Lead Director, Strategic Planning (Aetna Business Performance Office)

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, one of the top health solutions companies in the United States, is seeking a strategic planning leader to facilitate the development and execution of operational and business unit strategic plans. As a leader you will instill best in class policies, procedures, and plans for their designated priority areas. You will act independently to address issues, guide direction, and provide strategic analysis for the Aetna organization. Reporting to the Executive Director, Strategic Planning, this is a highly visible and collaborative position responsible for managing strategic programs and projects and delivering on key initiatives for the Aetna COO and senior leadership team. This role works in close partnership with colleagues from across all lines of business, operational areas, and the shared services teams. You should be a consummate professional, preferably with previous experience working directly with senior executives. An ideal candidate thinks strategically, adapts quickly, is able to work through ambiguity and has strong organizational and operations skills. You have an ‘all hands-on deck’ mentality and have proven yourself capable of exerting influence on others without direct management responsibility and are a true team player with executive presence and who thrives on regular interaction with colleagues across the organization. This position can be office-based or remote. Key Responsibilities: High energy, extremely collaborative and communicative team player with experience working in fast-paced, cross-functional team environments, Experienced in developing and maintaining excellent relations with executives, customers, operations, and colleagues at all levels, Growth mindset, while approaching challenges with a sense of urgency, ability to work well under pressure and take direction, Contributes to the development of complex strategies that encompass the organization's goals and position by utilizing project management tools, data analyses, and stakeholder feedback, Responsible for managing, directing, and planning multiple complex programs and projects at the same time, Partners with cross-functional teams to ensure successful execution of foundational and transformative strategic initiatives, Applies advanced knowledge in the development of workplan deliverables, tasks and needed decision making by lending subject matter expertise, institutional knowledge, and program and project management skills, Proactively evaluates program and project activities, builds contingency plans, executes corrective action, and monitors issue resolution to mitigate risks such as scope, resource, and/or budget variances, Audits processes and procedures for consistency, efficiency, and cost effectiveness, and Guides junior colleagues through consultation and mentoring and provides functional but matrixed supervision for day-to-day activities. Required Qualifications: The candidate will have a strong work ethic, be a self-starter, and be able to be highly productive in a dynamic, collaborative, high-performance environment, This position offers broad exposure to all aspects of the company’s business, as well as significant interaction with all the business leaders, requiring the candidate to be highly effective in a matrixed environment and possess the ability to navigate the organization quickly and understand different businesses, The candidate will be adept at execution and delivery (planning, delivering, and supporting) skills, This position required demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple high-priority programs and projects simultaneously, with impeccable attention to detail and organization, Demonstrate exceptional ability to distill large volumes of information into polished, executive-ready materials with superior clarity, storytelling, and formatting precision Mastery of problem solving and decision-making skills, Ability to work east coast time zone, Mastery of growth mindset (agility and developing yourself and others) skills, Excellent written and verbal communication skills, particularly the ability to convey information in an accessible, concise, and clear manner, and The candidate will be expected to have the following key attributes: A minimum of of 10 years’ work experience in health care, insurance or related field A minimum of 7 years’ experience in strategic program/project management Must be able to travel 20-30%, as necessary. Preferred Qualifications: Experience working directly with senior executives. Master’s degree in a business or healthcare related field Education: Bachelor’s degree preferred or a combination of professional work experience and education. Pay Range The typical pay range for this role is: $100,000.00 - $231,540.00 This pay range represents the base hourly rate or base annual full-time salary for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls. The actual base salary offer will depend on a variety of factors including experience, education, geography and other relevant factors. This position is eligible for a CVS Health bonus, commission or short-term incentive program in addition to the base pay range listed above. This position also includes an award target in the company’s equity award program. Our people fuel our future. Our teams reflect the customers, patients, members and communities we serve and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every colleague feels valued and that they belong. Great benefits for great people We take pride in offering a comprehensive and competitive mix of pay and benefits that reflects our commitment to our colleagues and their families. This full‑time position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the physical, emotional, and financial well‑being of colleagues and their families. The benefits for this position include medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, retirement savings options, wellness programs, and other resources, based on eligibility. Additional details about available benefits are provided during the application process and on Benefits Moments. We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on: 07/11/2026 Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state and local laws. Apply To This Job