Employee Benefits and Wellness Manager (Vacancy)

Columbus; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Columbus seeks an Employee Benefits and Wellness Manager to lead design, execution, compliance, and financial sustainability of health, welfare, and wellness programs. This role combines strategic vision with high-volume operations, using data analytics to optimize plan performance and control costs.

The Manager will oversee vendor partnerships, drive the RFP process, and contribute to labor relations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in benefits administration, public sector, or related field.
• 5+ years in benefits administration with leadership experience.
• Knowledge of ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, Section 125, and state requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy for benefits programs with a focus on cost efficiency and competitiveness.
• Oversee ACA/state reporting, nondiscrimination testing, and compliance.
• Drive end-to-end RFP process and vendor negotiations for health and welfare benefits.
• Mentor and develop a team of benefits professionals.
• Monitor KPIs and analyze data to optimize plan performance.
• Communicate with employees and labor stakeholders; support labor negotiations as needed.
• Maintain HIPAA Privacy Officer responsibilities and ensure regulatory compliance.

Skills

Benefits administration

Leadership

Data analytics

Vendor management

Communication

Public sector knowledge

Union/collective bargaining experience

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

HRIS

Payroll integration

RFP / procurement

Job description

The Employee Benefits and Wellness Manager serves as a strategic leader and subject matter expert responsible for the design, execution, compliance, and financial sustainability of the City's comprehensive health, welfare, and wellness programs. This role blends long-term strategic vision with high-volume operational excellence, leveraging data analytics to optimize plan performance, control costs, and maintain competitive offerings that meet the diverse needs of the City's workforce.

The Manager will oversee critical vendor partnerships, drive the end-to-end Request for Proposal (RFP) process, and act as a key contributor during labor relations negotiations. As a trusted advocate for our employee population, the Employee Benefits and Wellness Manager will lead, coach, and mentor a dedicated team of benefits professionals, fostering a culture of accountability and service excellence while ensuring regulatory compliance as the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer and Plan Administrator.

Strategic Leadership & Financial Planning

• Develops and executes a long-term robust benefits strategy that leverages data to inform recommendations, implements enhancements, and ensures programs remain competitive and aligned with the City's needs.
• Designs and implements strategies to minimize plan cost increases over time while ensuring high-quality coverage for employees and dependents.
• Serves as the internal subject matter expert (SME) on benefits strategy, plan administration, and cost implications in support of collective bargaining, labor relations, and management decision-making.

Compliance, Risk & Policy Management

• Oversees budget management, ACA and state reporting requirements, nondiscrimination testing, regulatory compliance, dependent verification and auditing to mitigate plan risk.
• Serves as the designated HIPAA Privacy Officer and primary authority on benefits-related public records requests.

Vendor & Contract Management

• Drives the end-to-end Request for Proposal (RFP) process for health and welfare benefits, from initial scoping through final vendor selection.
• Oversees critical partnerships with third-party advisors, consultants, and benefit providers.
• Leads contract negotiations with third-party administrators (TPAs) and vendors to maximize value and compliance.

Operations, Data & Analytics

• Establishes and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) for plan performance, vendor service levels, employee engagement, affordability, and operational accuracy.
• Monitors market trends, claims data and benchmarking to inform future planning strategies.
• Identifies and resolves complex administrative issues related to benefits plans, legacy errors, and system configuration challenges.
• Develops and maintains standard operating procedures (SOPs), data validation routines, and audit trails to proactively identify and resolve process inefficiencies.
• Manages high-volume operational processes, including open enrollment and life events.

Communications & Customer Service

• Oversees the employee benefits service model to ensure timely issue resolution, high-quality customer service, and user-friendly processes.
• Develops and executes a year-round benefits communication and engagement strategy, including open enrollment and education campaigns, decision-support resources, and targeted outreach to diverse employee populations.

Team Leadership

• Develops, coaches, and mentors a team of benefits professionals, fostering a culture of service excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

• 7 to 10+ years of progressive experience in benefits administration, with at least 3 to 5 years in a leadership or management role.
• Experience in self-funded medical plans, pharmacy, and plan financing.
• Knowledge of public-sector benefits environment.
• Experience supporting unionized workforces / collective bargaining.
• Strong working knowledge of ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, Section 125, Medicare coordination, nondiscrimination testing, and relevant state requirements.
• Experience with RFPs, procurement, and vendor management.
• Experience with benefits administration systems and payroll integration.
• Ability to translate technical benefits issues for executives, employees, and labor stakeholders.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Plan Design
• Financial Acumen
• Vendor Management and Negotiation
• Compliance and Risk Management
• People Development
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Communication and Change Management

Possession of a bachelor's degree and five (5) years of experience in the administration of employee benefits, liability insurance, public finance, or employee safety and health programs. Substitution(s): A master's degree in business administration, public administration, finance, public finance, economics, or a related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience as specified.

Possession of a valid driver's license.

Employment Type: Full-Time (Regular)

The City of Columbus is an Equal Opportunity Employer