Executive Director, Trade Relations - Zinc Health Services

At CVS Health, we’re building a world of health around every consumer and surrounding ourselves with dedicated colleagues who are passionate about transforming health care.

As the nation’s leading health solutions company, we reach millions of Americans through our local presence, digital channels and more than 300,000 purpose-driven colleagues – caring for people where, when and how they choose in a way that is uniquely more connected, more convenient and more compassionate. And we do it all with heart, each and every day.

Position Summary

Zinc Health Services, as a GPO and affiliate of CVS Health, enters contracts to control and reduce participant organization costs. Zinc Health Services is recruiting for a dynamic leader for the role of Executive Director, Trade Relations – Contract Negotiator.  In this role, you will have an exciting opportunity to implement pharmaceutical procurement strategies that directly supply to the bottom line of our organization. In this high-impact position, you’ll serve as a strategic partner across cross-functional teams, driving critical negotiations with pharmaceutical manufacturers. Your expertise will shape procurement strategies that directly influence the financial performance of a Fortune 5 organization.

In addition to serving as a lead negotiator, you will play a pivotal role in building team capability and driving performance excellence. This includes onboarding new talent, designing and delivering high-impact training programs, and continuously assessing development needs to shape a learning strategy aligned with business priorities. Your leadership will ensure the team is equipped with the skills and insights needed to deliver consistent, strategic results in a fast-paced and evolving environment. This is a unique opportunity to lead transformative initiatives in pharmaceutical trade relations, delivering measurable value and innovation at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the negotiation of rebates as part of Zinc Health Services for CVS Health and other participants.

• Identify and develop formulary strategies in targeted therapeutic categories.

• Direct account responsibilities to ensure high-quality manufacturer relationships.

• Communicate strategic values through compelling presentations and executive-level storytelling.

• Drive cross-functional initiatives, managing multiple projects and supporting Trade Relations priorities.

• Evaluate and prioritize opportunities based on strategic fit and business impact.

• Design and deliver training programs tailored to diverse audiences and learning styles.

• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency and outcomes.

• Demonstrate agile leadership and active listening to drive team success.

Required Qualifications

The candidate will have a strong work ethic, be a self-starter, and be able to be highly productive in a dynamic, collaborative environment. This position offers broad exposure to all aspects of the company’s business, as well as significant interaction with all the business leaders. The candidate will be expected to have the following key attributes:

• 15+ years of professional work experience in healthcare, managed care, health plans, or Pharmacy and/or Medical Benefit Management, preferably with a focus on financial strategy and client relations.

• 5+ years of leadership experience with negotiating contracts in the Healthcare or PBM industry.

• 3+ years as a Negotiator in a Market Access environment.

• Experience driving complex contract negotiations and successful completion of contracts, PBM and Managed Care expertise, primarily focused on the management of pharmacy budgets related to manufacturers.

• Experience in leading multiple manufacturer relationships to include direct contact with key decision makers.

• Experience developing and maintaining training materials or new initiatives and onboarding activities.

• Strong presentation and public speaking skills.

• Adept at execution and delivery (planning, delivering, and supporting) skills.

• Adept at collaboration and teamwork.

• Mastery skills for strategic vision and critical thinking capacity.

• Mastery of growth mindset (agility and development of self and others).

• Demonstrated success in leading cross-functional strategic initiatives in complex matrixed environments.

• Ability to travel 15- 20%.

• Ability to work a Hybrid Model (in office Tuesday / Wednesday / Thursday) out of our Bloomington, MN or Northbrook, IL offices. Remote work arrangements will be considered for the right candidate.

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required. MBA or Marketing degree preferred.

Pay Range

The typical pay range for this role is:

This pay range represents the base hourly rate or base annual full-time salary for all positions in the job grade within which this position falls.  The actual base salary offer will depend on a variety of factors including experience, education, geography and other relevant factors.  This position is eligible for a CVS Health bonus, commission or short-term incentive program in addition to the base pay range listed above.  This position also includes an award target in the company’s equity award program. 
 

Our people fuel our future. Our teams reflect the customers, patients, members and communities we serve and we are committed to fostering a workplace where every colleague feels valued and that they belong.

Great benefits for great people

We take pride in our comprehensive and competitive mix of pay and benefits – investing in the physical, emotional and financial wellness of our colleagues and their families to help them be the healthiest they can be. In addition to our competitive wages, our great benefits include:

• Affordable medical plan options, a 401(k) plan (including matching company contributions), and an employee stock purchase plan.

• No-cost programs for all colleagues including wellness screenings, tobacco cessation and weight management programs, confidential counseling and financial coaching.

• Benefit solutions that address the different needs and preferences of our colleagues including paid time off, flexible work schedules, family leave, dependent care resources, colleague assistance programs, tuition assistance, retiree medical access and many other benefits depending on eligibility.

For more information, visit https://jobs.cvshealth.com/us/en/benefits

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state and local laws.