Data Strategist

Medica is a nonprofit health plan with more than a million members that serves communities in Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri, and beyond. We deliver personalized health care experiences and partner closely with providers to ensure members are genuinely cared for.

We're a team that owns our work with accountability, makes data-driven decisions, embraces continuous learning, and celebrates collaboration - because success is a team sport. It's our mission to be there in the moments that matter most for our members and employees. Join us in creating a community of connected care, where coordinated, quality service is the norm and every member feels valued.

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Healthcare Strategist to join Medica's Healthcare Economics Team. This role is pivotal in developing and implementing data strategies that drive key business decisions. The ideal candidate will leverage data from various sources to enhance the use of healthcare data, industry standards, and benchmarks to inform stakeholders and support decisions focused on cost optimization, ultimately improving financial performance and patient outcomes. The strategist will also focus on industry trends in pharmacy and medical services, incorporating benchmarking practices to ensure competitive positioning. Performs other duties as assigned.

Key Accountabilities

• Data Analysis and Insight
  
  
  
  • Analyze complex healthcare data to identify trends, patterns, and KPIs related to utilization, cost, quality, and member health status
  • Monitor and evaluate industry trends in pharmacy and medical services, including drug pricing, formulary management, and adherence strategies
  • Develop data-driven insights to recommend strategic decisions regarding network development, product design, and risk adjustment strategies
  
  
  
  
• Benchmarking and Performance Metrics
  
  
  
  • Conduct regular assessments of industry trends in pharmacy and medical services (e.g., regulatory changes, payer strategies, emerging therapies)
  • Benchmark organizational performance against industry standards and best practices to identify opportunities for improvement and innovation
  • Conduct comparative analyses of Medica's performance against competitors and industry standards, providing insights on core KPIs (e.g., cost, rates, utilization, quality, NPS)
  
  
  
  
• Business Impact and Reporting
  
  
  
  • Create customized reports and dashboards to visualize key metrics and communicate actionable insights to stakeholders
  • Collaborate with business teams to translate data insights into actionable strategies that improve patient care and financial performance
  
  
  
  
• Reporting and Technology
  
  
  
  • Stay updated on emerging data technologies and analytics tools
  • Evaluate and implement new data sources and platforms to support strategic initiatives
  • Present complex analytical concepts and results to both technical and non-technical audiences
  
  
  
  
• Collaboration and Partnerships
  
  
  
  • Manage the lifecycle of data strategy and benchmarking projects, including requirements gathering, scoping, resource planning, and delivery
  • Collaborate with stakeholders to define benchmarking initiatives, deliverables, and timing
  • Partner and represent Medica with key vendors on analytical benchmarking projects
  
  
  
  
• Continuous Improvement
  
  
  
  • Stay abreast of healthcare trends, best practices, and regulatory changes
  • Identify opportunities for process enhancements and promote a data-driven culture
  
  
  
  
• Population Health Management
  
  
  
  • Identify high-risk patient populations through data analysis and develop targeted interventions
  • Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of population health programs using analytics
  
  
  
  
• Business Acumen
  
  
  
  • Develop and maintain operating playbooks, workflows, and SOPs for analytics processes
  • Ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations in analytics practices
  
  
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in related field
• 7 years of experience in healthcare analytics or data-driven roles within healthcare or insurance, with a focus on benchmarking tools and methodologies

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong proficiency in data analysis tools (e.g., SQL, Python, R, Excel) and visualization software (e.g., Power BI, Tableau)
• Proven experience in developing and implementing data standards and best practices
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access)
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data sets
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Experience working independently and collaboratively in cross-functional teams
• Master's degree in Data Science, Healthcare Analytics, Healthcare Economics, or a related field

This position is an Office role, which requires an employee to work onsite at our Minnetonka, MN office, on average, 3 days per week.

The full salary grade for this position is $87,100 - $149,300. While the full salary grade is provided, the typical hiring salary range for this role is expected to be between $87,100 - $130,620. Annual salary range placement will depend on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, education, work experience, applicable certifications and/or licensure, the position's scope and responsibility, internal pay equity and external market salary data. In addition to compensation, Medica offers a generous total rewards package that includes competitive medical, dental, vision, PTO, Holidays, paid volunteer time off, 401K contributions, caregiver services and many other benefits to support our employees.

The compensation and benefits information is provided as of the date of this posting. Medica's compensation and benefits are subject to change at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer, where all qualified candidates receive consideration for employment indiscriminate of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.