Business Development

Description:

Key Responsibilities:

• Informs our public sector sales distribution strategy within aligned markets.
• Builds and maintains the necessary partnerships and relationships to grow and retain our public sector business.

• Contributes to pipeline/prospect development in conjunction with the local market sales leadership – with keen focus on targeting prospects that are viable candidates to win.
• Reports/advises on pipeline development and activities that are advancing the sales process – with a focus on conveying key needs of the segment to support the sales process.
• Engagement with segment underwriting, legal, and product leadership where appropriate.
• Consistent engagement with RFP Proposal Response Team to ensure superior RFP product.
• Involvement with all key local market strategic planning/business development meetings.
• Serve as strong relationship liaison between local market leadership and Government Segment leadership and balances the priorities and focus of the local market and the segment.
• Maintains a deep understanding of the unique government dynamics and competitive landscape of each geographic market and applicable changes.
• Builds the long-term pipeline in pursuit of:
  • New medical and dental public sector accounts >3,000 employees.
  • First time medical adds to assigned large/existing dental only accounts > 3,000 ees.
  • Retention of assigned large existing accounts > 3,000 employees out to bid

• Articulate the value proposition of Cigna healthcare to current & prospective public sector clients.
• Point of contact for all matters related to procurement with new and existing customers.
• Engagement with broker/consultants as needed (pre/post RFP) in partnership with local market sales leadership. Development of diverse supplier relationships where applicable.
• All direct to client pre-RFP work that will influence Cigna's position and understanding of government and education prospects, including but not limited to:
  • Meetings with HR, Finance, Senior Management officials.
  • Engagement with union employee leadership.
  • Meetings with influential elected officials; meetings with influential community partners if appropriate; development of minority vendor strategies if appropriate; engagement and management of local lobbyists/advisors as appropriate.
  • Development and management of local association relationships; engagement with targeted regional and/or national association relationship important to the public sector.
  • Management of Freedom of Information requests. Important to maintain coordinated pre-RFP strategy with local market sales leadership.
• Targeted sales and retention engagement with any other government prospect as necessary.

Qualifications:

• Minimum 10 years of sales experience, account management, and/or business development experience - health care or insurance industry preferred. This experience should include many or all of the following: product knowledge, underwriting, risk and financial analysis skills, marketing processes, sales practices, account management and knowledge of administrative operations.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent related work experience.
• Health and life insurance license required.
• Experience selling to local governments and or school districts is preferred.
• Exposure to and/or understanding of local government procurement and/or elected official relationship dynamics is preferred.
• Strong influence and communications; with a proven ability to establish and build relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strong matrix partner relationships.
• Strong customer focus.
• Strong ability to collaborate, with a track record of delivering results that lead to success.