Benefits and Well-being Director - Hybrid

Make a Meaningful Impact on Employee Well-being

At The Cigna Group, we believe benefits are more than programs. They are a powerful way to support employee health, financial security, and overall well-being. As Benefits Director, you will lead the strategy, evolution, and delivery of a complex benefits portfolio that serves a diverse workforce. This is a highly visible leadership role where you will influence enterprise decisions, shape the future of benefits, and help create an exceptional employee experience.

Reporting to the Head of Global Benefits and Well-being, you will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, drive strategic initiatives, and lead a high-performing team while delivering measurable business and workforce outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the design, administration, and execution of health, welfare, and time away programs.

• Partner with the Head of Global Benefits and Well-being to develop and execute a multi-year benefits strategy that aligns with enterprise, workforce, and talent priorities.

• Lead a complex health, welfare, and time away portfolio, ensuring programs remain competitive, effective, compliant, and aligned with employee needs.

• Evaluate program performance using financial, utilization, market, and employee experience data to identify opportunities, improve outcomes, and optimize investments.

• Build business cases and recommendations that balance employee experience, affordability, operational effectiveness, and risk management.

• Partner with Legal, HR, Operations, and business leaders to guide benefits strategy, investment decisions, and governance.

• Partner with internal business and product teams to identify, assess, and scale pilots and new solutions aligned with the benefits strategy and workforce needs.

• Drive innovation by assessing emerging trends, technologies, and solutions that enhance employee well-being and organizational performance.

• Lead benefits-related activities associated with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other enterprise transformations.

• Oversee annual enrollment strategy and execution, ensuring operational readiness, effective communications, and a seamless employee experience.

• Establish and manage vendor partnerships, including selection, contracting, performance management, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Ensure compliance with applicable benefits regulations and requirements while proactively addressing evolving risks.

• Lead executive, Board, and governance reporting, translating complex information into clear business insights and recommendations.

• Develop and execute benefit communication strategies that help employees understand and maximize available programs.

• Lead resolution of complex or high-impact issues, identify root causes, and implement sustainable improvements.

• Build, coach, and develop a high-performing team while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous growth.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in employee benefits, total rewards, or health and welfare programs, including leadership of complex enterprise initiatives.

• Minimum 5 years of experience leading benefits strategy and plan design within a mid-sized to large or complex organization with deep knowledge of U.S. health and welfare programs and working knowledge of global benefits considerations.

• Experience influencing senior leaders and presenting recommendations that drive business decisions.

• Experience supporting global benefits programs, expatriate programs, retiree benefits, mergers and acquisitions, or large-scale benefits transformations.

• Strong expertise in benefits financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and business case development.

• Experience managing benefits vendors, strategic partnerships, and contractual relationships.

• Working knowledge of benefits compliance and regulatory requirements.

• Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity, solve complex challenges, and drive strategic initiatives from concept through execution.

• Proven people leadership experience with a track record of developing high-performing teams.

• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or a related field.

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related discipline.

• CEBS or similar benefits professional certification.

If you will be working at home occasionally or permanently, the internet connection must be obtained through a cable broadband or fiber optic internet service provider with speeds of at least 10Mbps download/5Mbps upload.

About The Cigna Group

Doing something meaningful starts with a simple decision, a commitment to changing lives. At The Cigna Group, we’re dedicated to improving the health and vitality of those we serve. Through our divisions Cigna Healthcare and Evernorth Health Services, we are committed to enhancing the lives of our clients, customers and patients. Join us in driving growth and improving lives.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, age, disability, sex, childbirth (including pregnancy) or related medical conditions including but not limited to lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital or familial status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, citizenship status or any other characteristic protected by applicable equal employment opportunity laws.

If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the online application process, please email [email protected] for assistance.  Please note that this email inbox is dedicated to accommodation requests only and cannot provide application updates or accept resumes.

The Cigna Group has a tobacco-free policy and reserves the right not to hire tobacco/nicotine users in states where that is legally permissible. Candidates in such states who use tobacco/nicotine will not be considered for employment unless they enter a qualifying smoking cessation program prior to the start of their employment. These states include: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Washington State.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with all federal, state and local ordinances.