Employee Benefits Administration Manager

Position Overview:

The Employee Benefits Administration Manager is responsible for developing and co-managing employee health, wellness and other benefits programs for more than 10,000 Maricopa County benefit-eligible covered employees so they can have access to effective and affordable health care.

Position Qualifications:

Minimum education and/or experience: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Public Administration or closely related field and five (5) years’ professional human resources experience, including a minimum of three (3) years’ management experience related to employee benefits administration of a self-funded, employer sponsored group health plan. Benefits administration management experience relative to the position may include, but is not limited to: work experience for a carrier that administers primary benefits in addition to work for a self-funded, employer sponsored health plan; drafting comprehensive and complex scopes of work for large employer benefits plans; and/or demonstrating responsibility for contract compliance review or work associated with legislative or statutory review/changes impacting employer benefit plans. Knowledge, skills, and abilities: Knowledge of:

• Federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations that govern employee benefit plans and program administration
• Principles and practices involved in administering self-funded employee group health plans, including requirements associated with managing protected health information
• Principles and practices of employee benefits and health insurance under various product designs and funding arrangements including, but not limited to indemnity, preferred provider organizations, point-of-service, exclusive provider organizations, high deductible plans, health savings accounts, and health maintenance organizations
• Claims processing, payment functions, and requirements for providing HIPAA compliant file transfers
• Trends and best practices in employee health and corporate wellness

Skill in:

• Leading a team
• Attention to detail
• Contracts administration
• Budget and financial management, including working within constraints of a budget
• Interpersonal communication and customer service
• Written and verbal communication
• Negotiating with vendor partners
• Identifying, researching and analyzing complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options, implement solutions and manage relationships.
• Using logic and reasoning to identify strengths, weaknesses or other opportunities in assessing or reaching conclusions about approaches or solutions to problems.
• Performing mathematical calculations in computing rates, premiums, taxes and/or adjustments.
• Managing a hosted benefit administration platform and call center technology

Ability to:

• Collaborate as a member of a larger team
• Manage large projects
• Recommend policies and strategic goals
• Meet established goals
• Manage vendors and contracts
• Establish and maintain good working relationships with employees at all levels, and with various external partners
• Think strategically and establish business strategies with a longer-term focus based on the organization’s vision
• Manage change
• Prioritize and organize multiple projects with a high degree of initiative and follow through
• Influence and motivate others

Preferred education and/or experience: Additional years’ recent professional experience in employee benefit programs. Additional years’ supervisory experience. Preferred training, certifications and/or other special requirements: Certification as a Human Resources Professional from HRCI, SHRM or IPMA. Successful completion of a benefits certification program from IFEBP, WorldatWork and/or another similar professional organization. Working conditions: Normal office environment.

Essential Job Tasks:

• Develops and refines County benefits programs for active employees to minimize costs and maintain or improve employee satisfaction.
• Develops and implements strategies and initiatives to control health care costs for Maricopa County and employees, including programs to improve the well-being of employees and covered dependents.
• Monitors and analyzes market trends in order to maintain or improve the competitiveness of County benefits programs in comparison with other large public and private sector employers in the area.
• Manages customer service staff and ensures appropriate customer service related to employee benefits and wellness.
• Handles escalated customer services issues received from County leadership and the Board.
• Develops and implements funding strategies for employee benefit and wellness.
• Communicates benefits and wellness goals, objectives and outcomes to ensure that leadership both understands and supports all initiatives.
• Coordinates efforts with overall employee benefits and wellness strategy to ensure both are in sync in promoting good health and containing medical costs.
• Manages information on the benefits section of the Intranet, County website and other communication mediums.
• Ensures successful planning and execution of events and projects.
• Tracks, monitors and analyzes monthly health care utilization information in order to detect and correct problems and identify areas for improvements in benefits plan design.
• Assists in preparing and managing the employee benefits and wellness budget.
• Serves as Plan Administrator for the Maricopa County Employee Benefits Plan.
• Develops, recommends and implements benefits policies and procedures; ensures compliance with approved policies and procedures.
• Trains internal staff, department liaisons and Employee Benefits Advisory Council Representatives.
• Hires, manages, coaches, develops, and rewards assigned staff.
• Develops, implements and monitors performance measures for the employee benefits and wellness programs.
• Develops and updates Plan Descriptions for all self-insured plans, and updates and maintains Cafeteria Plan Documents required by IRC Section 125. Reviews and maintains insured plan documents.
• Collaboratively, develops, plans, manages and distributes ongoing communications with employees about benefits.
• Manages operating relationships, expectations, and communications related to benefits between internal staff, the Benefits Board of Trustees, Assistant County Managers, Department Directors, Elected Officials, Human Resource Liaisons, Employee Benefits Advisory Committee members and Public Information Officers.
• Ensures employee data is protected according to state and federal laws; serves as HIPAA Privacy Official Maricopa County Employee Benefits Plan.
• Ensures departmental regulatory compliance, and monitor changes in federal and state laws that relate to the benefit programs.
• Identifies and recommends information technology improvements to enhance customer service, data integrity, and management information; maintains benefit administration technology.
• Fulfills other duties as assigned.

Selection Procedure:

The hiring authority will select the successful candidate based on departmental needs. All offers of employment made to new hires and rehires at Maricopa County are contingent upon successful completion of a post-offer, pre-employment thorough background investigation. A background investigation is conducted on a current employee who changes to a Safety Sensitive Position or one having the potential for serious adverse impact on the integrity or efficiency of the County. These requirements do not pertain to employees of elected officials who undergo background investigation processes administered through their respective offices. Typically successful candidates are hired at a salary rate, up to midpoint of the range, based on applicable experience, internal equity and budgetary allowances.

It is the policy of Maricopa County not to discriminate in employment or the provision of services. Maricopa County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide reasonable accommodation in the application and/or testing process to eligible individuals requesting assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

First review of applications will begin on November 27, 2017.