Head of Benefits

Providence•Renton, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Head of Benefits serves as the enterprise leader responsible for the design, strategy, governance, financial stewardship, administration, and delivery of Providence’s comprehensive benefits, wellbeing, retirement, caregiver health, and absence management programs. Reporting to the Head of Total Rewards, this role leads a team of senior benefits leaders accountable for supporting Providence caregivers across ministries, markets, and shared services. The Head of Benefits partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, Operations, Legal, Labor Relations, Compliance, and executive leadership to ensure programs advance caregiver wellbeing, support attraction and retention, strengthen the caregiver experience, and deliver long-term financial sustainability. This leader provides strategic direction over one of Providence’s largest investments in caregivers and serves as a key advisor to senior leadership on benefits strategy, healthcare cost management, retirement readiness, wellbeing, leave administration, caregiver health, vendor performance, and program governance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Healthcare Administration, Finance, Public Health, or a related field
15+ years of progressive leadership experience in employee benefits, total rewards, healthcare strategy, retirement, wellbeing, caregiver health, absence management, or related disciplines
10+ years of people leadership experience, including leadership of managers, senior professionals, and enterprise-wide programs
Demonstrated experience managing complex benefit programs, significant operating budgets, large vendor portfolios, and executive-level governance processes
Strong knowledge of health and welfare plans, self-funded plan dynamics, retirement programs, leave administration, disability programs, compliance requirements, and benefits operations
Experience influencing senior executives and cross-functional partners in a complex, matrixed organization
Sets direction across complex programs and translates strategy into clear execution priorities.
Understands cost drivers, risk, forecasting, and tradeoffs; makes balanced decisions that protect long-term sustainability.
Connects Total Rewards decisions to Providence’s mission, values, caregiver experience, and community impact.
Communicates clearly with senior leaders, builds trust, and supports disciplined decision making.
Simplifies processes, clarifies accountability, and raises standards for service delivery and program performance.
Builds durable leadership capability, strengthens succession, and creates an inclusive, high-trust team environment.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Business, Healthcare Administration, Human Resources, Finance, Public Health, or related discipline
CEBS, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CFP, or other relevant professional certification
Experience in a large healthcare system, multi-state employer, unionized environment, or other complex mission-driven organization
Experience leading healthcare cost management, wellbeing strategy, retirement readiness, caregiver health, absence management transformation, or benefits technology initiatives

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a multi-year enterprise benefits and wellbeing strategy aligned with Providence’s workforce, mission, financial, and business objectives.
Integrate benefits, retirement, caregiver health, wellbeing, and absence management into a cohesive Total Rewards experience.
Anticipate workforce, healthcare, regulatory, labor, and market trends to ensure Providence maintains competitive and sustainable programs.
Translate enterprise priorities into clear goals, roadmaps, metrics, and decision frameworks for the benefits organization.
Provide executive oversight for financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance management across health and welfare, wellbeing, retirement, and absence programs.
Partner with Finance and actuarial/consulting partners to manage healthcare cost trends, evaluate plan performance, and support long-term affordability.
Use analytics, utilization trends, benchmarking, and caregiver insights to guide program decisions and measure value.
Balance competitive program design with disciplined stewardship of Providence resources.
Oversee strategy, design, governance, administration, and compliance for health and welfare benefits, retirement plans, wellbeing offerings, caregiver health programs, leave and disability programs, and voluntary benefits.
Maintain strong governance routines, escalation processes, fiduciary oversight, and risk management practices.
Partner with Legal, Compliance, Labor Relations, Internal Audit, and external advisors on regulatory requirements and collective bargaining considerations.
Prepare and present recommendations, updates, and decision materials for executive leadership and governing committees as needed.
Drive a consumer-grade caregiver experience that makes benefits easier to understand, access, and use.
Improve operational workflows, technology enablement, communications, vendor integration, and service delivery across benefits functions.
Establish service levels, performance dashboards, and continuous improvement mechanisms that increase accountability and reduce administrative complexity.
Ensure effective annual enrollment, program launches, escalations, issue resolution, and ongoing caregiver support.
Lead enterprise vendor and consultant relationships, including performance management, contract strategy, service levels, issue resolution, and value realization.
Ensure vendors deliver high-quality service, accurate administration, strong data security, regulatory compliance, and measurable outcomes.
Partner with Supply Chain, Legal, Finance, HR Operations, and Technology teams to support vendor selection, renewal, implementation, and governance.
Lead, develop, and engage a high-performing Benefits leadership team across Benefits, Caregiver Health, Benefits Strategy & Wellbeing, Retirement, and Absence Management.
Build a culture of accountability, partnership, inclusion, innovation, operational discipline, and mission-centered leadership.
Coach direct reports, strengthen succession plans, and develop leadership capability across the broader benefits organization.
Model executive presence, collaboration, transparency, and sound judgment in complex and sensitive matters.