Executive Director, Benefits and Leave Administration

Application Review Process:

Review of applications will begin on Monday, September 9, 2024 and continue until the position is filled.

Position Overview

USC seeks an Executive Director of Benefits and Leave Administration who will be responsible for the strategic leadership and operational management of employee benefits and leave programs.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Human Resources, the Executive Director will play a critical role in the organization by supporting overall operational efficiency, coaching and developing a high performing team and ensuring the university adheres to all legal requirements. The Executive Director will ensure that the organization's benefit offerings are cost-effective, risk-averse, and aligned with strategic goals and overall vision.

The Executive Director will support the following five pillars:

• Benefits Administration: Managing and overseeing benefit programs offered to employees. Key responsibilities include oversight of USC's tuition benefit programs, oversight of voluntary benefits, managing open enrollment, vendor management, data management, program design and implementation while staying within budget constraints.
• Retirement Administration: Managing and overseeing all retirement plans and programs offered to employees to include plan design, compliance, vendor management, employee communication, accurate benefit calculations and distributions, retirement counseling and cost management.
• Leave Administration and Workers Compensation: Developing and maintaining comprehensive leave policies and processes that comply with local, state and federal regulations, collaborating with Payroll and USC's workers' compensation and disability vendors, claims management, data analysis and employee communication and support.
• Workwell: Overseeing the USC Workwell program designed to promote a healthy work-life balance by offering health and wellness programs and resources, mental health support, employee assistance program and wellness challenges and incentives.
• Childcare: Oversight of USC childcare centers, management of childcare subsidies, partnership with childcare vendors, contract negotiations, and monitoring of these programs that support employees in maintaining a productive work-life balance.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance/accounting, mathematics, or other related fields.
• Twelve (12) years' of experience in human resources, benefits and retirement administration
• Six (6) of more years within leadership/management roles.
• Extensive experience in leave of absence administration, including worker's compensation.
• Experience with evaluating benefits and related programs, assessing the effectiveness of existing plans/policies and implementing procedural or benefit changes and revisions.
• Project management experience, providing personalized customer service and oversight from inception to delivery.
• In-depth knowledge of the Family Medical Leave Act, military leaves and other applicable state/federal laws.
• Experience integrating leaves and benefits and establishing other collaborative initiatives, working cross-functionally and delivering results while partnering with multiple departments.
• Proven track record of building strong relationships with senior stakeholders/leadership, working closely with senior leaders/executives to develop action plans, identify needs and deliverables, and present results and recommendations.
• Proficiency with Workday, PowerBI, Tableau, and Microsoft Office.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in business, finance/accounting, mathematics, or other related fields.
• Eight (8) or more years' experience as a benefits/leave leader in a large, matrixed organization.
• Certified Benefits Professional, Certified Employee Benefit Specialist, Certified Compensation Professional, or other similar certifications.
• Experience in higher education, disability program management and/or unionized environments.
• Experience developing comprehensive communications and training materials to support the rollout of benefits programs that are well understood and valued by employees.
• Demonstrated expertise implementing new systems and solving complex challenges.
• Excellent influencing and negotiation skills, able to present ideas to senior executives and gain buy-in and alignment around key priorities.

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words, and actions, a strong commitment to USC's Unifying Values of integrity, excellence, diversity, equity, and inclusion, well-being, open communication, and accountability.

Required Documents and Additional Information:

Resume and cover letter required (may be uploaded as one file). Please do not submit your application without these documents.

The salary range for this position is $190,000 - $210,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizationalconsiderations.

This is a Los Angeles based position with a minimum requirement of 3 days a week on site.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree
Minimum Experience: 12 years
Minimum Skills: Bachelor's degree in business, psychology, communications, or other related fields. Twelve years' experience in human resources, benefits and retirement administration. Six or more years in leadership/management roles, building exceptional teams and providing consistent feedback to achieve goals and drive positive change. Extensive experience in leave of absence administration at high volume, fast paced organizations. Demonstrated success evaluating benefits and related programs, assessing the effectiveness of existing plans/policies and implementing procedural or benefit changes and revisions. Experience developing market-competitive LOA and benefits programs that are aligned with strategic goals and proven success ensuring compliance with all policies and regulations. Demonstrated project management experience, providing personalized customer service and oversight from inception to delivery. In-depth knowledge of the Family Medical Leave Act, military leaves and other applicable state/federal laws, with the ability to learn the university's own policies. Demonstrated experience integrating leaves and benefits and establishing other collaborative initiatives, working cross-functionally and delivering results while partnering with multiple departments. Excellent facilitation and written and oral communication skills, with the ability to maintain confidentiality. Experience redesigning large-scale programs and driving continuous improvement initiatives. Proven track record of building strong relationships with senior stakeholders/leadership, working closely with senior leaders/executives to develop action plans, identify needs and deliverables, and present results and recommendations. Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
Preferred Education: Master's degree
Preferred Experience: 15 years
Preferred Skills: Master's degree in business, psychology, communications, or other related fields. Eight or more years' experience as a benefits/leave leader in large, matrixed organizations. Certified Benefits Professional, Certified Employee Benefit Specialist, Certified Compensation Professional, or other similar certifications. Experience in higher education, disability program management and/or unionized environments. Proven track record of building trust and positively influencing departmental culture during change. Ability to present recommendations to leadership of all levels. Experience developing comprehensive communications and training materials to support the rollout of benefits programs that are well understood and valued by employees. Demonstrated expertise implementing new systems and solving complex challenges. Ability to train staff on emerging industry trends and ensure quality baseline of department knowledge. Excellent influencing and negotiation skills, able to present ideas to senior executives and gain buy-in and alignment around key priorities. Able and comfortable identifying knowledge and resource gaps and utilizing industry trends to create development opportunities.