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Candesa Product Manager, Utilization Management
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
Product
Utica, NY, USA · Dewitt, NY, USA
USD 71,880-129,384 / year
Posted on Feb 19, 2026
Excited to grow your career?
We value our talented employees, and strive to help employees grow professionally. If you think the open position you see is right for you, we encourage you to apply!
Job Description:
Summary:
This role leads the strategic vision, roadmap, and execution of the Candesa UM product, driving innovation and ensuring strong alignment with organizational goals. As a cross‑functional connector, the position partners closely with teams across the organization to deliver impactful product enhancements and high‑quality technical implementations. The leader in this role removes barriers, streamlines collaboration, and ensures teams meet critical milestones and performance standards. This role will support Sales and serve as a trusted liaison for external clients—building strong relationships, guiding them through sales and implementation, and ensuring exceptional customer satisfaction.
Essential Accountabilities:
- Leads the strategic planning, execution, and business objectives for the Candesa UM product.
- Drives short and long‑term product development and enhancements by serving as a central point of collaboration for key internal stakeholders including Pharmacy Solutions, Compliance, Legal, Sales, Marketing, Finance, Provider Contracting, and AD&T.
- Provides oversight of technical implementation work, ensuring high-quality delivery and alignment with product goals.
- Removes obstacles and aligns cross‑functional teams to meet quality standards, project timelines, and organizational objectives.
- Supports the Sales team as the product subject matter expert, partnering with external clients throughout sales, contracting, and implementation stages.
- Acts as a primary liaison for external clients, fostering strong relationships, ensuring customer satisfaction, and maintaining smooth operational performance.
- Manage end‑to‑end implementation, updates, and maintenance of custom pharmacy benefit designs for employer groups.
- Maintain a structured repository of custom benefits by group including design components, historical updates, and change requests.
- Consistently demonstrates high standards of integrity by supporting the Lifetime Healthcare Companies’ mission and values, adhering to the Corporate Code of Conduct, and leading to the Lifetime Way values and beliefs.
- Maintains high regard for member privacy in accordance with the corporate privacy policies and procedures.
- Regular and reliable attendance is expected and required.
- Performs other functions as assigned by management.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Minimum of six (6) years progressive health plan operations or pharmacy benefit manager experience.
- High school diploma required.
- Prior experience supervising or leading people, projects and/or teams.
- Project management experience preferred.
- Remains current on evolving market dynamics within the industry and regulatory environment. Ties this information to Candesa mission and ensures awareness among key business partners.
Physical Requirements:
- Ability to work while sitting and/or standing at a workstation viewing a computer and using a keyboard, mouse and/or phone for three (3) or more hours at a time.
- Ability to travel across the Health Plan service region for meetings and/or trainings as needed.
- Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull 15 pounds or less.
- Manual dexterity including fine finger motion required.
- Repetitive motion required.
- The ability to hear, understand, and speak clearly while using a phone, with or without a headset.
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In support of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this job description lists only those responsibilities and qualifications deemed essential to the position.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Compensation Range(s):
E5 - Min 71,880 Mid 100,632 Max 129,384
The salary range indicated in this posting represents the minimum and maximum of the salary range for this position. Actual salary will vary depending on factors including, but not limited to, budget available, prior experience, knowledge, skill and education as they relate to the position’s minimum qualifications, in addition to internal equity. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total rewards package. Other components of the total rewards package may include participation in group health and/or dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program, paid time away from work, and paid holidays.
With about 4,000 employees, 31 counties, and serving the needs of over 1.5 million members, you can imagine the gamut of skills it takes to keep our organization growing and our members flourishing. As an internal job seeker, this means growth and development in many directions, divisions, and roles.
Take a look at information regarding our hiring process here.
https://lifethc.sharepoint.com/sites/HumanCapitalManagement/SitePages/Talent-Acquisition-%26-Onboarding.aspx#hiring-process
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.