Director of Benefits and Wellness

University of Texas at Dallas • Richardson, TX

27d • $140,000 - $145,000

About The Position

Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, the Director of Benefits leads UT Dallas's comprehensive employee benefits portfolio-insurance, retirement, wellness, and leave administration-ensuring service excellence, operational accuracy, and compliance with UT System, state, and federal requirements. The role serves as the primary liaison to the UT System Office of Employee Benefits (OEB) and partners closely with Payroll, Budget & Finance, and OIT to maintain data integrity and optimize processes in PeopleSoft HCM and related platforms. The Director advances a clear, equitable, and engaging employee experience through year‑round communications, open enrollment delivery, and proactive analytics.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and 5 years of related progressive experience.

Nice To Haves

• Supervisory experience (2+ years)
• Higher education or public sector experience
• Collaboration with UT System OEB
• Proficiency with BenefitFocus, My UT Benefits, and PeopleSoft HCM
• Vendor management and compliance expertise
• Change management experience
• Advanced Excel/reporting skills
• Professional certifications (SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CEBS, CBP, CCP)

Responsibilities

• Program Management: Oversee all employee benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plans, wellness programs, and other voluntary benefits.
• Team Leadership: Lead and mentor the benefits team, fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment. Provide guidance and training to ensure team members are knowledgeable and effective in their roles.
• Ensure Compliance: Stay current with federal, state, and local benefits regulations and ensure that all programs comply with legal requirements.
• Vendor Management: Oversee relationships with benefits vendors, including monitoring performance and high-quality service delivery. Provide feedback to UT System Office of Employee Benefits Leadership Team for any performance issues, if any.
• Employee Communication and Education: Develop and execute communication strategies to inform employees about benefit programs, changes, and enhancements. Conduct benefit orientations and provide ongoing education to employees.
• Employee Support: Serve as a point of contact for complex employee inquiries and issues related to benefits. Provide exceptional customer service and resolve complex benefit-related matters.
• Technology Implementation & System Integration: Collaborate with the HRIS department and Office of Information Technology to ensure that benefits technology integrates with other systems appropriately. Identifies necessary changes required by law and opportunities for automation to improve operational efficiency and reduce manual intervention and errors.
• Wellness Programs: Develop and promote wellness initiatives to enhance employee health and well-being of UTD employees.
• Wellness Budget Management: Manage the wellness budget, including forecasting and monitoring expenditures to ensure financial sustainability.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Tuition Benefits
• Medical insurance - including 100% paid employee medical coverage for full-time employees
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Long and short-term disability
• Retirement Plan Options
• Paid time off
• Paid Holidays

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Industry: Educational Services
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees