Senior Manager, Strategic Planning

We’re building a world of health around every individual—shaping a more connected, convenient and compassionate health experience. At CVS Health®, you’ll be surrounded by passionate colleagues who care deeply, innovate with purpose, hold ourselves accountable, and prioritize safety and quality in everything we do. Join us and be part of something bigger—helping to simplify health care one person, one family, and one community at a time.

CVS Health, a top health solutions company in the United States, is seeking a Senior Manager, Strategic Planning, to support the development and execution of high-priority strategic programs within Health Plan Service Operations. At Aetna, Service Operations is the engine for delivering and transforming service experiences for our members and providers, spanning functions like call center, digital engagement, claims, and financial administration.

This highly visible and collaborative role is part of the Business Performance Office, responsible for delivering key initiatives for Aetna’s Leadership Team. The Sr. Manager, Strategic Planning, will serve as a central orchestration layer, ensuring alignment from strategic planning through execution.

This position will work in close partnership with colleagues across multiple lines of business (e.g., Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid), operational functions (e.g., Service, Clinical), and shared services teams (e.g., Aetna Technology, Marketing). The role requires the ability to operate effectively in a matrixed environment, navigate organizational complexity, and quickly build a deep understanding of business needs and objectives.

As Sr. Manager, Strategic Planning & Operations, you will be responsible for driving initiatives that advance Aetna’s commitments to lead in member and provider experience, product differentiation, affordability, and operational excellence.

• Oversee high-priority strategic programs with multiple complex work streams, ensuring alignment, momentum, and delivery against ambitious strategic objectives.
• Monitor progress and proactively manage risks and dependencies, providing timely escalation and cross‑functional alignment to support successful delivery of critical priorities.
• Design future‑state service experiences and translate those journeys into operational models, technology roadmaps, and go‑to‑market planning for execution of differentiated capabilities.
• Drive alignment between business strategy and technology delivery, shaping capability sequencing and coordinating feature‑level execution.
• Ensure operational readiness for key initiatives, including workforce and change management planning to enable adoption of new processes and tools.
• Develop executive‑level communications and presentations, synthesizing complex inputs into clear, decision‑oriented materials that facilitate alignment and inform leadership decisions.

• A minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience in health care, insurance, or related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of experience with strategic business planning or program / project management.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, including the ability to clearly structure information, perform data analysis, and synthesize insights.
• Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to deliver concise and decision‑oriented messaging for senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to drive and model strategic planning and rigorous execution oversight in a consistent manner.
• Strong relationship management and experience collaborating with cross‑functional teams.

• Service Operations experience in a large, matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated success developing and executing strategies for healthcare products, services, and programs.
• High ownership mindset, intellectual curiosity, and comfort operating amidst ambiguity.
• Prior consulting experience.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent experience in structured project or program management methodologies.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.

The typical pay range for this role is:
$67,900.00 – $
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