Principal Consultant- Provider Affiliation and Optimization

POSITION SUMMARY

Develop and lead multiple consulting engagements for SullivanCotter, overseeing all aspects of project delivery while cultivating strong client relationships and ensuring highly responsive, high-quality service. This role provides the opportunity to specialize in SullivanCotter’s Provider Affiliation and Optimization (PAO) service line, which focuses on strengthening physician and advanced practice provider (APP) performance, developing and optimizing affiliation models, enhancing provider engagement, and driving both operational and financial efficiencies across health systems.

The PAO service line integrates three core areas of expertise:

1. Affiliation Services – Supporting organizations in assessing, designing, and implementing effective provider affiliation strategies and arrangements.

2. Optimization Services – Assessing and improving the financial and operational performance of medical groups and specialty service lines to maximize efficiency and value.

3. Value-Based Care Services – Aligning value-based performance incentives with organizational objectives to strengthen reimbursement and advance strategic goals.

Through a structured, data-driven approach, consultants in this specialty help clients unlock the full potential of their provider networks, improve system-wide performance, and achieve sustainable long-term results.

PRIMARY ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Provide exceptional leadership and foster a culture of high engagement, accountability, and client service.
• Develop and nurture client relationships and strategies for generating new revenue and expanding the client portfolio in the health care market.
• Strong business development acumen to access new clients on behalf of SullivanCotter.
• Serve as the Client Relationship Manager for large, complex engagements.
• Bring subject matter expertise and experience with physician-hospital affiliation strategy and design, medical group and service line strategy, operations and finance, and compensation consulting methodologies for staff physician and APP projects.
• Participate in and contribute to successful marketing activities to build brand awareness and develop content for targeted markets. Speak at conferences and association meetings, author articles, and white papers.
• Manage the work of team members across client engagements and project teams to ensure effective planning, organizing, and management of strategic engagements. 
• Contribute to all aspects of client engagements and are responsible for leading multiple diverse consulting projects. 
• Develop and maintain strong client retention and high client satisfaction levels.
• Identify new opportunities to engage with clients, develop leads, write project proposals and statements of work.
• Assess and advise on the design and administration of various physician-hospital affiliation strategies to achieve business goals and effectively manage the workforce. 
• Synthesizing complex data and information into actionable results and recommendations.
• Design, structure, and deliver reports, presentations, and other client deliverables.
• Provide leadership, analytical guidance, and creativity for technical work which is critical to the success of our client engagement teams and our practice. 
• Manage complex projects within established budgets and monitor the success of the client experience.
• Lead with a spirit of collaboration.
• Influence colleagues at all levels by understanding and adhering to the firm’s standards, procedures, and approaches.
  

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

We find people who generally fit this profile have a high degree of success in this role:  

• Have a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree in a business-related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Fifteen years or more of physician-hospital affiliation, and medical group/service line performance improvement, operational and consulting experience.
• Passion for serving organizations to solve complex provider workforce challenges.
• Proficient in problem-solving and critical thinking.
• Solid technical knowledge and experience working with Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Foster an open and effective channel of communication with clients and across teams and provide constructive feedback that helps associates develop skills, experience, and growth opportunities.
• Effectively present facts, analysis, and conclusions/solutions in a way that demonstrates command of content, factors in perspectives, and interests of the audience. Ability to translate complex, technical concepts into easy to understand language
• Write concise project communications, documents, and presentations with an appropriate level of technical detail and complexity.
• Excellent project management, organizational skills, and ability to manage and execute tasks in a high-pressure, fast-paced, and priority-changing environment. 

BEHAVIORAL ATTRIBUTES 

You will be at your best in this role when you:  

• Exhibit high levels of enthusiasm and passion for serving the clients and appreciate the mission-based work of our clients. 
• Proactively cultivate a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce.
• Ability to lead a group and exhibit successful and positive role model behaviors.
• Exude strong professional leadership presence and demeanor with the highest level of integrity, fairness and inclusivity.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to work under tight deadlines and changing needs.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain longstanding relationships with clients.
• Self-starter who holds oneself, and others, accountable for the successful delivery of client materials.
• Willingly contributes to project success regardless of type of task (i.e., “roll up the sleeves approach” to teamwork).
• Demonstrate selfless collaboration and a teamwork mentality. 
• Demonstrates intellectually curiosity, a passion for continuous learning, and a desire for diversity in thought, experience and ideas.
• Committed to delivering work on time with the highest level of quality. 
• Self-reflective and active participant in your own development, as well as in the effective development of others.
• Communicate openly and directly with team members.  

SALARY, BENEFITS, AND PERKS

• Competitive total rewards package 
• Medical and dental coverage at no cost to associates and their dependents
• Pre-tax and Roth 401(k) options, Safe Harbor, and Profit-Sharing retirement plans
• Flexible spending accounts
• Generous paid time off (PTO)
• Paid holidays
• Gender-neutral parental leave 
• Bereavement and pet leave
• Continuing education and professional accreditation sponsorship
• Basic Life/AD&D at no cost to the associate and Voluntary Life and AD&D insurance
• Short- and long-term disability at no cost to associates
• Employee assistance program
• Mental health support program
• Additional perks

Reflected below is the base salary range offered for this position. Actual salaries may vary depending on factors including but not limited to academic achievements, skills and experience. The range listed is just one component of the compensation package offered to candidates. 

• $217,000.00 - $325,600.00 annual base salary plus lucrative bonus opportunity.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Remote, but occasional travel required.

Our Values In Action: How We CARE
We live our values daily through four commitments:

• Connect: Collaborate selflessly to support others, advance ideas, and solve problems using critical thinking.
• Act: Bring integrity and respect to every interaction—no exceptions.
• Reach: Commit to continuous learning and knowledge sharing that strengthens teams and clients.
• Embrace: Foster inclusion and belonging so everyone can thrive and contribute.

SullivanCotter Holdings, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law or marital status.