Lead Associate, Health & Benefits, Client Service Team (For Pooling)

As a Lead Health and Benefits Associate you will contribute to a wide variety of complex projects involving the design, financing and ongoing management of the full spectrum of health and benefit programs. You will serve as the lead project manager on select projects, interface with vendors and key clients internally and externally, create client deliverables, and ensure quality standards are met. You will have the opportunity to significantly grow your health and benefits business acumen as well as your financial, project management and client relationship skills by working on cutting edge projects alongside leaders in the industry.

The Role

• Materially contribute to core health and benefits projects involving the design and management of group medical, dental, life, disability and time off benefits for large, complex clients, including:
• Benefit plan analysis, design, cost savings and funding strategies
• Vendor procurement, negotiation and optimization
• Incorporation of specialized health management, absence and disability management, pharmacy, data analytics and compliance strategies
• Partner with Consultants to deliver superior project management on select clients
• Perform financial analyses including developing pricing and employee contributions strategies, modelling plan design alternatives and calculating reserves
• Conduct benchmarking studies and other research; provide value added analyses and summaries
• Analyze and compare vendor products, services and contracts
• Design, distribute and evaluate responses to surveys and request for proposals (RFP’)
• Build relationships internally and collaborate effectively on cross-functional teams
• Review analytical work, mentor and develop junior level staff
• Contribute to the development of new intellectual capital

The Requirements

• 5+ years’ experience dealing with the financials of health and welfare plans, ideally gained in a benefit consulting/brokerage firm or health underwriting / actuarial function of an insurance company
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and produce quality deliverables on time and within budget
• Flexibility and proven ability to identify and resolve issues
• Strong client service orientation and ability to respond to all communications effectively and in a timely manner
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Self-starter attitude and ability to work individually and as part of a team
• Strong analytical, creative and integrative skills
• Desire to mentor/develop more junior staff
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills, particularly in Excel and PowerPoint
• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably with significant quantitative coursework
• State Life and Health license required within 90 days of joining
• Pursuit of CEBS designation, or health and welfare actuarial / underwriting training desired

EOE, including disability/vets