Associate Director, Payor Relations

Sun Life U.S. is one of the largest providers of employee and government benefits, helping approximately 50 million Americans access the care and coverage they need. Through employers, industry partners and government programs, Sun Life U.S. offers a portfolio of benefits and services, including dental, vision, disability, absence management, life, supplemental health, medical stop-loss insurance, and healthcare navigation. We have more than 6,400 employees and associates in our partner dental practices and operate nationwide.

Visit our website to discover how Sun Life is making life brighter for our customers, partners and communities.  

Job Description:

The Opportunity:

This is a hybrid role, requiring Monday and Friday in office at our Nashville Location

The Associate Director of Payor Relations is a senior leadership role within the Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) organization, responsible for overseeing all payor relations, contracting, credentialing, and fee negotiation functions across the enterprise. This role leads the Payor Relations and Credentialing teams, ensuring strong payor partnerships, compliant provider onboarding and offboarding, and alignment with operational and clinical priorities.

This position works closely with RCM leadership, Operations, Clinical teams, and external payors to support growth, mitigate revenue risk, and ensure timely reimbursement through effective contract management, credentialing execution, and relationship oversight. The Associate Director may also be assigned special projects and initiatives in support of organizational and departmental priorities.

The essential functions and responsibilities of this job position include, but are not limited to the following:

What you will do:

Payor Relations, Contracting & Fee Negotiation

• Lead enterprise-wide payor relations strategy, including contract negotiations, fee schedule negotiations, renewals, amendments, and dispute resolution
• Negotiate reimbursement rates and fee schedules for PPO, Medicaid, and capitation plans to support organizational financial goals
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with commercial and government payors
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex payor issues impacting reimbursement, access, or compliance
• Partner with RCM leadership to assess financial and operational impact of payor contracts and policy changes
• Collaborate with Operations and Clinical leadership to support expansion, onboarding, and market entry initiatives

Credentialing & Provider Enrollment

• Oversee provider credentialing and enrollment processes across all markets and payors
• Lead implementation, optimization, and ongoing management of credentialing software platforms
• Update TIN’s with Payors as a practice is onboarded/acquired
• Maintain licensing records of providers
• Manage expiring credentials with payors
• Manage payor portal users, access controls, and permissions to ensure security, compliance, and operational efficiency
• Ensure timely onboarding and offboarding of providers in alignment with operational and clinical timelines
• Establish standardized workflows, SLAs, and tracking mechanisms to reduce credentialing-related revenue delays
• Ensure compliance with regulatory, payor, and accreditation requirements

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of credentialing and payor relations specialists
• Set clear performance expectations, goals, and accountability metrics
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing team culture aligned with RCM objectives
• Partner with RCM leadership on workforce planning, training, and scalability initiatives

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with RCM operations, billing, AR, and reporting teams to resolve payor-related issues
• Collaborate with Operations and Clinical teams to support provider lifecycle management
• Participate in cross-functional planning related to growth, acquisitions, and organizational changes
• Provide clear communication and updates to leadership regarding payor risks, trends, and opportunities

Special Projects & Additional Responsibilities

• Lead or support special projects and strategic initiatives as assigned by RCM leadership
• Adapt to evolving business needs and assume additional responsibilities as required to support departmental and organizational objectives
• Perform other duties as assigned to support business needs

Reporting & Continuous Improvement