Assistant Vice President of Employee Benefits and Wellbeing Services

How to Apply

A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience. In the cover letter please let us know how your career aspirations and skills align with this role. Submit both a cover letter and resume as one file (because of system limitations).

Job Summary The Assistant Vice President for Benefits and Well-being Services is a senior University Human Resources leader responsible for setting the long-term strategy and providing executive oversight for the University of Michigan’s employee benefits, behavioral health, and well-being programs. The role oversees nearly $1.6 billion in annual benefit expenditures and programs serving more than 130,000 covered lives.

Reporting to the Vice President for University Human Resources, you will advise university executives, lead the Benefits Administration Office, and provide strategic guidance to MHealthy and Mental Health Counseling and Consultation services, including the Office of Counseling and Workplace Resilience (OCWR) and the Faculty and Staff Counseling and Consultation Office (FASCCO). You will ensure that benefits and well-being programs are financially sustainable, compliant, innovative, integrated, and aligned with institutional priorities.

Responsibilities*

• Establish and execute the long-term strategy for health, dental, retirement, prescription drug, behavioral health, and well-being plans and programs.
• Advise university executive leadership and governance committees on benefit trends, cost projections, legislative developments, workforce well-being, and strategic risks.
• Provide executive oversight and strategic guidance to the Benefits Administration Office, MHealthy, and Behavioral Health services.
• Lead workforce planning, recruitment, coaching, performance management, professional development, and succession planning for the benefits team.
• Align benefits and well-being priorities and goals with the University Human Resources strategic plan and broader institutional goals.
• Lead organizational change and build clear, consistent, and scalable structures, processes, and service models.
• Direct annual rate negotiations, budget allocations, procurement activities, and vendor contracts totaling more than $1 billion annually.
• Approve benefit plan design, coverage interpretations, eligibility and enrollment policies, administrative procedures, and vendor agreements.
• Maintain relationships with vendors and implementation partners, including oversight of eligibility and enrollment file requirements.
• Partner with Michigan Medicine and other stakeholders on the design and operation of the university’s self-funded health plans.
• Maintain accountability for compliance with federal and state requirements, including HIPAA, ERISA, IRS, COBRA, Department of Labor, CMS, and related regulations.
• Ensure benefit offerings and rates comply with collective bargaining agreements and oversee responses to audits, Freedom of Information Act requests, and subpoenas.
• Be the HIPAA Privacy Delegate for benefits-related operations and guide privacy, security access, and compliance activities across partner teams.
• Lead complex, campus-wide plan implementations, design changes, vendor integrations, enterprise resource planning initiatives, technology enhancements, and artificial intelligence strategies.
• Form and lead cross-functional workgroups responsible for implementing and communicating new products, rates, and plan changes.
• Oversee official plan documents, summary plan descriptions, university-wide benefit publications, training, educational events, and outreach campaigns.
• Represent University Human Resources on key institutional committees and serve as an executive liaison to faculty, staff, retiree, and benefits advisory groups.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources Administration, Business Administration, or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 12+ years related benefit plan management experience including plan implementation and design, systems/enrollment, rate methodology, and RFP development.
• 6+ years formal supervision of employees including workforce planning, recruiting, professional development, performance management, and succession planning.
• Deep knowledge in benefit eligibility and enrollment file requirements to support plans. Expert knowledge of federal, state, and local regulat…