Senior Benefits Consultant, National Accounts

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

The Senior Consultant will be primarily responsible for:

• Client satisfaction, overall service delivery and relationship management,
• Develop and present innovative and customized strategy solutions that optimize complex client’s benefit programs and services
• Support of business development opportunities
• Mentoring Consultants and Associate Consultants

This includes vendor management for Health & Welfare vendors, leveraging data and analytics to develop short and long-term strategies, identification of actionable cost containment and quality improvement solutions, procurement project management, RFP management and implementation of vendors, products and services, and measurement and reporting on program outcomes.

Strategy Development Functions

• Support development and execution benefit program strategic initiatives for large, self-funded, complex clients
• Develop and implement cost containment strategies for medical, prescription drug and disability programs
• Evaluate services to optimize claim and utilization trends across the employee benefit ecosystem
• Conduct opportunity analysis to identify critical strategic initiatives
• Organize, develop content, and facilitate meetings with clients
• Communicate industry trends, benchmarks, emerging products and innovative vendors to clients
• Evaluate new vendors for client consideration
• Contribute to the process improvement and development of new internal strategic initiatives by ongoing collaboration with team members
• Evaluate emerging local, state, and federal legislative changes to identify and advise clients of potential impact to their organization

Client Management Functions

• Serve as lead relationship manager and primary contact for clients and their respective vendors
• Act as project manager for all client initiatives, compliance deadlines, communication and annual benefit program deliverables
• Work with the client and actuarial teams to ensure all client deliverables are executed timely and accurately
• Develop and manage the annual calendar of key milestones and compliance deadlines
• Proactively communicate relevant local, state, and federal regulatory updates along with steps for adherence and potential collaboration with client’s vendors to ensure compliance
• Ongoing review and negotiation of vendor contracts and renewals
• Ongoing review of plan documents, summary plan descriptions and SBCs (Summary of Benefits and Coverage)
• Project management, procurement and implementation for benefit programs including but not limited to preparation, management, analysis, and subsequent presentation of all Request for Proposals for self-funded and fully insured benefit programs
• Analyze health and welfare benefit plans through competitive benchmarking and valuation modeling
• Manage escalated claim issue resolution
• Oversee 5500 filings
• Assist in proofing, managing and delivering communication materials for annual enrollment and/or benefit related activities
• Maintain key documents and data in corporate files
• Perform special projects as assigned
• Present financial reports or other analyses, as needed
• Determine client report content with Client Team

New Business Development

• Participate in new business activities, including assessment strategy development and meetings as requested
• Participate in development of strategic ideas and initiatives to leverage in new business activities
• Attend industry conferences

Personal and Organizational Development

• Set priorities and manage workflow for self to ensure all goals are met
• Interact with others effectively utilizing superior communication skills, impactful collaboration, and providing information and guidance as needed to achieve the business goals of the Company
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of the employee group benefits industry, emerging marketplace product/program developments, legislation, and technology
• Project a professional image in action and appearance

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent educational training or business experience
• 10+ years of experience, preferably in the insurance/employee benefits/HR area
• In-depth experience and knowledge of the Health & Welfare Industry, including but not limited to self-funded medical plans, carve-out prescription drug programs, self-fund dental, self-funded vision, absence management, and disability programs, life insurance, health improvement programs and tax advantaged accounts
• Experience managing large (2,000+ employees), self-funded group Health & Welfare clients in a consulting or brokerage environment
• Experience with full-cycle Request for Proposal process
• Experience designing cost-effective benefit's plans for clients
• Experience with implementing Health and Welfare benefit plans on behalf of clients or employee populations
• Insurance licensing or ability to obtain licensing after employment

KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Superior oral, written and interpersonal communication skills
• Superior problem-solving skills
• Able to adapt and work well with ambiguity
• Ability to create and execute project plans
• Personal sense of accountability
• Comfortable with completing and presenting data analysis for Health & Welfare plans
• Strong analytic skills with understanding of underwriting and self-funded plan financials
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to concurrently manage multiple client projects and work assignments under aggressive timeframes
• Entrepreneurial attitude
• Willing to be a part of a team unit and cooperate in the accomplishment of organizational goals and objectives
• Detail-oriented and self-directed worker
• Creativity and flexibility are required. EPIC is a dynamic environment and requires a candidate that is comfortable facing new challenges.
• Microsoft Office Suite experience including large data sets
• Able to effectively interface with internal and external customers including executive level contacts
• Able to handle confidential information with maximum discretion
• Able to understand business principles and apply them accordingly
• High-touch client orientation
• Open and willing to receive and give constructive critique
• Able to train/coach and counsel others and provide peer review
• Approach projects in a financially responsible and resourceful manner
• Knowledge of federal and state regulations

Special Requirements

• Flexible to work outside normal working hours
• Travel (as needed); overnight stay required