Job Posting: Health Plan Contracts Chief

Public Employees Retirement System

JC-530496
-
Health Plan Contracts Chief
C. E. A.

$10,349.00 - $12,526.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: Until Filled

Job Description and Duties

This recruitment requires a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ). Responses to the identified qualification factors are required for this CEA recruitment. Please see the instructions for the SOQ under the Special Requirements section of this job posting.

Anticipated Interview Dates: We anticipate holding in-person interviews on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. We look forward to meeting with you!

This position will run until filled, with cutoff dates for review. The first cutoff date will be September 13, 2026, followed by every Sunday until filled.

California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) is currently seeking a talented leader to become Chief of the Health Plan Administration Section.

CalPERS purchases health care for 1.5 million Californians, making it the largest public employer purchaser of healthcare in California and the second largest in the United States. Annually, CalPERS spends nearly $14 billion on healthcare, with approximately $2.5 billion of which is spent on pharmaceuticals. This Chief will lead the team to develop and administer contracts with Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans, self-funded Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans, and corresponding Population Health Manager (PHM) and Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM). The Chief is responsible for helping the CalPERS Board of Administration (Board) to determine covered benefits, manage health care costs, refine benefit designs, and pursue quality improvement efforts.

Telework Information: This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, with up to two days of remote work and three days or more onsite, per week.

Sponsorship: CalPERS does not participate in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes

How did you hear about this position? Tell us in this brief survey.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Minimum Requirements

This position does not have a Classification Specification. Requirements and qualifications for this position can be found in this announcement. For additional questions, please contact the hiring department listed below.

Additional Documents

Position Details

Job Code #:
JC-530496
Position #(s):
275-173-7500-003
Working Title:
Health Plan Contracts Chief
Classification:
C. E. A.
$10,349.00 - $12,526.00 A

This is an incentive eligible position. The incumbent will be eligible for an annual incentive award of up to 15% of salary.
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
# of Positions:
1
Work Location:
Sacramento County
Telework:
Hybrid
Job Type:
Career Executive Assignment - Non Tenured, Full Time

Department Information

The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) is the nation’s largest public pension fund, providing retirement and health benefits to public employees, retirees, and their families. Headquartered in downtown Sacramento, we are a destination employer with an international reputation for leadership and innovation. At CalPERS, we’re committed to people – the people we serve, our team members, and the larger community around us. CalPERS is situated near the Napa Valley, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and other desirable destinations, and we offer competitive benefit packages, compensation, and opportunities for advancement.

If you are interested in becoming part of a diverse and inclusive workforce where talent, experience, and expertise are valued, CalPERS invites you to apply for this employment opportunity. To find out more about our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, visit our website!

To take a look at CalPERS as a destination employer, view this YouTube video.

Special Requirements

Statement of Qualifications (SOQ)

An SOQ is required and serves as the examination for this CEA recruitment and must be included with your application.

Please provide a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) for the hiring manager's review. Applications received without an SOQ or those that do not respond to the specific questions below will not be considered.

The SOQ must be typed, titled "Statement of Qualifications", and each response must be numbered and list all relevant experience, education, and training, including places of employment, dates, and duties performed. You must provide responses including specific examples for each of the qualification factors outlined below. Your Statement must not exceed two pages in length and must not use smaller than 11-point font. Failure to follow this format and Application Instructions may result in disqualification.

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following SOQ factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate and must address the following:
  1. Describe your ability and experience in planning, organizing, and directing the work of multi-disciplinary professional and administrative staff providing contract procurement, administration, oversight, and compliance activities. 
  2. Describe your experience working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, subject matter experts, and senior leadership to develop policies, procedures, or processes that measure and assess contract performance. 
  3. Describe your demonstrated communication skills and experience presenting sensitive and complex issues and technical requirements, both verbally and in writing, in a way that is understood by a wide range of stakeholders including executive leadership, a governing board or similar body.
  4. Describe your leadership experience and demonstrated ability to think strategically and function as a member of a high-functioning senior leadership team.
Note: Resumes, letters, and other materials will not be evaluated or considered as responses to the Statement of Qualifications.

Applications received without the SOQ or with an SOQ not properly formatted will not be considered.

Application Instructions

Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.

Final Filing Date: Until Filled

Who May Apply

Individuals who are eligible to be appointed to this Career Executive Assignment (CEA) by the State of California.

How To Apply

Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

Public Employees Retirement System
Postal
Attn: JC-530496/AC
Human Resources Division, Recruitment
P. O. Box 942718
Sacramento, CA 94229-2718

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

Public Employees Retirement System
Drop-Off
HRSD, EIR JC-530496/AC
400 Q Street, Lincoln Plaza North
1st floor drop box by security desk
Sacramento, CA 95811
08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

  • Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
  • Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
  • Statement of Qualifications - In addition to completing your online job application, you must provide a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) for the hiring manager’s review. Please see the Special Requirements section for instructions and questions for the SOQ. Applications received without an SOQ will not be considered. We ask that you not use Artificial Intelligence assistance when composing your written response. Written responses are an attempt to assess and gain an understanding of your personal writing and communication skills and abilities.
Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Examination Qualification Requirements

All applicants must possess the knowledge and abilities, and any other requirements, described in this announcement.

Note: Eligibility to take a CEA examination does not require current permanent status in the civil service.

General Qualifications

State civil service employees must possess essential general qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, and ability to work cooperatively with others.

Knowledge and Abilities

Applicants must demonstrate the ability to perform high administrative and policy – influencing functions effectively. Such overall ability requires possession of most of the following more specific knowledge and abilities:

  • Knowledge of the organization and functions of California State Government including the organization and practices of the Legislature and the Executive Branch; principles, practices, and trends of public administration, organization, and management; techniques of organizing and motivating groups; program development and evaluation; methods of administrative problem solving; principles and practices of policy formulation and development; and personnel management techniques; the department’s or agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program objectives; and a manager’s role in the Equal Employment Opportunity Program.
  • Ability to plan, organize, and direct the work of multidisciplinary professional and administrative staff; analyze administrative policies, organization, procedures and practices; integrate the activities of a diverse program to attain common goals; gain the confidence and support of top level administrators and advise them on a wide range of administrative matters; develop cooperative working relationships with representatives of all levels of government, the public, and the Legislature and Executive branches; analyze complex problems and recommend effective courses of action; and prepare and review reports; and effectively contribute to the department’s or agency’s Equal Employment Opportunity objectives.

These knowledge and abilities are expected to be obtained from the following kinds of experience with substantial participation in the formulation, operation and/or evaluation of program policies (experience may have been paid or volunteer; in State service, other government settings, or in a private organization):

CEA Level A - Responsible for broad administrative and program activities, including the execution and/or evaluation of program policies.

CEA Level B - Responsible for extensive managerial and program administration or broad program manager experience with substantial participation in the formulation, operation, and/or evaluation of program policies.

CEA Level C - Responsible for extensive highly professional influence and contributes to program, policy, and the methods to provide professional services needed to set policies, to meet the mission of the State department and often exercising technical and or professional skills that are required at this level.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:
  • Possess strong contract management skills and the demonstrated ability to facilitate the establishment of priorities and provide policy direction, preferably with experience working in health policy, the health care industry, health economics, finance administration and business strategies. The ideal candidate will have worked in a health-related governmental or private sector position with experience as a senior manager in such an entity.
  • Be a proven leader capable of building and retaining a team of exceptional professionals, with a track record for identifying the right initiatives and leading a team that executes them; have demonstrated ability to think strategically and function effectively as a member of a top management team; and have experience in an administrative or executive capacity, at least equivalent to a Manager II with responsibility for policy development and program administration.
  • Be highly collaborative, capable of working with other exceptional leaders to identify and execute critical goals as a team.

Examination Information

The required SOQ serves as the examination for this CEA recruitment.

If you meet the requirements stated in this announcement, you may take this competitive examination. Possession of the Examination Qualifications requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list. Your performance in the examination will be compared with the performance of others who take this examination, and all successful candidates will be ranked according to their scores.

A minimum rating of 70% must be attained in the Examination to obtain list eligibility for this position. All candidates will receive written notification of their examination results.

The results of this examination will only be used to fill this position. Applications will be retained for twelve months.

Hiring interviews for the Job may be conducted with the most qualified candidates.

The examining Department reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service law and rules and all competitors will be notified.

Special Testing Arrangements

If you have a disability and need special testing arrangements, answer the Reasonable Accommodations question appropriately on your Application (STD 678). You will be contacted to make specific arrangements. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this announcement.

Benefits

CalPERS team members are eligible for a number of benefits. Health benefits and leave programs are available for most team members. Benefit eligibility may depend on length of service and collective bargaining agreements.

Some added benefits CalPERS offers include:
  • Alternate Work Schedules
  • Flexible Work Hours
  • Onsite childcare facility
  • Onsite fitness center
  • Onsite café and nearby restaurants
  • Free onsite parking available Mondays and Fridays
  • Free offsite parking available with shuttle service Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
For more details about employee benefits, visit the California Department of Human Resources website.

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.

Human Resources Contact:
CalPERS Careers
(916) 795-3065
Careers@calpers.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
CalPERS EEO
(916) 795-3675
EEO@calpers.ca.gov
California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Additional Information

Live Scan
Candidates are required to submit to a criminal history review process utilizing Live Scan fingerprinting.

CalPERS Disclosure Requirements
If employed, you may be subject to rules imposed by Personal Trading Regulations and Conflict of Interest Code that apply to CalPERS team members, which require disclosure of certain investment information and use of a designated trading platform for securities transactions, as well as filing a Statement of Economic Interest (Form 700)

Sponsorship
CalPERS does not participate in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes.

Background Investigation
In addition to Live Scan, this position requires additional background screening prior to employment.

Please do not include any confidential information on any documents in your application package. Confidential information that should be excluded or removed from these documents include, but is not limited to, your social security number, date of birth, marital status, personal photos, a copy of your driver’s license, equal employment opportunity data.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account)
By Mail
Drop-off
Print Job