Director, Health & Benefits

About the role

The Director, Health & Benefits role at Utz Quality Foods is responsible for shaping the benefits experience for employees across multiple states. The role involves setting and evolving the multi-year health and welfare strategy, owning plan design, leading benefits financials and forecasting, and ensuring enterprise governance and compliance.

Responsibilities

• Set and evolve the multi-year health & welfare strategy aligned to workforce needs, business priorities, and financial goals.
• Own plan design across medical, pharmacy, dental, vision, disability, life, voluntary benefits, and wellness; evaluate new programs and point solutions.
• Lead benefits financials and forecasting (trend analysis, annual budget, multi-year projections) and drive cost-containment initiatives.
• Partner with Finance on self-insured plan performance, stop-loss strategy/recoveries, and premium funding decisions.
• Use claims, utilization, and vendor performance data to identify trends, opportunities, and executive-ready recommendations.
• Ensure enterprise governance and compliance across ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA/state leave, and ADA; steward plan documents, SPDs, notices, and audits in partnership with Legal.
• Lead vendor governance end-to-end, including RFPs, selection, contracting, renewals, and performance management.
• Build a scalable benefits operating model: lead and develop the team, and oversee communications and open enrollment governance.

Requirements

Education: Bachelor’s degree required (Human Resources, Business, Finance, or related field); advanced degree preferred.

Experience: 10+ years of progressive benefits or total rewards leadership, including enterprise strategy and governance. Hands-on experience with self-insured medical plans, stop-loss programs, and multi-year cost forecasting/budgeting. Proven ability to lead vendor strategy (RFPs, selection, contracting, and performance management) and drive outcomes through strong negotiation. Experience leading benefits compliance and risk oversight (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA) in a multi-state environment. Public company experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in benefits strategy, plan design, financial modeling, and vendor governance.
• Executive-level communication and presence; able to translate complex data into clear insights and recommendations.
• Strong analytical capability, including interpreting claims/utilization data and using reporting tools to monitor trends and performance.
• Proven people leadership and change management; ability to build scalable operating models and governance routines.
• High integrity and discretion with sensitive employee, financial, and health information; strong judgment and risk orientation.

Skills & Strengths

• Deep expertise in benefits strategy, plan design, financial modeling, and vendor governance.
• Executive-level communication and presence; able to translate complex data into clear insights and recommendations.
• Strong analytical capability, including interpreting claims/utilization data and using reporting tools to monitor trends and performance.
• Proven people leadership and change management; ability to build scalable operating models and governance routines.
• High integrity and discretion with sensitive employee, financial, and health information; strong judgment and risk orientation.

Benefits

Our full-time benefit package includes medical, dental, and vision plans, an employer match 401k, profit sharing plan, employee stock purchase plan and much more.

Pay

Compensation is commensurate with experience.

Schedule

Full-time position.

External Recruitment Process

Easy Application (5 mins): Introduce yourself and answer a few key questions to get started. Engaging Chat Interview (20-25 mins): Share your experiences in an online chat, highlighting how your values align with ours. Live Interview: Selected candidates will meet with the hiring manager to explore their alignment with the team and overall Utz company culture.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.