Senior Director, Contracting & Network Development.
Posted Sep 8, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about the toughest hospital contract negotiation you have led. What did you give and what did you hold?
What they are checking: Whether they negotiate with a clear walk-away point and can explain the tradeoffs they accepted.
Tell me about a value-based or alternative payment arrangement you designed or negotiated.
What they are checking: Whether they can move beyond fee-for-service toward contracts that reward quality and cost control.
Tell me about a time you built or rebuilt a contracting team. What did you look for?
What they are checking: Whether they can assemble and develop the right mix of negotiators and analysts across functions.
How do you keep provider relationships strong after a hard negotiation?
What they are checking: Whether they understand that the same providers will be partners long after the contract is signed.
What would you do
How would you build a network strategy for a new product in Texas that has to meet adequacy rules and cost targets?
What they are checking: Whether they can balance access requirements against unit cost when building a network from scratch.
How do you decide between paying a higher rate and leaving a gap in the network?
What they are checking: Whether they think about member access, regulatory risk and total cost rather than rate alone.
A large provider group threatens to terminate unless rates go up significantly. How do you respond?
What they are checking: Whether they stay calm, model the impact and prepare a member transition plan while negotiating.
About the work
What do you look at to know if a network is adequate, and what do you do when a county falls short?
What they are checking: Whether they know time, distance and provider ratio standards and the options when gaps appear.
How do you build and manage a contracting budget across multiple product lines?
What they are checking: Whether they can tie resources and contract targets to the plan's financial goals.
How do you work with actuarial and finance to set rate targets before a negotiation?
What they are checking: Whether they ground negotiations in cost modeling rather than instinct.
Which Texas Medicaid or Marketplace rules have shaped your contracting decisions?
What they are checking: Whether they know the state's regulatory landscape since the team prefers someone based in Texas.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Centene.