Assistant Director of Group Benefits (106376)

Employees Retirement System of Texas; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work schedules

Job summary

Employees Retirement System of Texas is seeking an Assistant Director of Group Benefits to provide strategic leadership and direction for benefit programs. Reporting to the GB Director, you will lead division managers, oversee procurement, and ensure sound governance across plan administration and vendor relationships.

The role requires advanced management experience, strong presentation skills, and the ability to influence executives and stakeholders while guiding staff development and policy

Qualifications

• Five or more years leading programs, projects, or operational initiatives.
• Four or more years managing and administering benefit programs.
• Four or more years supervising staff.
• Five years of experience presenting to executive leadership or large audiences.

Responsibilities

• Direct division leadership by managing managers and staff; set expectations and develop succession.
• Oversee workforce planning, staffing, and equal employment opportunity compliance.
• Develop analytic capability in contract monitoring, plan administration, and actuarial literacy.
• Oversee procurement strategy, vendor evaluation, and award documentation.
• Ensure governance, internal controls, and policy compliance across the division.

Skills

Leadership

Public speaking

Mentoring staff

Strategic planning

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/related field

Tools

Contract monitoring

Plan administration

Actuarial literacy

Vendor evaluation

Job description

Our mission is simply stated: ERS offers competitive benefits to enhance the lives of its members. Each team member across the agency contributes to our ongoing success. ERS is open for business five days a week, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, to meet customers where they need us: in person, on the phone, in their communities, and online. ERS currently offers opportunities that include flexible work schedules.

ERS does not sponsor or assume sponsorship of an employment visa at any time.

ERS is seeking an Assistant Director of Group Benefits to perform highly advanced management activities and provides strategic direction and guidance in the management and administration of benefit programs in the Group Benefits Division. Supervises the work of others. Work is performed under the minimal direction of the Division Director with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Essential Responsibilities include, but are not limited to

Strategic Leadership & Division Direction Activities

• Under the direction of the GB Director, leads division managers and professional staff; sets expectations, evaluates performance, and builds bench strength and succession readiness across program areas.
• Directs workforce planning, staffing strategy, and personnel actions in accordance with equal employment opportunity law and ERS policy.
• Develops the technical and analytic capability of division staff, including expertise in contract monitoring, plan administration, and actuarial literacy.
• Fosters a culture of accountability, ethical conduct, and service to members.
• Oversees the division's specialized services, including second-level appeals and RDS and SSA processes, ensuring sound, defensible, and consistent determinations.
• Directs the adoption of technology and process improvements that strengthen benefit purchasing, implementation, and administration.
• Commissions research and analysis on issues affecting the design, cost, and delivery of ERS benefit programs.
• Represents the agency in meetings, hearings, conferences, and interagency forums.

Procurement and Project Management Activities

• Directs the strategy, sequencing, and resourcing of division solicitations and major projects, ensuring alignment with program objectives and procurement authority.
• Guides solicitation research, scope development, evaluation methodology, and award documentation; participates in vendor evaluation and recommendation.
• Ensures the framework for monitoring and evaluating vendor performance, contract compliance, and remediation of deficiencies are aligned with agency processes/procedures.
• Oversees annual audits of GBP and deferred compensation vendors and the division's audit and consulting engagements.
• Cultivates internal and external stakeholder relationships and governs business-process interfaces across a multi-vendor environment.

Program Policy (Governance Activities)

• Directs the division's review of constitutional, statutory, and regulatory provisions governing ERS and its administered programs; leads division Board Rule review and recommendation.
• Evaluates state and federal legislation and regulatory developments for applicability to and fiscal impact on ERS benefit programs; advises leadership on positioning and implementation strategy.
• Advises the Director and Executive Office on the policy, financial, and operational consequences of proposed program changes.
• Ensures the division's policies, procedures, and internal controls remain current, compliant, and aligned with agency governance standards.
• Supports Board and Group Benefit Advisory Committee proceedings; develops and may present agenda items and/or may testify as required.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

• Represents the agency at business meetings, hearings, trials, conferences, seminars and committees.
• Identifies staff development and training requirements.
• Attends work regularly in accordance with agency leave and attendance policies.
• Complies with all applicable agency policies and procedures, including safety and standards of conduct.
• Ability to mentor and train staff on the contract monitoring processes, procedures, and/or assigned plan requirements.
• Researches and develops agenda items for board consideration.
• Reviews statistical data for management.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Minimum Qualifications

1. Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in business, communications, public administration, finance or a similarly related field. Qualifying experience beyond the minimum required may substitute for education.
2. Five (5) years of experience leading programs, projects, operational initiatives, or organizational functions, with responsibilities such as planning, coordinating, overseeing implementation, or managing program or operational activities.
3. Four (4) years of experience with management and/or administration of benefit programs.
4. Four (4) years of experience supervising staff.
5. Five (5) years of experience preparing and delivering presentations, briefings, or recommendations to executive leadership, stakeholders, or large audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience in insurance or deferred compensation.
2. Experience in finance, budgeting and/or legal or dispute resolution.
3. Experience preparing requests for proposals.
4. Experience negotiating contracts.
5. Experience with healthcare industry especially large group plans.
6. Experience with deferred compensation plans.
7. Graduate degree, CEBS, CTCM or other related professional designations.

PLEASE NOTE

All submissions should contain complete job history entries, which includes job title, dates of employment, name of employer, and a description of duties performed as related to the position you are applying for. Resumes lacking sufficient detail, such as a summary of experience in lieu of progression of work history may not meet minimum qualifications.

Other Information

In accordance with state law, authorization for telework may not be awarded to an employee as a condition of hiring. As an agency process, new employees complete a 30 day fully onsite period before evaluation for a telework agreement. This position may require access to privileged, confidential, or sensitive data. ERS will conduct either a TXDPS or FBI criminal history check on all new hires. For more information about this policy inquiries can be made to [e-mail]. Please note: Internal applicants in the same salary group and classification as the posted position are eligible to receive an increase in salary where applicable up to the posted maximum.

Military Occupational Specialty Codes

Veterans, Reservists or Guardsmen with experience in the Military Occupational Specialty (https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_ProgramManagement.pdf) along with the minimum qualifications listed above may meet the minimum requirements and are highly encouraged to apply. Please contact Human Resources at [e-mail] with questions or for additional information.

Email: [e-mail]

Web: www.ers.texas.gov

Relay Texas TDD: [phone]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/employees-retirement-system-of-texas/