Senior Director, US Employer Operations - Head of Medical Call Centers

The Senior Director, Head of Medical Call Centers, provides enterprise leadership for The Cigna Group's U.S. Employer Medical Customer Service organization, overseeing the strategic direction, operational performance, and transformation agenda across all medical service lines. This executive leader is accountable for an organization of 1,300+ direct and indirect team members, supporting more than 16 million customers, managing annual call volumes exceeding 10 million interactions, overseeing $40 million in performance guarantee commitments, and stewarding a $60 million operating budget.

This role serves as a critical leader in advancing The Cigna Group's commitment to delivering exceptional healthcare experiences by driving operational excellence, innovation, quality, and customer-centric outcomes at scale. The position partners extensively with enterprise leaders across Operations, Technology, Product, Finance, Human Resources, Sales, and Service organizations to define and execute strategies that improve customer experience, enhance efficiency, optimize service delivery, and accelerate business performance.

The Senior Director is responsible for establishing multi-year operational strategies, leading complex transformation initiatives, driving adoption of emerging technologies and AI-enabled capabilities, and ensuring the organization remains agile in adapting to evolving customer needs, regulatory requirements, and market demands. This leader also champions talent development, organizational effectiveness, and change leadership while fostering a high-performance culture rooted in accountability, collaboration, and innovation.

This position may be based remotely or at any Cigna office location.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Leadership & Strategy

• Lead the strategic vision, operational execution, and continuous evolution of the U.S. Employer Medical Customer Service organization.
• Develop and execute enterprise-wide operational strategies that align customer experience, business objectives, financial performance, and growth priorities.
• Serve as a key member of the Operations leadership team, influencing organizational strategy, transformation roadmaps, and investment priorities.
• Establish annual operating plans, performance objectives, and workforce strategies that support corporate goals and long-term scalability.
• Serve as a senior advisor to enterprise leadership, shaping strategic decisions regarding customer experience, operational investments, digital transformation, and organizational priorities.

Operational Excellence & Customer Experience

• Drive industry-leading customer experience outcomes through disciplined operational execution, quality management, and service innovation.
• Ensure achievement of service level commitments, performance guarantees, quality standards, and regulatory requirements across all medical customer service operations.
• Cultivate a culture of continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance operational efficiency, eliminate friction points, and improve customer outcomes.
• Lead enterprise operating reviews and governance forums to assess performance, mitigate risks, and accelerate decision-making.

• Design and evolve the end-to-end service operating model across channels, geographies, vendors, and lines of business to ensure scalability, consistency, and sustainable growth.

Transformation & Innovation

• Champion modernization initiatives, including AI-enabled solutions, contact center innovation, intelligent routing, automation, and emerging service technologies.
• Lead large-scale change management efforts related to new products, capabilities, operating models, systems implementations, and business transformations.
• Partner with Technology and Product organizations to evaluate, pilot, and scale innovative solutions that reduce customer effort, eliminate root-cause drivers of dissatisfaction, and improve customer and employee experiences.
• Foster a test-and-learn environment that accelerates innovation while maintaining operational stability and regulatory compliance.

Financial & Vendor Management

• Maintain accountability for a $60 million operating budget while balancing service quality, productivity, customer experience, and financial outcomes.
• Oversee a complex service delivery ecosystem encompassing multiple operating models, technology platforms, and global supplier relationships.
• Provide executive oversight of third-party vendor performance, contractual obligations, and strategic partnerships to ensure alignment with enterprise objectives.
• Drive financial discipline and resource optimization to maximize organizational value and return on investment.

Talent & Organizational Leadership

• Build and develop a high-performing leadership team capable of delivering results in a dynamic, highly matrixed environment.
• Create a culture of empowerment, accountability, inclusion, and continuous development.
• Lead succession planning, leadership development, and talent strategies that strengthen organizational capability and performance.
• Serve as an executive sponsor and mentor, fostering engagement and career growth across all levels of the organization.

Enterprise Partnership & Governance

• Partner closely with stakeholders across Client Service, Sales, Underwriting, Finance, Technology, Product, Compliance, and Human Resources to address evolving business needs and customer expectations.
• Act as the senior escalation point for internal and external stakeholders, providing strategic guidance and executive resolution of critical issues.
• Ensure organizational readiness for audits, compliance reviews, regulatory requirements, and business continuity planning.
• Leverage data, analytics, and operational insights to drive informed decision-making and strategic recommendations.

Preferred Executive Capabilities

• Proven executive leadership experience managing large-scale customer service, operations, or contact center organizations.
• Deep expertise in healthcare operations, customer experience, and service delivery transformation.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise change, technology modernization, and AI-enabled operational strategies.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing complex budgets, performance guarantees, and large-scale vendor partnerships.
• Ability to influence senior executives and drive results across a highly matrixed organization.
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and strategic planning capabilities.
• Track record of fostering high-performing teams and building future leaders.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• BA or BS in Business or similar discipline.
• 10+ years of Operations experience in a dynamic customer care environment or a Master’s degree with 8+ years relevant experience.
• 10+ years managing teams in a customer service environment demonstrating great people skills and strong leadership experience.
• Experience in staff management, contact center and large-scale operations.
• Understanding of service agreements, client needs, and innovation (AI, IVR, test-and-learn pilots, routing).
• Flexibility to execute on multiple and simultaneous initiaves in a fast-paced setting.
• Working knowledge of contact center technologies – keeps current with emerging changes in contact center industry and technologies. Amazon Connect, SANAS AI or Sierra are a plus.
• Understanding of AI and tools that enhance the customer experience.
• Change agency and willingness to navigate the grey.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills.
• Data-driven story-telling capabilities.
• Strong team building and talent management skills.
• Proven track record in motivating teams to achieve goals.
• Demonstrated effectiveness working in a highly matrixed organization.
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills.

If you will be working at home occasionally or permanently, the internet connection must be obtained through a cable broadband or fiber optic internet service provider with speeds of at least 10Mbps download/5Mbps upload.

For this position, we anticipate offering an annual salary of 180,000 - 300,000 USD / yearly, depending on relevant factors, including experience and geographic location.

This role is also anticipated to be eligible to participate in an annual bonus and long term incentive plan.

At The Cigna Group, you’ll enjoy a comprehensive range of benefits, with a focus on supporting your whole health. Starting on day one of your employment, you’ll be offered several health-related benefits including medical, vision, dental, and well-being and behavioral health programs. We also offer 401(k), company paid life insurance, tuition reimbursement, a minimum of 18 days of paid time off per year, paid holidays, and leaves of absence. For more details on our employee benefits programs, click here.

About The Cigna Group

Doing something meaningful starts with a simple decision, a commitment to changing lives. At The Cigna Group, we’re dedicated to improving the health and vitality of those we serve. Through our divisions Cigna Healthcare and Evernorth Health Services, we are committed to enhancing the lives of our clients, customers and patients. Join us in driving growth and improving lives.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, age, disability, sex, childbirth (including pregnancy) or related medical conditions including but not limited to lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital or familial status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by applicable equal employment opportunity laws.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the online application process, please email seeyourself@thecignagroup.com for assistance.  Please note that this email inbox is dedicated to accommodation requests only and cannot provide application updates or accept resumes.

The Cigna Group has a tobacco-free policy and reserves the right not to hire tobacco/nicotine users in states where that is legally permissible. Candidates in such states who use tobacco/nicotine will not be considered for employment unless they enter a qualifying smoking cessation program prior to the start of their employment. These states include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Washington State.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal, state and local ordinances.