self-funded plan complianceLeadership CapabilitiesStrategic thinker who translates complex financial concepts into actionable business strategiesExceptional communicator demonstrating leadership and cross-functional partnershipsChange agent who leads transformation with resilience, adaptability, and coalition-buildingTeam developer who builds high-performing, diverse teams and cultivates talentSystems thinker who sees interconnections in complex organizations and solves root causesMission-driven leader passionate about healthcare improvement and population healthKey Performance IndicatorsBudget accuracy