Senior Manager - Strategy, Innovation & Commercial

What Makes Us, Us

We want to be the most trusted wellbeing company in Australia, and this means our focus on wellbeing starts with our people. We support our employees’ Real Wellbeing so that they can better support our members’ and customers’ wellbeing journey.

At Australian Unity we’re for Real Wellbeing. For us, Real Wellbeing means so much more than physical health. It’s about your standard of living, your personal relationships and being connected to your community. It’s about what you want to achieve in life, while having the security to get out and do what makes you happy.

We’re bold, warm and honest. We make a real difference to people’s wellbeing.

Our Opportunity

Australian Unity is taking a decisive step forward in becoming a more agile, responsive organisation—one that is attuned to the evolving needs of our members and the dynamics of the private health insurance (PHI) market.

To support this ambition, we are seeking a highly capable and intellectually curious individual to join our Insurances business as Senior Manager – Strategy, Innovation & Commercial. This newly created role will be instrumental in shaping and executing strategic initiatives that drive sustainable growth, commercial performance, and innovation aligned with societal and customer needs.

About the Role

Reporting to the Head of Strategic Enablement, this role offers significant autonomy and strategic influence. You will lead initiatives that improve our contractual relationships with dental providers, support segmentation and customer lifetime value work, and contribute to the group’s strategic planning process.

You will also develop prioritisation frameworks, prepare pricing proposals for agreement providers, and present industry and sector updates to the Leadership Team. The role demands a high degree of independent judgement and the ability to synthesise complex information into high-quality reports, presentations, and strategic recommendations for senior stakeholders.

A critical component of the role involves analysing competitor activity, market dynamics, and regulatory developments to inform strategic positioning and advocacy efforts.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead the identification, analysis, and execution of strategic growth opportunities across PHI.
• Develop market and customer insights to inform strategic direction and commercial decision-making.
• Shape and evolve the strategic plan, ensuring alignment with regulatory trends, competitive dynamics, and customer needs.
• Conduct structured analysis of competitor strategies, industry trends, and policy reform to inform strategic responses.
• Translate complex data and insights into clear, compelling presentations and reports for executive audiences.
• Drive business improvement initiatives that deliver community and social value while advancing PHI objectives.
• Lead hospital and medical purchasing strategies focused on value-based outcomes and cost optimisation.
• Manage provider relationships and commercial arrangements across hospital, medical, and general treatment networks.
• Collaborate closely with the Product team and Product Owner to prioritise strategic initiatives.
• Represent Australian Unity in Private Health Australia working groups and other industry forums.
• Contribute to a culture of operational excellence, innovation, and continuous improvement.

What We’re Looking For

• Tertiary qualifications in business, economics, health, or a related discipline; postgraduate qualifications preferred.
• Proven experience in strategy, commercial leadership, or management consulting, ideally within health or insurance.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex initiatives and influence cross-functional stakeholders.
• Exceptional analytical capability and commercial acumen, with a track record of delivering measurable outcomes.
• Advanced skills in synthesising data and insights into executive-level communications and strategic proposals.
• A strategic thinker with the initiative and autonomy to thrive in a dynamic, purpose-driven environment.
• A role model of Australian Unity’s leadership behaviours—Bold, Warm, Honest—with a commitment to Real Wellbeing.
• A passion for intellectual rigour, curiosity, and continuous improvement.

What’s on Offer

You will enjoy a range of great employee benefits and rewards including:

• Competitive salary + bonus program
• Enjoy additional yearly Well-Being and Community leave days
• 14-week paid parental leave, with equal benefit for both parents
• Employee Referral Program
• Employee Assistance Program – support and assistance for you and your partner at those times in life when you need it most.
• Maxxia Rewards - a great range of discounts and benefits at selected retail outlets, department stores, attractions, travel, cinemas, restaurants.
• Discounts across the Australian Unity business including Private Health Insurance, General Insurance + more!
• Available access to LinkedIn Learning courses through our great Learning platform

For further benefits visit: https://www.australianunity.com.au/careers/culture

Where to from here?

Please contact Richard Maher, Talent Acquisition Practice Lead, for a confidential discussion or more details – rimaher@australianunity.com.au.

Australian Unity is an Equal Opportunity employer and we encourage applications from all members of the community, including people of Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander descent, culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and, mature aged people.