Lead Specialist - Central Pay

JOB SUMMARY:

Under the direction of the Central Pay Senior Manager, the Central Pay Lead Specialist is a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the Central Pay services. The Lead Specialist plays a critical role in driving the team’s performance, fostering a positive culture, a collaborative knowledge-sharing environment and achieving the organizational objectives. This individual will take ownership of their responsibilities, ensure thorough follow-through, and effectively solve problems. Adaptability and conflict resolution skills are essential, as the Lead Specialist will act as an escalation point for team members and supports the Senior Manager. The ideal candidate will excel at multitasking, demonstrating strong decision-making capabilities while managing various priorities. The Lead Specialist assists the team with customer inquiries, is a liaison for reconciliation vendors and the Pharmacy Benefits Managers (PBMs). This associate also assists the team with daily funds processing, with the assistance of the Central Pay portal vendor. This position is ideal for a proactive and detail-oriented professional who thrives in a dynamic environment, demonstrates strong leadership capabilities, and has a passion for delivering exceptional customer service and operational excellence.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leads through influence without direct authority: drives alignment across cross-functional stakeholders, facilitates decision-making, and ensures timely execution of critical pay initiatives by building strong partnerships and accountability.

• Training and Mentoring: The Lead serves as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Central Pay services. Acts as the primary trainer for new specialists, providing comprehensive training. Document new processes and procedures and maintain updates to existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

• Customer Support:Serves as an escalation point for Central Pay customer and team inquiries. Provides technical assistance with customer access issues. Participates in the phone queue to assist with customer calls.

• Vendor Collaboration:Collaborate with the site vendor on site issues and ticket requests, participate in weekly collaboration meetings, and engage in Sprint Testing for development and enhancements.

• Customer Onboarding: Assists in overseeing the uploading of customers into Central Pay.

• Payment Activity and Management:Review partner bank sites to analyze payment activity, and provide primary assistance with managing payment exceptions and returns.

• PBM and Reconciliation Vendor Support:Assist in researching PBM payments, 835 files, and Reconciliation Vendor inquiries.

• Collections Outreach:Assist with establishing the outreach to delinquent accounts for collections.

• Funds Management Support:Assist the Central Pay Senior Manager in managing customer held funds.

• Data Review:Review and analyze data in MicroStrategy and ABForce reporting.

• SFTP Coordination:Serve as the contact for SFTP site setup, testing, and support for vendors and strategic accounts.

• Project Participation:Participate in special projects and perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Deep understanding of pharmacy industry and trends, PSAOs, retail pharmacy operations, managed care, pharmacy claims data and reimbursement.

• Normally requires a minimum of two (2) years’ experience in a Lead role.

• Requires broad training in fields such as business administration, finance/economics, accountancy, sales, computer sciences or similar vocations generally obtained through completion of a four-year bachelor's degree program and/or Registered Pharmacy Technician with at least five (5) years of experience in a PSAO, Managed Care organization or PBM environment preferred.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE REQUIREMENTS:

• PBM and PSAO background, preferable with pharmacy reconciliation experience.

• Knowledge of Cencora products, programs and services preferred

• Ability to work under pressure to balance competing priorities and to meet time sensitive deadlines

• Strong organizational and analytical skills; attention to detail

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; interacts with all levels of associates and management within and outside the organization.

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Excellent customer service management skills

• Strong navigation of multiple systems and the consolidation of data from various sources

• Strong computer skills necessary to operate effectively with company systems and programs

• Strong Microsoft Office skills in WORD and POWERPOINT

• Advanced financial analytical skills in EXCEL is required

• Experience with relational databases and knowledge of query tools and/or statistical business intelligence software (e.g., MicroStrategy) is required.

*This Salary Range reflects a National Average for this job. The actual range may vary based on your locale. Ranges in Colorado/California/Washington/New York/Hawaii/Vermont/Minnesota/Massacusetts/Illinois State-specific locations may be up to 10% lower than the minimum salary range, and 12% higher than the maximum salary range.

Cencora is committed to providing equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or membership in any other class protected by federal, state or local law.

The company’s continued success depends on the full and effective utilization of qualified individuals. Therefore, harassment is prohibited and all matters related to recruiting, training, compensation, benefits, promotions and transfers comply with equal opportunity principles and are non-discriminatory.

Cencora is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the employment process which are consistent with legal requirements. If you wish to request an accommodation while seeking employment, please call 888.692.2272 or email hrsc@cencora.com. We will make accommodation determinations on a request-by-request basis. Messages and emails regarding anything other than accommodations requests will not be returned