Employee Benefits Operations Director

Acrisure; Illinois; On-site; USD 175,000 - 245,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) plan

HSA/FSA options

Paid time off

Job summary

Acrisure is seeking a strategic Director of Operations, Employee Benefits to lead regional operations and drive client retention, growth, and service excellence. You will shape talent, optimize workflows, and oversee technology-enabled improvements across the department while aligning with regulatory standards and financial goals.

The role emphasizes leadership, collaboration with carriers and internal teams, and delivering a superior client experience in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field.
• Must currently hold an active insurance license.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in the insurance and/or financial services industries.
• Minimum of 5 years of industry related leadership experience in insurance operations, management, or administration.
• Proven record of driving operational excellence and efficiency for dynamic client experiences.
• Experience supporting business development lifecycle.
• Strong motivation and ability to inspire others in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent business and people decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to maintain positive energy under pressure and tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Client Retention: partner to execute retention strategies through talent development and optimized workflows.
• Client Growth: execute cross-functional strategies for optimized placement of business and client experience.
• Culture and talent: promote leadership and talent development within the department.
• Process improvement/technology oversight: identify optimization opportunities and drive digital transformation.
• Customer experience and satisfaction: ensure accessible, user-friendly employee benefits offerings and high NPS.
• Operational excellence: manage processes, resources, and cross-department collaboration to scale and ensure compliance.
• Sustained optimization: adopt new processes/tech and evaluate external vendors for performance.
• Performance Monitoring: track KPIs and analyze data to drive improvements.
• Risk Management: mitigate operational and insurance-related risks and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Financial Partnership: monitor financials, develop models for budgeting and scope.
• M&A: advise on risks and post-acquisition integration to maximize synergies.

Skills

Leadership

Operational excellence

Client relationships

Strategic planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Financial acumen

People management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration

Job description

Summary: The Director of Operations, Employee Benefits reports to the Head of Operations, Central/West and will significantly contribute to the overall health and success of the Region by executing on strategies to retain clients and revenue through the strength of client relationships, delivery of excellent customer service and dynamic client experiences. This role serves as the standard-bearer of Acrisure’s performance culture and client-focused values.

Job Description

Summary: The Director of Operations, Employee Benefits reports to the Head of Operations, Central/West and will significantly contribute to the overall health and success of the Region by executing on strategies to retain clients and revenue through the strength of client relationships, delivery of excellent customer service and dynamic client experiences. This role serves as the standard-bearer of Acrisure’s performance culture and client-focused values.

Scope

This role supports the prioritization and execution of the Regions’s operations and makes sure all employee benefit functions are in sync. This involves developing account management talent and strengthening operational and technological capabilities and efficiencies. The employee benefits department is comprised of accounts that are defined as small group, under 20 lives, middle market business, 20-100 lives, and large group, 100+ lives. The employee benefits department within the Central has an annual revenue budget of $150M+.

Essential Responsibilities

• Client Retention: Partners with the Head of Operations & Client Retention, Growth and Placement to execute on client retention strategies through the development of talent, optimized organizational structure, and utilization and adoption of automation, technology and efficient and consistent workflows.
• Client Growth: Helps execute cross-functional strategies to ensure optimized placement of business and delivering a total client experience of solutions based on a deep foundation of technology, client insights and analytics.
• Culture and talent: Champions, models, and propagates exceptional leadership with a focus of employee and client-centricity throughout the employee benefits department. This involves promoting professional growth, identifying talent gaps, and implementing strategies for talent acquisition and retention. Coordinates with key leadership, stakeholders, and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to implement training and mentorship opportunities to attract and retain talent.
• Process improvement/technology oversight: Identify opportunities for process optimization, automation, and ways to leverage technology and innovation to enhance operational efficiency and scalability. Support the implementation of designed client experience workstreams to ensure client experience is consistent and aligned across the division. Adopt and leverage solutions and drive digital transformation initiatives to maximize client and Company outcomes through Acrisure’s data and insights.
• Customer experience and satisfaction: Accountable for ensuring that the division’s employee benefits offerings are accessible, user-friendly, and dependable. This involves creating winning experiences for our teams, translating to wins for our clients. Ensures a high level of Net Promoter Score (NPS) feedback on client services. Drives “white” glove experiences throughout the client journey.
• Operational excellence: Manage operational activities, ensure efficient processes, resource allocation and adherence to established policies and procedures. Acts as a liaison between the insurance carriers, underwriting, product, client, finance, and accounting functions to ensure that solutions, systems, and processes can scale effectively and handle growth while maintaining outstanding service quality and meeting regulatory standards. This requires business needs to be in sync and aligned with the employee benefits growth and premium placement teams strategies and initiatives. Collaborate with other departments (HR, IT, Finance, etc.) to design and continuously improve operations in ways that are scalable with high quality control that support the division’s success.
• Sustained optimization: Contributes to building and/or adopting processes to launch new processes and technologies, providing consistent feedback and support for product launches, new features, and regulatory requirements. This also involves working closely with cross-functional leaders to evaluate external vendors to promote strong partnerships and performance from these engagements.
• Performance Monitoring: Monitor and share performance metrics, key performance indicators (KPIs), and operational targets, regularly monitoring and analyzing performance data to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions as needed.
• Risk Management: Inform and implements strategies and protocols to mitigate operational and insurance-related risks across the employee benefits department, working closely with the of the division and department leaders to ensure robust processes and controls as well as Ensuring compliance with industry regulations and best practices.
• Financial Partnership: Monitor financial performance, identifying variances and providing reports and recommendations to address any discrepancies. Develop financial models and scenarios to inform budgeting decisions and ensure the organization remains within financial limits.
• M&A: Alongside other functional areas, provides strategic guidance and recommendations to divisional leadership on M&A risks and supporting post-acquisition integration efforts to maximize synergies and achieve the strategic objectives sought in the acquisition.

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field
• Must currently hold an active insurance license
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in the insurance and/or financial services industries
• Minimum of 5 years of industry related leadership experience in insurance operations, insurance management, and/or insurance administration
• Proven record of driving operational excellence and efficiency in service of dynamic client experiences
• Experience supporting business development lifecycle.
• Self-motivating and has the ability to motivate others to achieve and excel in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Excellent business and people decision-making skills and problem-solving abilities
• Model positive energy and handle stress in the face of challenges, deadlines, and aggressive financial commitments.
• Excellent leadership and coaching ability
• Deep understanding of markets, clients, and competitors
• Adept at cultivating and growing productive, long-term customer relationships.

Travel

Up to 40% of time required.

Pay Details

The base compensation range for this position is $175,000 - $245,000. This range reflects Acrisure's good faith estimate at the time of this posting. Placement within the range will be based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to skills, experience, qualifications, location, and internal equity.

Candidates should be comfortable with an on-site presence to support collaboration, team leadership, and cross-functional partnership.

Why Join Us

At Acrisure, we’re building more than a business, we’re building a community where people can grow, thrive, and make an impact. Our benefits are designed to support every dimension of your life, from your health and finances to your family and future.

Making a lasting impact on the communities it serves, Acrisure has pledged more than $22 million through its partnerships with Corewell Health Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, UPMC Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, New York.

Employee Benefits

We also offer our employees a comprehensive suite of benefits and perks, including:

• Physical Wellness: Comprehensive medical insurance, dental insurance, and vision insurance; life and disability insurance; fertility benefits; wellness resources; and paid sick time.
• Mental Wellness: Generous paid time off and holidays; Employee Assistance Program (EAP); and a complimentary Calm app subscription.
• Financial Wellness: Immediate vesting in a 401(k) plan; Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options; commuter benefits; and employee discount programs.
• Family Care: Paid maternity leave and paid paternity leave (including for adoptive parents); legal plan options; and pet insurance coverage.
• … and so much more!

This list is not exhaustive of all available benefits. Eligibility and waiting periods may apply to certain offerings. Benefits may vary based on subsidiary entity and geographic location.

Acrisure is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. Applicants may request reasonable accommodation by contacting [e-mail].

California Residents

Learn more about our privacy practices for applicants by visiting the Acrisure California Applicant Privacy Policy.

Final candidates will be required to complete post-offer verification processes related to the role and in accordance with applicable laws.