Director, Benefits & Leaves of Absence

About the role

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.

Responsibilities

• 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

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

Location

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.

Compensation

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.

Benefits

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.