Strategic Benefits Program Manager – Retirement & Financial Wellness

Job Description

Strategic Benefits Program Manager – Retirement & Financial Wellness Portfolio | University of Utah

The Tone:
This is a full-time, regular role at the University of Utah, located in Salt Lake City, UT, with a hybrid work setup. The University of Utah Health is a patient-focused organization that enhances health and well-being through patient care, research, and education, and is nationally recognized for its academic research and patient experience. This role is crucial for managing and enhancing the university’s benefits program portfolios, specifically focusing on retirement and financial wellness, ensuring they align with organizational strategy and support employee needs effectively.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Regular, Day (8am – 4:30PM)
• Location: Hybrid – USA (Utah) – Salt Lake City

• Team: Benefits Center of Excellence, within HR Benefits
• Mission: Owns the design, governance, and effective delivery of assigned benefit programs, specifically retirement and financial wellness, to align with organizational strategy and employee needs.
• Tech Stack: Workday, PeopleSoft

What You’ll Actually Do
• Manage assigned benefit program portfolios, including retirement, financial wellness, time away from work, life, and disability, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy and employee needs.
• Evaluate program effectiveness, vendor performance, employee experience, and cost implications through benchmarking, gap analysis, and research.
• Translate benefits strategy into program design, policy, operational alignment, vendor coordination, and communication, serving as a primary Benefits Center of Excellence liaison to Shared Services.
• Coordinate vendor, broker, and consultant interactions for assigned programs, including performance evaluation and implementation support.
• Own policy, procedures, and compliance governance for assigned programs, while also leading cross-functional benefit projects and change initiatives.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Health Administration, Public Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience: Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in employee benefits or benefits consulting, with a focus on supporting or managing program design, vendor coordination, policy interpretation, or compliance activities.
• Skills: Advanced knowledge of employee benefits programs and plan design, strong understanding of retirement and financial wellness programs, expertise in benefits regulations (e.g., ERISA, ACA, IRS, DOL, HIPAA), and proven vendor and project management skills.
• Bonus: Experience in a large healthcare system, academic medical center, university, or complex matrixed organization, familiarity with Workday or PeopleSoft, and professional certifications such as CEBS, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR/SPHR, or project management certification.