Strategic Benefits Program Manager

Job Description

Strategic Benefits Program Manager – Health & Welfare Portfolio | University of Utah

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at University of Utah Health, with a hybrid work setup in Salt Lake City, Utah. University of Utah Health is a patient-focused organization dedicated to enhancing the health and well-being of people through patient care, research, and education. This role is crucial for managing and optimizing the organization’s strategic health and welfare benefits programs, ensuring they align with organizational goals and effectively support employee needs and experience. Success in this position requires a commitment to collaboration, excellence, and respect within a complex healthcare and academic environment.

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

• Team: Benefits Center of Excellence, liaising with Shared Services
• Mission: Ensures benefit programs are designed, governed, and delivered effectively for University of Utah Health employees.
• Tech Stack: Workday, PeopleSoft

What You’ll Actually Do
• Manage assigned health and welfare benefit program portfolios, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy and employee needs.
• Evaluate program effectiveness, vendor performance, employee experience, and cost implications through benchmarking and analysis.
• Design and manage health and welfare programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary plans, leading plan design strategy.
• Own policy, procedures, and compliance governance for assigned programs, translating strategy into operational requirements.
• Lead cross-functional benefit projects and change initiatives, including supporting open enrollment strategy and employee engagement.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Health Administration, Public Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Experience: Minimum eight years of progressively responsible experience in employee benefits or benefits consulting, including supporting or managing program design, vendor coordination, policy interpretation, compliance activities, or large-scale benefits initiatives. Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders including Shared Services, HRIS, Payroll, Finance, Legal, Communications, and external vendors or consultants.
• Skills: Advanced knowledge of employee benefits programs and plan design, strong understanding of health & welfare programs, and knowledge of benefits regulations and compliance requirements (e.g., ERISA, ACA, IRS, DOL, HIPAA). Strong vendor management, project management, analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with an ability to influence across a matrixed organization.
• Bonus: Experience in a large healthcare system, academic medical center, university, or complex matrixed organization. Experience in a Benefits Center of Expertise or Shared Services model. Experience supporting open enrollment strategy, benefits platforms, vendor transitions, or RFP processes. Familiarity with systems such as Workday or PeopleSoft. Professional certifications such as CEBS, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR/SPHR, or project management certification. Experience preparing executive-level presentations, business cases, and implementation roadmaps.