Background information about the job or company

Cigna is a global health service company, dedicated to helping the people we serve improve their health, well-being and sense of security. Cigna has almost 40,000 employees who service over 80 million customer relationships around the world. Within its international division, a dedicated unit - headquartered in Belgium - focuses on the needs of International...

Responsibilities or duties

Team Leadership & People Management

• Supervise, coach, and develop a team of Provider Relations professionals across multiple African markets.
• Establish team objectives, performance metrics, and development plans aligned with organizational goals.
• Monitor team performance and ensure delivery of provider engagement, issue resolution, and relationship management activities.
• Provide guidance on complex provider escalations, service issues, and operational challenges.
• Foster a high-performing, collaborative, and customer-focused team culture.

Strategic Provider Relationship Management

• Oversee a portfolio of strategic healthcare providers across Africa.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior provider stakeholders, including hospital executives, medical directors, and finance leaders.
• Act as an escalation point for key provider accounts and critical network issues.
• Support the development and execution of provider engagement and relationship management strategies.
• Strengthen partnerships that enhance service delivery, operational efficiency, and provider satisfaction.

Provider Performance Management

• Monitor provider performance against operational, financial, and service-related KPIs.
• Analyze utilization trends, direct payment performance, turnaround times, quality indicators, and member feedback.
• Identify performance gaps and implement corrective action plans with providers and internal stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on affordability, quality, and member experience.
• Ensure providers meet agreed service standards and contractual obligations.

Provider Engagement & Stakeholder Management

• Lead provider engagement activities designed to enhance collaboration and strengthen long-term partnerships.
• Manage provider escalations, complaints, and operational concerns, ensuring timely and effective resolution.
• Conduct regular governance meetings and business reviews with strategic providers.
• Gather provider feedback and communicate insights to relevant internal stakeholders.
• Promote provider participation in operational improvements, digital solutions, and strategic initiatives.

Provider Education & Change Management

• Support provider onboarding and integration into the Cigna network.
• Ensure providers understand Cigna's policies, procedures, digital solutions, and operational requirements.
• Drive adoption of new technologies, processes, and service enhancements.
• Communicate operational, contractual, and strategic changes affecting provider partnerships.
• Promote best practices and continuous improvement across the provider network.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Provider Operations, Clinical, Payment Integrity and Commercial teams to address provider needs and improve service delivery.
• Coordinate internal resources to support provider performance and relationship objectives.
• Support affordability initiatives, operational improvement programs, and market-specific projects.
• Facilitate resolution of complex provider and member issues requiring cross-functional collaboration.

Provider Visits

• Conduct regular provider visits, market reviews, and executive-level engagements across African markets.
• Assess provider operational capabilities, service quality, and member experience.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen relationships and improve provider performance.
• Represent Cigna at provider meetings, industry fora, and network events as required.

Qualifications or requirements

YOUR PROFILE

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in Provider Relations, Provider Management, Healthcare Operations, Insurance, Healthcare Administration, or related fields.
• Minimum 2 years of people leadership or supervisory experience.
• Preferred Experience
• Healthcare, insurance, managed care, international health benefits, TPA, or assistance industry experience.
• Experience managing provider relationships across multiple African markets.
• Experience leading provider performance improvement initiatives and service excellence programs.
• Strong understanding of healthcare financing, claims processes, provider operations, and network management.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership and people management skills with the ability to coach, develop, and motivate high-performing teams.
• Excellent provider relationship management and stakeholder engagement capabilities, with confidence interacting with senior healthcare executives.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to translate data and insights into actionable performance improvements.
• Proven problem-solving, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills in complex operational environments.
• Effective communication, presentation, and influencing skills, with the ability to manage stakeholders across multiple countries and functions.
• Strong organizational and project management abilities, with experience managing competing priorities in a fast-paced international environment.
• High degree of accountability, customer focus, and commitment to delivering exceptional provider and member experiences.

Languages

• Fluent English required.
• French strongly preferred.
• Additional languages such as Portuguese or Arabic are an added advantage.

Additional Requirements

• International mindset and ability to work effectively across diverse cultures and geographies.
• Strong ownership mentality and accountability for outcomes.
• Availability to travel approximately 15–25% of the time.

• Supervise, coach, and develop a team of Provider Relations professionals across multiple African markets.
• Establish team objectives, performance metrics, and development plans aligned with organizational goals.
• Monitor team performance and ensure delivery of provider engagement, issue resolution, and relationship management activities.
• Provide guidance on complex provider escalations, service issues, and operational challenges.
• Foster a high-performing, collaborative, and customer-focused team culture.
• Oversee a portfolio of strategic healthcare providers across Africa.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior provider stakeholders, including hospital executives, medical directors, and finance leaders.
• Act as an escalation point for key provider accounts and critical network issues.
• Support the development and execution of provider engagement and relationship management strategies.
• Strengthen partnerships that enhance service delivery, operational efficiency, and provider satisfaction.
• Monitor provider performance against operational, financial, and service-related KPIs.
• Analyze utilization trends, direct payment performance, turnaround times, quality indicators, and member feedback.
• Identify performance gaps and implement corrective action plans with providers and internal stakeholders.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on affordability, quality, and member experience.
• Ensure providers meet agreed service standards and contractual obligations.
• Lead provider engagement activities designed to enhance collaboration and strengthen long-term partnerships.
• Manage provider escalations, complaints, and operational concerns, ensuring timely and effective resolution.
• Conduct regular governance meetings and business reviews with strategic providers.
• Gather provider feedback and communicate insights to relevant internal stakeholders.
• Promote provider participation in operational improvements, digital solutions, and strategic initiatives.
• Support provider onboarding and integration into the Cigna network.
• Ensure providers understand Cigna's policies, procedures, digital solutions, and operational requirements.
• Drive adoption of new technologies, processes, and service enhancements.
• Communicate operational, contractual, and strategic changes affecting provider partnerships.
• Promote best practices and continuous improvement across the provider network.
• Partner with Provider Operations, Clinical, Payment Integrity and Commercial teams to address provider needs and improve service delivery.
• Coordinate internal resources to support provider performance and relationship objectives.
• Support affordability initiatives, operational improvement programs, and market-specific projects.
• Facilitate resolution of complex provider and member issues requiring cross-functional collaboration.
• Conduct regular provider visits, market reviews, and executive-level engagements across African markets.
• Assess provider operational capabilities, service quality, and member experience.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen relationships and improve provider performance.
• Represent Cigna at provider meetings, industry fora, and network events as required.

• Strong leadership and people management skills with the ability to coach, develop, and motivate high-performing teams.
• Excellent provider relationship management and stakeholder engagement capabilities, with confidence interacting with senior healthcare executives.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to translate data and insights into actionable performance improvements.
• Proven problem-solving, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills in complex operational environments.
• Effective communication, presentation, and influencing skills, with the ability to manage stakeholders across multiple countries and functions.
• Strong organizational and project management abilities, with experience managing competing priorities in a fast-paced international environment.
• High degree of accountability, customer focus, and commitment to delivering exceptional provider and member experiences.

• Minimum 5 years of experience in Provider Relations, Provider Management, Healthcare Operations, Insurance, Healthcare Administration, or related fields.
• Minimum 2 years of people leadership or supervisory experience.
• Healthcare, insurance, managed care, international health benefits, TPA, or assistance industry experience.
• Experience managing provider relationships across multiple African markets.
• Experience leading provider performance improvement initiatives and service excellence programs.
• Strong understanding of healthcare financing, claims processes, provider operations, and network management.
• Fluent English required.
• French strongly preferred.
• Additional languages such as Portuguese or Arabic are an added advantage.
• International mindset and ability to work effectively across diverse cultures and geographies.
• Strong ownership mentality and accountability for outcomes.
• Availability to travel approximately 15–25% of the time.