As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, diversity, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission. EO/AA

The Director of Benefits leads the strategy and execution of UUHC’s benefits programs, translating enterprise objectives into benefit designs and operations that support workforce engagement and organizational performance. This role blends strategic thinking with operational oversight—leading listening campaigns to assess employee needs, reviewing analysis to refine programs, and ensuring the team has the capability and capacity to implement solutions. The Director is also responsible for daily operations, continuous improvement efforts, communication strategies, and the management of contracts, vendors, and the overall benefits ecosystem. This position reports to the Sr. Director of Compensation & Benefit Programs, manages a small team, and does not provide patient care.

Corporate Overview: University of Utah Health is an integrated academic healthcare system with five hospitals including a level 1 trauma center, eleven community health centers, over 1,600 providers, and a health plan serving over 200,000 members. University of Utah Health is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. In addition to our clinical delivery system, we have a School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, and College of Health providing education and training for over 1,250 providers annually. We have over 2 million patient visits annually and research grants exceeding $350 million. University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics represents our clinical operations for the larger health system.

• Strategic Alignment & Execution – Translates strategic plans into sustainable operational benefits programs that align with workforce needs, financial constraints, and organizational goals. Leads multi-year benefits planning, considering evolving market trends, regulatory requirements, and workforce demographics.
• Workforce-Centric Design & Listening Strategy – Leads structured listening campaigns to assess workforce benefits needs, using employee engagement data and utilization analytics to refine offerings. Ensures benefits programs are tailored to diverse workforce segments, including clinical, research, and administrative staff.
• Data-Driven Decision Making & Program Analysis – Oversees exploratory benefits analysis to assess program effectiveness, benchmarks against peer institutions, and integrates financial modeling, risk assessments, and cost projections into benefits strategy.
• Implementation Capability & Capacity – Owns benefits process design, ensuring seamless collaboration across HR COEs and other internal stakeholders. Ensures HRIS and payroll integration for benefits administration and manages organizational readiness for open enrollment, benefits transitions, and compliance audits. Leads cross-functional teams, including Compensation, HR Tech, and Payroll, to ensure efficient benefits delivery.
• Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement – Establishes and enforces benefits administration standards and workflows while championing continuous improvement through employee feedback, operational metrics, and technology advancements. Develops processes that reduce administrative burden while maintaining compliance.
• Proactive Communication & Change Management – Develops a robust, proactive communication approach to educate employees and leaders on benefits programs. Equips managers with resources and training to discuss benefits effectively and leads change management efforts for new benefit rollouts, policy changes, and system transitions.
• Vendor, Contract & Ecosystem Management – Develops and manages vendor strategy, ensuring contracts align with institutional goals. Negotiates benefits plan pricing and service agreements with third-party administrators, insurers, and brokers while overseeing vendor performance monitoring and service-level agreements.
• Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management – Oversees compliance with ACA, IRS, DOL, and state laws, leading internal audits and preparing for regulatory changes. Works with legal, finance, and risk management teams to mitigate benefits-related risks.
• Financial Stewardship & Cost Optimization – Manages multi-million-dollar benefits budgets with a focus on cost containment and affordability for both the institution and employees. Evaluates alternative funding models, such as self-insured plans and stop-loss insurance, to optimize financial efficiency.
• Talent Attraction, Retention & Employee Value Proposition – Ensures benefits contribute to talent attraction and retention by aligning with compensation strategies and supporting total rewards positioning. Integrates compensation, benefits, and well-being programs to enhance the overall employee value proposition.

• Strong working knowledge of laws related to benefit plans and administration.
• Experience in working with legal advisors on plan design, administration, and contractual agreements.

• Responsible for developing, monitoring and achieving budgetary goals.
• Proactively assesses and manages risk associated with employee benefit plans, reporting and accounting, and actuarial advice received from consultant.

• Responsible to provide leadership on project objectives, meeting the operational goals and deliverables for all projects assigned.
• Responsible to manage and resolve any business and/or professional conflicts in a proactive manner
• Provides feedback on employee performance, including appraisals and coaching, when appropriate.

• Demonstrates sound business ethics and professional judgment in navigating complex internal stakeholder relationships, including University-affiliated entities with financial interests in HR benefits programs; ensures that benefits decisions are guided by fiduciary responsibility, employee impact, and organizational integrity.
• Actively engages staff with updates and news as well as involving staff in decisions and work teams.
• Forms positive associations with staff, peers, and senior leadership to support the mission, vision, values, and performance standards of the organization.
• Responsible for upholding PROMISE standards in all internal and external interactions.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Deep expertise in employee benefits design, strategy, and compliance, including ACA, ERISA, IRS, DOL, and state regulations.

• Strong financial acumen and experience managing multi-million-dollar benefits budgets, including forecasting and cost modeling.

• Proven ability to interpret workforce data and translate insights into benefits program design and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Skilled in vendor and contract management, including negotiation, service-level monitoring, and alignment with institutional goals.

• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional projects involving HRIS, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and other enterprise stakeholders.

• Exceptional communication and change management skills; able to craft and deliver clear, compelling benefits messaging for diverse audiences.

• Experience implementing HR technology and benefits platforms with a focus on operational integration and employee experience.

• Strategic thinking with the ability to balance long-term planning with immediate operational needs.

• High ethical standards and sound judgment in navigating internal stakeholder relationships, including those with financial or institutional interests in benefit programs.

• Effective team leadership skills with the ability to develop, mentor, and guide small teams in a dynamic, high-accountability environment.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related area or equivalency.
• Ten years of progressive employee benefits experience and five years in lead or management roles.

Preferred

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• Fifteen years of progressive employee benefits experience and ten years in lead/management roles.
• CEBS, SPHR, CBP or GRP Certification

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.

• This is a sedentary position that may exert up to 10 pounds and may lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. This position involves sitting most of the time and is not exposed to adverse environmental conditions.