Retirement Benefits Administrator Sr

Ardent Health is a leading provider of healthcare in growing mid-sized urban communities across the U.S. With a focus on people and investments in innovative services and technologies, Ardent is passionate about making healthcare better and easier to access. Through its subsidiaries, Ardent delivers care through a system of 30 acute care hospitals, 24,000+ team members and more than 280 sites of care with over 1,800 affiliated providers across six states.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Retirement Benefits Administrator serves as a subject matter expert for the organization's qualified and nonqualified retirement programs, including the 401(k) Plan and Deferred Compensation Plan. This role is responsible for the strategic administration, governance, compliance, and operational execution of retirement benefit programs while ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements, organizational objectives, and industry best practices. The incumbent collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to navigate the complexities of retirement plan administration, fiduciary oversight, compliance monitoring, participant education, financial reporting, and vendor management.

This position requires advanced knowledge of ERISA, IRS, Department of Labor regulations, deferred compensation regulations under Internal Revenue Code Section 409A, and retirement industry trends impacting plan design and administration.

1. Serves as the organization's retirement plan subject matter expert, providing guidance on complex regulatory, operational, and administrative issues affecting qualified and nonqualified retirement plans.
2. Ensures ongoing compliance with ERISA, IRS, Department of Labor, and other applicable federal regulations governing retirement and deferred compensation plans.
3. Oversees plan governance activities in conjunction with external financial advisor, including coordination of fiduciary committee meetings, documentation and execution of decisions, and monitoring fiduciary responsibilities.
4. Partners with legal counsel, auditors, actuaries, recordkeepers, and consultants to resolve complex retirement plan compliance and operational issues.
5. Monitors plan performance metrics, operational controls, and participant engagement trends to identify opportunities for enhancement and improved participant outcomes.
6. Leads retirement plan projects, including plan amendments, vendor transitions, system implementations, mergers and acquisitions integration activities, and regulatory compliance initiatives.
7. Consults with senior leadership on retirement benefit strategy, plan design considerations, and emerging trends within the retirement industry.
8. Supports analysis of retirement plan data to identify compliance risks, operational discrepancies, and opportunities for process optimization.
9. Develops comprehensive participant communication and education strategies to improve retirement readiness and engagement with retirement and deferred compensation programs.
10. Oversees correction procedures related to plan operational failures and ensure timely resolution in accordance with applicable regulatory correction programs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, or related field.
• 7 years of progressive experience administering qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, including 401(k), 403(b), pension, and deferred compensation plans.
• Demonstrated experience interpreting and applying ERISA, IRS, Department of Labor, and Section 409A regulations.
• Experience supporting/ managing retirement plan audits, Form 5500 preparation, compliance testing, fiduciary governance, and plan administration processes.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen with the ability to interpret complex plan documents, regulations, calculations, and reporting requirements.
• Experience managing relationships with recordkeepers, trustees, investment advisors, auditors, consultants, and legal counsel.
• Advanced proficiency with HRIS, payroll systems, retirement administration platforms, and data analytics tools. Workday HRIS experience is highly desirable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience administering executive deferred compensation plans and non-qualified retirement arrangements.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and process improvement initiatives, to include system transformation and process improvements.