Sr Director, Benefits and Leave of Absence
The Nemours Foundation, Jacksonville, FL, United States
Nemours Children’s Health is seeking an experienced Director of Benefits and Leave Administration. This will be a remote position with travel based on organizational need.
Nemours Children’s Health is an internationally recognized children’s health system. With more than 1.7 million patient encounters annually, we provide medical care in five states through two freestanding state‑of‑the‑art children’s hospitals — Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware and Nemours Children’s Hospital, Florida. Our pediatric network includes 80 primary‑urgent‑and specialty care practices and more than 40 hospitalists serving 19 affiliated hospitals. We generate annual revenues of more than $1.7 billion derived from patient services, contributions from the Alfred I. DuPont Trust, as well as other income.
As one of the nation's premier pediatric health systems, we’re on a journey to discover better ways of approaching children’s health. Putting as much focus on prevention as cures and working hand in hand with the community to make every child’s world a place to thrive. It’s a journey that extends beyond our nationally recognized clinical treatment to an entire integrated spectrum of research, advocacy, education, and prevention, leading to the healthiest generations of children ever.
The Senior Director of Benefits and Leave of Absence serves as the enterprise leader responsible for setting the long‑term strategy, financial stewardship, governance, and operational excellence of Nemours Children’s Health’s benefits and leave programs across all states and entities. This role functions as a trusted advisor to executives, influencing system‑wide decision‑making and ensuring programs advance Nemours Total Rewards philosophy, workforce strategy, and organizational priorities.
The Senior Director oversees multiyear plan design, vendor ecosystem optimization, policy governance, and enterprise compliance. This leader is accountable for delivering high value, cost‑effective programs that drive associate wellbeing, retention, and organizational performance. In partnership with HR, Legal, Finance, and Operations leaders, the Senior Director shapes enterprise strategy, anticipates regulatory and market shifts, and builds it into a scalable, future‑ready benefits and leave framework.
Essential Functions
Strategic Leadership & Governance
Develop and steward the enterprise benefits and leave strategy, ensuring alignment with Nemours workforce, financial, and clinical operations strategies. Lead multiyear strategic planning, forecasting, and scenario modeling for benefits and leave programs. Establish and maintain system‑wide governance frameworks, policies, and controls that drive consistency, compliance, and risk mitigation across all states and business units. Assess market competitiveness and model long‑range financial impacts to inform executive decision‑making. Executive Influence & Advisory
Provide strategic recommendations and insights to the various enterprise‑wide stakeholder leaders on plan design, emerging risks, cost drivers, and workforce implications. Serve as the organizational liaison to external consultants, advisors, and vendor partners for benefits, leave, compliance, and actuarial strategy. Financial Stewardship & Cost Management
Lead enterprise financial planning for benefits and leave: trend analysis, reserve forecasting, risk modeling, cost containment strategies, and ROI evaluation. Drive multivendor optimization strategies that reduce cost, enhance service, and improve associate experience. Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management
Oversee enterprise compliance with federal and state regulations (ERISA, FMLA, ADA, ACA, HIPAA, state leave laws, PFML programs, etc.). Anticipate future legislation and proactively design scalable strategies to minimize organizational risk and operational disruption. Partner with Legal, Compliance, and HR Operations to ensure audit readiness and documentation excellence. Operational Excellence & Process Transformation
Lead enterprise transformation of benefits and leave operations, including digital modernization, workflow automation, AI/analytics enablement, and experience redesign. Drive continuous improvement using data insights, benchmarking, and service level performance management. Architect tools, job aids, and standardized processes for HRBPs, managers, and associates. Vendor Strategy & Ecosystem Leadership
Oversee the enterprise vendor ecosystem, including medical, pharmacy, dental, disability, LOA partners, stop‑loss, actuarial advisers, wellness, navigation, and communication vendors. Lead high‑stake vendor negotiations and RFPs that materially impact enterprise cost, service quality, and risk posture. Ensure vendors meet contractual SLAs, performance guarantees, and compliance standards. Enterprise Communication & Change Leadership
Lead enterprise communication strategy for benefits and leave, ensuring clarity, transparency, and accessibility for all associates across diverse roles, states, and work environments. Partner with Communications to develop compelling, multichannel content that enhances understanding and engagement. Act as an enterprise leader for large‑scale change initiatives affecting benefits or leave programs. Leadership & Organizational Development
Lead, develop, and mentor a multistate team of benefits and leave professionals, building future bench strength and fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and service excellence. Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Mathematics, Accounting, Finance, or related field required Master’s degree or professional certifications (CEBS, CBP) Experience in healthcare or large, multi‑site organizations. 10+ years of progressive experience in benefits, leave administration, or Total Rewards administration and leadership, including experience in large, complex, multistate organizations. Proven experience leading enterprise benefits and leave of absence programs with significant financial and operational impact. Demonstrated history of influencing executive leaders and driving system‑level outcomes. Experience overseeing vendor ecosystems and complex administrative and governance cycles at the enterprise level. Strong knowledge of federal and state regulations governing benefits and leave. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Office applications. To learn more about Nemours Children’s and how we go well beyond medicine, visit us at www.nemours.org.
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Strategic Leadership & Governance
Develop and steward the enterprise benefits and leave strategy, ensuring alignment with Nemours workforce, financial, and clinical operations strategies. Lead multiyear strategic planning, forecasting, and scenario modeling for benefits and leave programs. Establish and maintain system‑wide governance frameworks, policies, and controls that drive consistency, compliance, and risk mitigation across all states and business units. Assess market competitiveness and model long‑range financial impacts to inform executive decision‑making. Executive Influence & Advisory
Provide strategic recommendations and insights to the various enterprise‑wide stakeholder leaders on plan design, emerging risks, cost drivers, and workforce implications. Serve as the organizational liaison to external consultants, advisors, and vendor partners for benefits, leave, compliance, and actuarial strategy. Financial Stewardship & Cost Management
Lead enterprise financial planning for benefits and leave: trend analysis, reserve forecasting, risk modeling, cost containment strategies, and ROI evaluation. Drive multivendor optimization strategies that reduce cost, enhance service, and improve associate experience. Regulatory Compliance & Risk Management
Oversee enterprise compliance with federal and state regulations (ERISA, FMLA, ADA, ACA, HIPAA, state leave laws, PFML programs, etc.). Anticipate future legislation and proactively design scalable strategies to minimize organizational risk and operational disruption. Partner with Legal, Compliance, and HR Operations to ensure audit readiness and documentation excellence. Operational Excellence & Process Transformation
Lead enterprise transformation of benefits and leave operations, including digital modernization, workflow automation, AI/analytics enablement, and experience redesign. Drive continuous improvement using data insights, benchmarking, and service level performance management. Architect tools, job aids, and standardized processes for HRBPs, managers, and associates. Vendor Strategy & Ecosystem Leadership
Oversee the enterprise vendor ecosystem, including medical, pharmacy, dental, disability, LOA partners, stop‑loss, actuarial advisers, wellness, navigation, and communication vendors. Lead high‑stake vendor negotiations and RFPs that materially impact enterprise cost, service quality, and risk posture. Ensure vendors meet contractual SLAs, performance guarantees, and compliance standards. Enterprise Communication & Change Leadership
Lead enterprise communication strategy for benefits and leave, ensuring clarity, transparency, and accessibility for all associates across diverse roles, states, and work environments. Partner with Communications to develop compelling, multichannel content that enhances understanding and engagement. Act as an enterprise leader for large‑scale change initiatives affecting benefits or leave programs. Leadership & Organizational Development
Lead, develop, and mentor a multistate team of benefits and leave professionals, building future bench strength and fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and service excellence. Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Mathematics, Accounting, Finance, or related field required Master’s degree or professional certifications (CEBS, CBP) Experience in healthcare or large, multi‑site organizations. 10+ years of progressive experience in benefits, leave administration, or Total Rewards administration and leadership, including experience in large, complex, multistate organizations. Proven experience leading enterprise benefits and leave of absence programs with significant financial and operational impact. Demonstrated history of influencing executive leaders and driving system‑level outcomes. Experience overseeing vendor ecosystems and complex administrative and governance cycles at the enterprise level. Strong knowledge of federal and state regulations governing benefits and leave. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Office applications. To learn more about Nemours Children’s and how we go well beyond medicine, visit us at www.nemours.org.
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