Director of Benefits

Houston, Texas (Hybrid)
Salary: $160,000–$200,000
Relocation Assistance Available

A nationally recognized healthcare organization is seeking an experienced Director of Benefits to lead the strategy, design, administration, and continuous improvement of enterprise-wide employee benefits programs. This executive leadership role is ideal for a seasoned benefits professional with extensive experience in an acute care healthcare environment who is passionate about creating competitive total rewards programs that attract and retain top talent while ensuring regulatory compliance and operational excellence.

This is a hybrid leadership opportunity based in Houston, Texas. Candidates must be willing to relocate to the Houston area.

Position Overview

The Director of Benefits will oversee the organization's comprehensive benefits strategy, including health and welfare plans, retirement programs, wellness initiatives, and regulatory compliance. Working closely with executive Human Resources leadership, this individual will develop innovative benefit offerings, manage vendor relationships, optimize program performance, and lead a high-performing benefits team.

The ideal candidate brings a strong combination of strategic leadership, technical benefits expertise, compliance knowledge, and experience supporting a large, complex acute care health system.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and oversee comprehensive employee benefits programs that support organizational goals while remaining cost-effective and competitive.
• Lead the administration of health and welfare plans, retirement plans, wellness initiatives, disability programs, life insurance, voluntary benefits, and leave programs.
• Partner with executive HR leadership to develop and execute an integrated Total Rewards strategy.
• Ensure full compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations, including ERISA, IRS, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, and healthcare reform requirements.
• Direct all benefits operations, including program implementation, policy development, communications, vendor management, and continuous process improvement.
• Manage relationships with consultants, brokers, actuaries, trustees, and third-party administrators.
• Collaborate with HRIS and Information Systems teams to enhance benefits technology, enrollment platforms, reporting capabilities, and employee self-service tools.
• Develop metrics and reporting to evaluate benefit program effectiveness, utilization, and return on investment.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex employee benefits issues while driving service excellence across the HR organization.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of benefits professionals in a collaborative, high-performance environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Human Resources, or a related field required.
• Master's degree preferred.
• Professional certification such as CEBS, CBP, or other HR-related credentials is preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive benefits leadership experience managing complex employee benefits programs.
• Acute care hospital or integrated healthcare system experience is required.
• Experience designing, implementing, and administering:
  • Health and welfare plans
  • Pension plans
  • 401(k) and 403(b) retirement programs
  • Non-qualified retirement plans
  • Life and AD&D insurance
  • Short-term disability and voluntary benefit programs
• Strong knowledge of ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, IRS regulations, and healthcare reform legislation.
• Experience working with HRIS platforms and benefits administration systems.
• Proven success leading teams, managing multiple priorities, and driving organizational change.
• Strong analytical, communication, and relationship-building skills.

Preferred Experience

• Benefits leadership within a large, multi-hospital health system or complex healthcare organization.
• Wellness program strategy and implementation.
• Vendor negotiation and performance management.
• Benefits analytics, reporting, and ROI measurement.
• Continuous process improvement and automation initiatives.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary of $160,000–$200,000
• Hybrid work environment
• Relocation assistance available
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Opportunity to lead enterprise-wide benefits strategy for a highly respected healthcare organization

If you're an accomplished benefits executive with deep healthcare experience and a passion for developing innovative Total Rewards programs, we'd welcome the opportunity to discuss this confidential leadership opportunity with you.