Senior Health and Welfare Benefits Consultant

Mass General Brigham (Enterprise Services)
United States, Massachusetts, Somerville
399 Revolution Drive (Show on map)
Jan 01, 2025
The Role The Sr. Health & Welfare Benefits Consultant must have deep subject matter expertise in health and welfare employee benefit programs; specialization in certain areas (e.g., pharmacy, well-being, compliance, union negotiations/labor strategy) is ideal but not required. The individual will work in the Benefits Center of Excellence (COE) as part of a team of consultants who lead and/or participate in strategic initiatives to ensure continuous innovation and improvement so that our benefits effectively meet the needs of our diverse workforce. In addition, the individual will support complex cases that are escalated to the COE for resolution. The ideal candidate will find engagement and professional satisfaction by simultaneously working on strategic initiatives and helping research and resolve escalated employee issues. Principal Duties and Responsibilities Through collaborative partnerships with team members, vendors, consultants and other stakeholders: * Participate in developing and implementing innovative health and welfare benefit programs that align with the company's strategic goals and objectives. * Conduct market research and benchmarking to identify best practices and emerging health and welfare benefits trends. * Collaborate with internal stakeholders to design benefit plans that meet the diverse needs of employees while ensuring cost-effectiveness. * Analyze and interpret financial and enrollment data related to health and welfare benefit programs to identify trends and cost-saving opportunities and ensure financial sustainability. * Support the development of self-insured working rates and employee contributions. * Conduct ad hoc analysis to evaluate the impact of potential program changes and build actionable business cases. * Develop comprehensive change management plans that outline the timeline, resources, and key milestones to ensure all stakeholders are aligned and informed throughout the process. * Design and implement communication strategies to clearly inform all relevant parties about the changes, their benefits, and expected outcomes. * Apply understanding of compliance topics to program work and continuously seek information about industry, market, and regulations to inform recommendations and business decisions. * Partner with vendors, as appropriate, to monitor and address performance issues and to influence design and operational improvements. * Manage complex escalations requiring interpretation of plan designs and contracts. * Support the resolution of escalated employee issues by researching and providing solutions in collaboration with HR Operations and vendors. * Partner with HR Operations, as needed, to ensure effective and timely handling of Health and Welfare benefit operations (e.g., vendor file processing and bill payment process are accurate). * Collaborate with internal stakeholders to support union negotiations and/or labor strategy discussions. Minimum Qualifications Six (6) or more years of experience working with Employee Benefits, focusing on strategy, design, and analysis of programs. Preferred Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, Health Management, Human Resources or other related field Experience with Workday Experience working with a data warehouse Skills/Abilities/Competencies Strong detail orientation and project management skills. A combination of strategic thinking and action orientation, making incremental progress now while staying focused on the long-term strategy, is critical. Excellent communication skills, both written and oral. Ability to effectively communicate technical information at a level appropriate for the audience. Strong analytical capabilities, including advanced skills in Excel. Experience interpreting the data and "telling a story." Demonstrable track record of dealing well with ambiguity, prioritizing needs, and delivering results in a dynamic environment. Proficiency in Microsoft Office. Additional_Job_Description Mass General Brigham Incorporated is an Equal Opportunity Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.