Sr Director, Benefits and Leave of Absence

Sr Director, Benefits and Leave of Absence Nemours Children’s Health is seeking an experienced Director of Benefits and Leave Administration. Nemours Children’s Health is an internationally recognized children’s health system. With more than 1.7 million patient encounters annually, we provide medical care in five states through two freestanding state‑of‑the‑art children’s hospitals — Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware and Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida. Our pediatric network includes 80 primary, urgent, and specialty care practices and more than 40 hospitalists serving 19 affiliated hospitals. We generate annual revenues of more than $1.7 billion derived from patient services, contributions from the Alfred I. DuPont Trust, as well as other income. As one of the nation's premier pediatric health systems, we’re on a journey to discover better ways of approaching children’s health. Putting as much focus on prevention as cures and working hand in hand with the community to make every child’s world a place to thrive. It’s a journey that extends beyond our nationally recognized clinical treatment to an entire integrated spectrum of research, advocacy, education, and prevention, leading to the healthiest generations of children ever. Essential Functions Strategic Leadership & Governance Develop and steward the enterprise benefits and leave strategy, ensuring alignment with Nemours workforce, financial, and clinical operations strategies. Lead multiyear strategic planning, forecasting, and scenario modeling for benefits and leave programs. Establish and maintain systemwide governance frameworks, policies, and controls that drive consistency, compliance, and risk mitigation across all states and business units. Assess market competitiveness and model long‑range financial impacts to inform executive decision‑making. Executive Influence & Advisory Provide strategic recommendations and insights to the various enterprise‑wide stakeholder leaders on plan design, emerging risks, cost drivers, and workforce implications. Serve as the organizational liaison to external consultants, advisors, and vendor partners for benefits, leave, compliance, and actuarial strategy. Lead enterprise financial planning for benefits and leave: trend analysis, reserve forecasting, risk modeling, cost containment strategies, and ROI evaluation. Drive multivendor optimization strategies that reduce cost, enhance service, and improve associate experience. Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management Oversee enterprise compliance with federal and state regulations (ERISA, FMLA, ADA, ACA, HIPAA, state leave laws, PFML programs, etc.). Anticipate future legislation and proactively design scalable strategies to minimize organizational risk and operational disruption. Partner with Legal, Compliance, and HR Operations to ensure audit readiness and documentation excellence. Operational Excellence & Process Transformation Lead enterprise transformation of benefits and leave operations, including digital modernization, workflow automation, AI/analytics enablement, and experience redesign. Drive continuous improvement using data insights, benchmarking, and service level performance management. Architect tools, job aids, and standardized processes for HRBPs, managers, and associates. Vendor Strategy & Ecosystem Leadership Oversee the enterprise vendor ecosystem, including medical, pharmacy, dental, disability, LOA partners, stop‑loss, actuarial advisers, wellness, navigation, and communication vendors. Lead high‑stake vendor negotiations and RFPs that materially impact enterprise cost, service quality, and risk posture. Ensure vendors meet contractual SLAs, performance guarantees, and compliance standards. Lead enterprise communication strategy for benefits and leave, ensuring clarity, transparency, and accessibility for all associates across diverse roles, states, and work environments. Partner with Communications to develop compelling, multichannel content that enhances understanding and engagement. Act as an enterprise leader for large‑scale change initiatives affecting benefits or leave programs. Leadership & Organizational Development Lead, develop, and mentor a multistate team of benefits and leave professionals, building future bench strength and fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and service excellence. Model and reinforce Nemours values while promoting inclusion, belonging, and psychological safety. Requirements Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Mathematics, Accounting, Finance, or related field required Master’s degree or professional certifications (CEBS, CBP) Experience in healthcare or large, multi‑site organizations 10+ years of progressive experience in benefits, leave administration, or Total Rewards administration and leadership, including experience in large, complex, multistate organizations Proven experience leading enterprise benefits and leave of absence programs with significant financial and operational impact Demonstrated history of influencing executive leaders and driving system level outcomes Experience overseeing vendor ecosystems and complex administrative and governance cycles at the enterprise level Strong knowledge of federal and state regulations governing benefits and leave Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Office applications #J-18808-Ljbffr