Director, Benefits Operations

The Director, Benefits Operations reports to the Senior Director, Benefit Services. This position plays a key role by representing the Alberta Municipal Service Corporation’s (AMSC) portfolio of benefit services to existing and new customers with three primary objectives: client relationship management (focus on retention), outstanding service delivery (including claims management and wellness), and program health and sustainability. This is achieved through developing strong client relationships, building, and engaging a knowledgeable team of Benefits Services Consultants, resolving issues, reviewing the program, monitoring trends, and identifying gaps where AMSC services can provide key enhancements.

Know-How

Practical/ Technical Knowledge

• Post-secondary or Graduate degree in Business or related field
• Certified Employee Benefits designation (CEBS).
• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in benefits management – preferably in multi-employer plans.
• Experience in brokering and/or wholesaling group benefits with direct customer engagement would be an asset.
• Direct experience in managing employee benefits programs, including claims management and wellness.
• Knowledge of municipal and non-profit organizations is an asset.

Planning, Organizing, and Integrating

• Resourceful and sources out possibilities; develops new ideas and moves them forward.
• Effective project management skills and ability to be self-directed to manage multiple priorities, organize workload for self and others and meet deliverables with quality response.
• Familiar with the law and related processes and procedures governing the delivery of benefits services.

Communicating and Influencing Skills

• Dynamic communicator with the ability to establish relationships with elected officials, municipal government staff, and relevant provincial government officials.
• Enterprise leadership skills including strategic thinking, budgeting, business acumen, coaching for performance, relationship building and complex decision making.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to coach, mentor, mediate and use tact and diplomacy to resolve sensitive matters.

Ability to promote services to clients in a compelling and persuasive manner.

High level of integrity, with a sense of urgency and results orientation.

Responsibilities

Overall Responsibilities

Develop and engage an effective team of Benefits Services Consultants ensuring required training and tools are in place to deliver effective client services to various stakeholders.

Work with vendors and clients to review disability trends, claims trends, and employee wellness programs and recommend strategies for effective program management.

Continuously review opportunities to enhance business processes in alignment with online tools and software vendors.

Continuously review opportunities to assist clients promoting and improving employee wellness.

Work with peers, vendors, and other key stakeholders to deliver outstanding service and maintain excellent customer intelligence.

Develop, with the assistance of the branch staff and peers, outstanding service and enquiry response targets that will provide program participants with a level of service that meets or exceeds expectations.

Maintain a close working relationship with peers and staff to ensure that Alberta Municipalities/AMSC members receive a consistent approach to all service issues.

Meet regularly with department staff to discuss operations and work with them to make improvements in process and procedures as required.

Coaching and mentoring the Benefits Services staff to meet their individual goals as outlined in their annual Employee Development and Performance Review plans.

Acknowledge the skills of each member of the team and support the use of those skills to provide responsive and successful service to members.

Provide staff with access to appropriate training and tools to ensure that timely, accurate, and pre-emptive service can be provided to clients within the time constraints of a normal business day.

Ensure an ongoing training program to ensure that all staff are fully knowledgeable about privacy requirements and legislation.

Monitor the workflow of the unit to ensure that adequate staffing is in place to meet service and enquiry response targets.

Participate in Customer Advisory Groups that are held bi-annually and ensure that the content and delivery maintain positive assessments.

Play a key role in delivering the HR Conference.

Ensure that service standards for the area are met.

Supporting the Senior Director, Benefits Services

Provide recommendations regarding the benefits operations, including claims management and employee wellness. Make adjustments and enhancements to ensure a competitive service offering while maintaining a healthy and sustainable aggregate program.

Provide recommendations to modify internal and external processes to maximize efficiency and service delivery.

Assist in creating, maintaining, and measuring performance of annual Operational Plans and KPIs.

Create and manage a comprehensive and accurate reporting system that ensures the Sr. Director, Benefits Services has the metrics and information to keep the Sr. Directors and Executive Officers fully informed of all financial dimensions of benefits service delivery.

Claims Management

Maintain, directly or through a third-party service provider, a measurable, efficient, and effective claims management process.

Assist Clients in effectively managing claims and focusing on Employee wellness.

Regularly assess activity within the claims management process identifying trends and emerging issues and opportunities to improve service to program participants.

Co-lead with Director, Benefits Services, the annual client renewal activities and semi-annual service and trends meetings in conjunction with the Business Development team.

Participate in vendor contract management activities.

Information System Development and Management

Develop and maintain, directly or through a third-party service provider, the confidential and flexible information systems needed to support all aspects of the benefits program.

Ensure alignment of benefits program information systems with the long-term information management and service delivery strategies of Alberta Municipalities/AMSC.

Ensure efficient and effective use of the information system to provide appropriate management and governance reporting.

Financial Management Practices and Processes

Develop and maintain the billing system invoicing processes needed to ensure the fiscal integrity of the benefits program.

Ensure that all relevant external agencies receive the information they need, in a format and within time frames acceptable to them.

Other Responsibilities

Providing advice and background for communicating to members.

Contributing to the development/updating of the area’s operational plan and the annual business plan for Alberta Municipalities/AMSC.

Assist with creation of annual HR & Benefits Symposium and Board Members updates.

Meet regularly with the other Directors to ensure appropriate coordination of unit knowledge and activities.

Responsible to pull together the regular customer communication material.