Director of Strategic Payor Partnerships, Cerebral
$170-195k
Total compensation includes base salary and may include an annual performance bonus and equity/stock options
Mental health telemedicine company
Job no longer available
Mental health telemedicine company
501-1000 employees
Job no longer available
$170-195k
Total compensation includes base salary and may include an annual performance bonus and equity/stock options
501-1000 employees
Company mission
To democratize access to high-quality mental health care for all.
Role
Who you are
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or related field; Master's degree preferred
- Minimum of 7 years of experience in insurance management, strategic partnership development, business development, or related roles within the healthcare industry
- Deep understanding of the healthcare insurance landscape, including knowledge of payer dynamics, reimbursement models, and regulatory requirements
- Proven track record of building and managing successful partnerships with insurance providers
- Understanding of the full patient insurance lifecycle, including eligibility and benefit verification, claims submission, and claims processing
- Experience in payer contract negotiations and management, especially with major networks such as BCBS, Cigna, Aetna, Magellan, and UHC
- Interpretation of CMS EDI Standards: Knowledge in interpreting CMS EDI standards, such as EDI 270/271
- Experience with working with Mental Healthcare carveout programs for insurance eligibility and billing
- Experience working with Health Insurance Technology and vendors, including experience with Real-Time eligibility, Automatic Claims processing, and workflow optimization
- Experience with clinician credentialing and delegation agreements
- Strong negotiation skills, with the ability to structure and execute complex partnership agreements
- Strategic thinker with the ability to identify and capitalize on market opportunities
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage and influence internal and external stakeholders
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to analyze market trends, financial data, and performance metrics to drive decision-making
- Leadership experience, with the ability to lead cross-functional teams and drive results in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
- Demonstrated ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and adapt to changing priorities
What the job involves
- As the Director of Strategic Payor Partnerships at Cerebral, you will be responsible for driving growth and strategic initiatives through the development and management of partnerships with insurance providers
- Leveraging your industry expertise and network, you will identify and cultivate key relationships, negotiate partnerships, and collaborate with internal stakeholders to deliver value-added solutions to optimize our insurance offering
- This role requires a combination of strategic thinking, relationship-building skills, and a deep understanding of the insurance landscape to drive success in a rapidly evolving healthcare market
- Develop and Execute Partnership Strategy: Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive partnership strategy to drive growth and enhance Cerebral's market position within the Insurance space
- Identify opportunities for contracts with insurance providers aligned with business objectives
- Build and Maintain Relationships: Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with insurance providers, including payers, health plans, and managed care organizations
- Serve as the primary point of contact for key partners, establishing new contracted coverage, and fostering collaboration and alignment on strategic initiatives
- Negotiate Partnership Agreements: Lead negotiations with insurance providers to establish mutually beneficial partnership agreements
- Collaborate with legal and finance teams to structure agreements that support Cerebral’s growth objectives, while mitigating risks
- Drive Revenue Growth: Develop and implement initiatives to drive revenue growth through strategic insurance partnerships
- Identify opportunities to expand product offerings, increase market share, and generate new revenue streams in collaboration with insurance partners
- Strategic Planning and Analysis: Conduct market research and analysis to identify emerging trends, opportunities, and threats in the insurance landscape
- Develop a strong understanding of competitor offerings and customer preferences
- Utilize insights to inform strategic decision-making, product development initiatives, and to optimize partnership strategies
- Collaborate with Cross-Functional Teams: Partner closely with cross-functional teams, including product development, marketing, finance / billing, and operations, to ensure alignment of partnership initiatives with overall business goals
- Collaborate on product development, go-to-market strategies, and client engagement efforts
- Monitor and Evaluate Partnership Performance: Track and evaluate the performance of insurance partnerships against established KPIs and objectives
- Act as a liaison between Cerebral and insurance partners to resolve issues and drive mutual success
- Optimize Revenue Cycle: Collaborate with finance and revenue cycle management teams to optimize insurance reimbursement processes and maximize revenue generation
- Identify opportunities to optimize claims efficiency and minimize errors for revenue enhancement and cost containment
- Ensure Compliance: Work with legal and compliance teams to stay abreast of regulatory changes and industry standards pertaining to insurance practices
- Provide Leadership and Mentorship: Lead cross-functional team working on our insurance “relaunch,” providing project management, expectation setting, and team development to support the launch
- Foster a collaborative and inclusive team culture focused on continuous improvement and excellence
- Start-Up Experience: Experience in start-ups or ability to move quickly despite insurance being a traditional industry
Our take
Mental health awareness has grown massively in recent years, but access to proper support is still limited. Cerebral is setting out to change this with its range of online therapy services. It offers counselling, medication and other therapeutic options. Compared to traditional mental health services, its solutions are cheaper, faster and easer to use.
The company's approach has proven incredibly successful, earning it significant funding and eventual Unicorn status. However, it has also been plagued with controversy, with issues raised concerning its prescribing, social media marketing and data-sharing practices. In fact, faced with a subpoena after potential breaches of the Controlled Substances Act, Cerebral no longer prescribes medication.
This news was certainly concerning, and struck a blow to the company that saw it lay off staff and take a hit to its reputation. Leadership changes and the acquisition of Resilience Labs have restored some of Cerebral's position. It also raised $25 million in 2025 to support improvements to its clinical quality, which suggests it is tackling this negative legacy head-on.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
103% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Company benefits
- Remote-first model: Work virtually from anywhere in the US
- Total compensation includes equity / stock options (HQ & Tech Roles)
- Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, and 401k provided to all employees
- Unlimited PTO - we encourage taking the time you need to relax and recharge
- Virtual social events (e.g., monthly happy hours) enable us to build a sense of community and connect on a more personal level
- Optional in-person company retreats provide an opportunity to augment team-building and celebrate our successes together
- Quarterly Mental Health Days (HQ & Tech Roles)
- Wellness Benefits
Company HQ
Rincon Hill, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Brian Reinken
(CEO)Senior Advisor at WestCap and Board Member at Hunt Club. Previously President at Flip, Board Member at SOS Children's Villages, and Partner and CEO at Egon Zehnder.
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