Director, Benefits & Leaves of Absence

Director Of Benefits & Leaves Of Absence

Medica is a nonprofit health plan with more than a million members that serves communities in Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri, and beyond. We deliver personalized health care experiences and partner closely with providers to ensure members are genuinely cared for.

We're a team that owns our work with accountability, makes data-driven decisions, embraces continuous learning, and celebrates collaboration because success is a team sport. It's our mission to be there in the moments that matter most for our members and employees. Join us in creating a community of connected care, where coordinated, quality service is the norm, and every member feels valued.

The Director of Benefits & Leaves of Absence provides enterprise-wide strategic leadership, governance, and operational oversight for Medica's employee benefit programs and leave of absence portfolio. This role is accountable for ensuring benefit and leave strategies are competitive, financially sustainable, compliant, and aligned with Medica's business and workforce strategy.

The Director serves as Medica's senior subject-matter expert and fiduciary partner on health & welfare benefits and statutory and company-sponsored leave programs. The role leads cross-functional collaboration with HR, Finance, Legal, Procurement, and external partners to deliver an exceptional, employee-centered experience, while ensuring regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and operational excellence.

Key Accountabilities

• Enterprise Benefits Strategy & Program Governance
• Establish and own Medica's enterprise benefits strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives, workforce needs, and financial targets
• Lead benefit plan design decisions to balance competitiveness, cost management, employee value, and wellbeing outcomes
• Partner with consultants to assess market trends, innovation opportunities, pricing, and benchmarking
• Oversee analysis of claims data, utilization patterns, and vendor performance to inform strategic recommendations
• Provide executive-level guidance and recommendations for annual renewals, open enrollment strategy, and plan changes
• Champion integration of wellbeing, financial wellness, and total rewards initiatives across the enterprise
• Leaves of Absence Strategy & Program Management
• Provide end-to-end strategic leadership for all leave of absence programs, including FMLA, state paid family and medical leave, disability, parental, and company-sponsored leaves
• Ensure consistent, compliant, and equitable application of leave policies across the organization
• Lead implementation and optimization of new or amended statutory leave programs
• Serve as Medica's enterprise authority on leave policy interpretation, complex cases, and escalation
• Partner with Employee Relations, HRBPs, and Legal to mitigate risk and support employee outcomes
• Compliance, Fiduciary Oversight & Risk Management
• Ensure full compliance with ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, IRS regulations, and applicable federal and state leave laws
• Oversee governance activities including Form 5500 filings, audits, SPDs/SBCs, plan documents, and policy updates
• Monitor legislative and regulatory changes; proactively assess impacts and lead required program or policy changes
• Partner with Legal and Finance to manage fiduciary risk, audits, and regulatory inquiries
• Establish and maintain strong internal controls, documentation standards, and compliance processes
• Vendor, Stakeholder, Financial & Systems Leadership
• Provide strategic oversight of relationships with carriers, brokers, third-party administrators, and technology partners
• Lead or oversee RFPs, vendor selection, contract negotiations, and service-level agreements in partnership with Procurement
• Hold vendors accountable for performance, service delivery, and continuous improvement
• Oversee benefit program financial management, including wage replacement, premium deductions, benefit continuation, and vendor fees
• Ensure benefits and leave systems are optimized, scalable, and integrated to support reporting, compliance, and employee experience
• Leadership & Employee Experience
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing benefits and leave team; establish clear expectations, performance standards, and career development pathways
• Establish performance standards, workflows, and a culture of service excellence
• Partner with and provide executive-level consultation and guidance to HRBPs and people leaders throughout the enterprise
• Ensure delivery of clear, accessible, and effective benefit and leave communications across multiple channels
• Champion initiatives that enhance employee understanding, engagement, and satisfaction with benefits and leave programs

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field
• 8+ years of benefits administration experience
• 5+ years of leadership experience
• Leaves of Absence experience required

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of benefits laws and compliance, vendor management, analytical skills
• Strong knowledge of leave laws and best practices
• CEBS, SHRM-CP/SCP or similar certifications

This position is an Office role, which requires an employee to work onsite, on average, 3 days per week. We are open to candidates located near one of the following office locations: Minnetonka, MN or Madison, WI.

The full salary grade for this position is $130,300-$223,400. While the full salary grade is provided, the typical hiring salary range for this role is expected to be between $130,300-$195,510. Annual salary range placement will depend on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, education, work experience, applicable certifications and/or licensure, the position's scope and responsibility, internal pay equity and external market salary data. In addition to base compensation, this position may be eligible for incentive plan compensation in addition to base salary. Medica offers a generous total rewards package that includes competitive medical, dental, vision, PTO, Holidays, paid volunteer time off, 401K contributions, caregiver services and many other benefits to support our employees.

The compensation and benefits information is provided as of the date of this posting. Medica's compensation and benefits are subject to change at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law.

Eligibility to work in the US: Medica does not offer work visa sponsorship for this role. All candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. Employment is contingent on verification of identity and eligibility to work in the United States.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer, where all qualified candidates receive consideration for employment indiscriminate of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.