Speridian Technologies is recruiting for a Senior Product Manager for our State of California Client, the Department of Healthcare Services, Behavioral Health. This person will be part of a long-term, fully budgeted, state-of-the-art, extremely vast technical modernization project.ย
This is a remote role; however, there will be meetings in the Sacramento area several times a year.ย Candidates are expected to work business hours, Monday-Friday, Pacific Time Zone.Join DHCSโs Behavioral Health Transformation: Where Purpose Meets InnovationLocation:ย Remote
Department:ย Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS), Behavioral Health Transformation (BHT)
Commitment:ย Full-Time Consultant (W2 employee of Speridian or 1099/IC for Speridian)ย
Why DHCS?At DHCS we are leading a transformative journey in Behavioral Health, reshaping systems and services toย ensure better outcomesย for communities across California. Our Behavioral Health transformation initiative is more than a projectโitโs a movement to make California a leader in accessible, high-quality health services. Weโre setting the stage for a new era of government services built on agile methodologies, cutting-edge technology, continuous improvement, and a relentless commitment to serving the public good.
At DHCS, weโre looking for innovators who are passionate about purposeful work and excited by the opportunity to drive lasting change through innovative solutions.
Our core values are what make us successful and define the impact we have on the DHCS program and Californiaโs citizens.ย
- Partnership:ย Respect Other, Practice Empathy, Earn Trust
- Ownership:ย ย ย Take Accountability, Show Reliability, Act with Integrity
- Grit:ย ย Bring Passion, Exhibit Perseverance, Demonstrate Resilience
- Value:ย ย Drive Outcomes, Maximize Impact, Keep Improving
The California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) is seeking a mission-driven, technically fluent, and outcomes-orientedย Principalย Product Manager to lead the modernization of financial administration and reporting systems that supportย Medi-Cal,ย behavioral health services, andย infrastructure grants and bonds.ย This role is critical to integrating and transforming DHCSโs financial platforms to enhanceย fiscal transparency, accountability, and oversightโultimately enabling a clearer understanding of theย total cost of careย for delivering behavioral healthcare services across California.ย This is a high-impact role at the intersection of financial systems, compliance, and public health funding. You will lead efforts to modernize legacy infrastructure, automate critical workflows, and ensure the platform supports both Medi-Cal operations and new financial instruments. If you thrive in complex environments, can drive clarity through ambiguity, and are passionate about building systems that support public good, this role is for you.You are a systems thinker who sees both the forest and the treesโable to operate strategically while diving deep into technical problem-solving with engineers. You are driven by outcomes, not activity. You thrive in complex, ambiguous environments where clarity must be createdโnot waited for. You know how to earn trust, create structure, and deliver high-quality results without compromising speed. Above all, you are passionate about building technology that empowers people, improves lives, and drives lasting public impact.We find intrinsic motivationโbeyond compensation, consulting mindset, interest in technology, work-life balance, or typical corporate mindsetโto be a critical factor distinguishing successful candidates in this role. Candidates who lack intrinsic motivation rarely thrive here; we push ourselves hard, consistently. We seek leaders who genuinely care, are driven by deeper motivations, and who value the opportunity to deliver meaningful, lasting impact. This role isn't for everyone, and that's okayโbut if you're looking for this kind of challenge and meaningful change, it might be the perfect fit for you.Key Responsibilitiesย Product Ownership & Strategyย - Own the product vision, roadmap, and execution strategy all behavioral healthcare financial operations and reporting.
- Identify opportunities and align platform capabilities with evolving financial, compliance, and reporting needsโincludingย bond managementย andย CheckWrite modernization.ย
- Ensure product strategies account for legacy / new initiatives with scalability and resilience.ย
Financial Systems Leadershipย - Integrate modernize and seamlessly integrate BH financial operations into broader healthcare financial operations.
- Ensure compliance with federal and state financial regulations, including newย CheckWrite format requirements.ย
- Partner with finance, compliance, and legal teams to ensure platform outputs meet internal and external audit standards.ย
Platform Modernization & Automationย - Drive the transition from manual, siloed processes to automated, integrated workflows.ย
- Address technical debt and performance bottlenecks to improve reporting speed, data accuracy, and system stability.ย
- Champion integration with external systems likeย FI$CALย andย SCOย to reduce redundancy and improve data flow.ย
Cross-Functional Collaborationย - Lead two agile teams focused on parallel priorities: CheckWrite compliance and bond enablement.ย
- Collaborate with engineering, QA, finance, and executive stakeholders to ensure alignment and delivery.ย
- Facilitate tradeoff discussions when resource constraints arise, ensuring alignment with FMDโs strategic goals.ย
Change Leadershipย & Executive Presence- Lead organizational change with confidence and clarity, translating strategic goals into actionable product plans that drive measurable outcomes.ย
- Demonstrate strongย executive presenceย by effectively engaging senior leadership, influencing cross-functional decisions, and communicating complex ideas with authority.ย
- Inspire trust and alignment across technical, financial, and policy teamsโeven in high-pressure, high-ambiguity environments.ย
- Maintain composure and focus while navigating competing priorities, tight deadlines, and resistance to change.ย
Minimum Qualificationsย - 7+ years of product management experience, including:ย
- 3+ years managing financial systems or platforms in regulated environmentsย
- Experience withย public sector finance,ย Medi-Cal, orย healthcare delivery infrastructureย
- Proven success modernizing legacy systems and driving automationย
- Strong understanding of financial compliance, audit requirements, and reporting workflowsย
- Experience leading cross-functional teams in high-stakes, deadline-driven environmentsย
- Excellent communication skills with both technical and non-technical audiencesย
- Strong ownership mindset and ability to lead through ambiguityย
Preferred Qualificationsย - Experience withย bond administration,ย federal draw processes, orย CheckWrite systemsย
- Familiarity withย FI$CAL,ย SCO, or other California state financial systemsย
- Knowledge ofย Medi-Cal funding structuresย andย DHCS financial operationsย
- Background in data governance, internal controls, or financial audit readinessย
Speridian is an Equal Opportunity Employerย ย