Manager - Sales Operations

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan•Detroit, MI

About The Position

The Manager, Sales Support is responsible for leading staff who provide service and escalation support, analytical, marketing, and administrative activities in support of our individual Medicare customers. These activities directly lead to the success of membership growth, retention, and service goals for all individual product lines of BCBSM and BCN Senior Health Services. This position provides effective and efficient solutions to complex business problems with delivery of key presentations/concepts, business reviews, and business development recommendations. This position’s responsibilities include maintaining effective customer service and relations with agents, consultants, Health Plan Business division, vendors, partners, and others to ensure that senior leadership is informed of the communities’ attitude toward BCBSM and BCN as a health insurer, as well as other information that is important to the development of effective sales, service, and marketing strategies. This role is also responsible for strategizing, innovating, analyzing, planning, organizing, budgeting, reporting, identifying equipment needs, and other functions that are required to maintain and operate an efficient and effective department.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Health Care Administration, Marketing, or a related field. Master’s degree in a related field is preferred. Relevant combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
Valid Michigan Accident and Health Insurance license is required for managers whose primary emphasis is sales.
Valid and unrestricted driver’s license is required.
Continuous learning, as defined by the Company’s learning philosophy, is required. Certification or progress toward certification is highly preferred and encouraged.
Seven years experience of progressive responsibility in a business environment with demonstrated technical knowledge that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities required.
Three years supervisory or lead experience in business required.
Excellent analytical, organizational, planning, verbal, and written communication skills required.
Proficient in work that involves analysis, organization, planning, presentation development, problem resolution, sales, strategy, and innovation.
Knowledge of BCBSM and BCN products, programs, underwriting rules, membership and billing procedures, open enrollment processes, rating methodologies, rate renewals, and agent distribution systems to effectively manage staff.
Must be self-motivated and have the ability to work well under pressure.
Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from internal and external contacts at all levels of the organization.
Ability to read, analyze, write, and develop communications (i.e. white papers, strategy decks, etc.) or reports as required by leadership.
Proficient in current industry standard PC applications and systems.
Extensive knowledge of operations.
Must demonstrate leadership ability and team building skills to effectively supervise professional and non-professional staff and interact with all levels of management.
Ability to work with and empower others on a collaborative basis to ensure success of unit team.
Ability to effectively exchange information, in verbal or written form, by sharing ideas, reporting facts and other information, responding to questions, and employing active listening techniques.
Ability to effectively present budgetary and/or cost information, and respond to questions as appropriate.
Ability to establish workflows, manage multiple projects, and meet necessary deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual skills preferred.

Responsibilities

Plans, develops, organizes, and directs activities of an assigned business area, including, but not limited to, planning, training, motivation, staff development, staff selection, and communication.
Manages staff that is responsible for delivering exemplary customer support and escalation for issue resolution, responding to inquiries which may include questions on products, programs, rulings, claims, and membership processing, as well as administrative questions that directly result in the retention of individual business.
Establish and maintain service reporting and provide metrics to allow continual improvement and the ability to identify potential issues or trends in the marketplace.
Manages the annual agent training and certification process which includes development of materials, and ensuring the certification platform is available and provides a best in class experience in certifying agents to sell out products.
Supports the Strategic Alignment relationship between HPB and SHS including recommending topics for executive feedback and discussion and facilitating the bi-monthly meetings.
Support annual membership projections for MA bid and capital plan.
Participates in development of annual departmental budget, monitors budget, and identifies budget discrepancies
Involved in projects related to external facing systems such as DRX.
Responsible for engagement in digital enhancements to improve the ease of doing business and selling.
Maintains and promotes quality relationships with internal and external customers.
Compiles and analyzes statistics and prepares activity related reports, manpower needs, and inventories and monitors all workflows within the unit.
Leads and participates in workgroups and task forces in order to complete special assignments and projects.
Resolves customer inquiries resulting from escalated situations, which may include service calls with the MA Sales Consultant and meeting agents or agency contacts to discuss servicing issues.
Establish and maintain departmental processes and procedures and other documentation.
Ensure departmental policies and procedures are CMS compliant and assist in any auditing.
Coordinates and sets priorities that maintain continuity in accomplishing the sales and membership growth goals set for the department.
Recommends processes to control supply expenditures and promotes efficient use of resources.
Participates in development of annual departmental budget, monitors budget, and identifies budget discrepancies.
Researches cause and makes recommendations.
Responsible for balancing workload to optimize the effectiveness of the department.