Who We Are & What We Do:
Public Employee Benefits Cooperative (PEBC)
The Public Employee Benefits Cooperative (PEBC) was created in 1998 to help local governments work together and save money on employee benefits.
Our Mission
- Keep costs affordable for employees and their families
- Offer choice and flexibility in benefits
- Provide value through smart, shared solutions
By joining together, PEBC member groups are able to purchase benefits at lower costs and manage them more effectively through one central system. This teamwork helps protect employees from rising health care expenses while making sure they have access to quality coverage.
How you will make an impact - Description of the Opportunity:
The PEBC Director reports to the PEBC Board of Governors and will provide strategic leadership, operational oversight, and management of a team responsible for providing day-to-day program oversight, technical assistance and management of Board selected vendors responsible for delivering programs and services. Working closely with the Board of Governors, the PEBC Director will ensure the alignment of program goals with the organization's mission, vision, and strategic objectives.
The PEBC Director will play a key role in fostering collaboration across teams, managing stakeholder relationships, and driving program impact to support our PEBC members.
Leadership: Sets direction, priorities, and enterprise initiatives. Leads PEBC’s benefits, wellness, life insurance, and related programs. Advises the Board on strategy, risk, performance, affordability, and participant outcomes. Communicates, negotiates, and engages stakeholders. Demonstrates discretion, objectivity, and accountability.
Financial Stewardship: Oversees budgets, costs, funding, and sustainability. Directs finance, compliance, contracts, vendors, and organizational improvement. Advances sound, data-informed decisions.
Expertise: Applies benefits, compliance, systems, and Microsoft 365 knowledge. Drives continuous improvement.
Responsibilities include:
- Sets strategic and operational direction for participating groups, addressing public-sector plan requirements and emerging healthcare, financial, regulatory, operational, and participant needs.
- Identifies emerging issues, opportunities, risks, and trends, and recommends strategic responses to the Board. Initiates PEBC-specific strategic, regulatory, financial, operational, technology, and benefits projects and assigns appropriate leadership.
- Facilitates Board meetings, including agendas, presentations, analysis, and compliant recordkeeping.
- Serves as the Board’s principal benefits expert and strategic advisor, providing clear, objective information for informed decisions. Ensures compliance with laws, regulations, contracts, Board policies, and organizational requirements.
- Negotiates and manages vendor contracts and conducts unified procurement for participating groups in accordance with NCTCOG policies. Builds relationships with vendors, consultants, stakeholders, and participating groups; leads strategic negotiations and represents PEBC in policy matters. Holds vendors, consultants, and business associates accountable for contract terms, service levels, financial results, and corrective action.
- Leads implementation of Board initiatives, contractual requirements, performance standards, and operational best practices. Makes timely decisions within delegated authority and develops recommendations for matters requiring Board action.
- Oversees the PEBC Wellness Program and Rewards, including design, implementation, evaluation, and improvement.
- Partners with consultants and vendors on group cost projections, plan performance reviews, and recommendations for plan or eligibility changes.
- Oversees PEBC eligibility and database systems, serving as the business-rules expert and ensuring data integrity and performance.
- Leads annual enrollment communications, including messaging, materials, production procurement, distribution, and website updates.
- Leads professional staff by assigning work, conducting performance evaluations, coaching employees, identifying development opportunities, recommending personnel actions, and ensuring accountability for results. Plans, assigns, and supervises the work of others.
Knowledge, SKILLS, and Abilities:
- Comprehensive knowledge of employee and retiree benefits administration, including health, wellness, life insurance, and related programs.
- Thorough knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and compliance requirements.
- Knowledge of fiscal planning, budget development, financial analysis, and resource stewardship.
- Knowledge of supervisory, management, and leadership principles and practices.
- Knowledge of public administration principles and governmental operations.
- Understanding of current social, political, economic, and industry trends affecting public-sector benefits.
- Knowledge of organizational management practices, program evaluation methods, policy analysis, and operational improvement strategies.
- Skill in leading and directing complex organizations, programs, and initiatives.
- Skill in evaluating policies, procedures, and operational processes to determine appropriate courses of action.
- Skill in planning, organizing, delegating, and evaluating the work of others.
- Skill in delivering presentations and communicating effectively with governing bodies, stakeholders, and public-sector audiences.
- Skill in managing conflict, navigating ambiguity, and facilitating consensus.
- Skill in analyzing complex issues, developing alternatives, recommending solutions, and implementing effective actions.
- Ability to work in fast-paced, deadline-driven environment with multiple competing priorities and executive decision-making.
- Ability to provide executive leadership and strategic direction.
- Ability to manage competing priorities under pressure.
- Ability to build productive relationships with employees, stakeholders, officials, vendors, and the public.
- Ability to communicate clearly, verbally and in writing.
- Ability to assess emerging trends, technologies, and best practices for organizational use.
- Ability to administer diverse programs, projects, and functions.
- Ability to address Board, stakeholder, and public concerns.
- Ability to anticipate impacts and make sound, data-informed recommendations.
- Ability to maintain cooperative relationships with governing boards, community partners, and government entities.
Education & Experience:
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, public administration, HR, healthcare administration, or related field
- 10 years leading complex health benefits programs (self-funded and fully insured), including strategy, financial management, vendor/contract management, compliance, and implementation.
- Valid Class C driver’s license.
Preferred:
- Master’s degree business, finance, public administration, HR, healthcare administration, or related field. Experience with multi-employer/public-sector benefits or cooperatives preferred.
- CEBS certification
Compensation:
- FLSA: Exempt
- Starting Salary: $153,798.00 - $184,557.60 depending on skills, qualifications and experience.
Officing:
- This position is located at the NCTCOG main campus in Arlington.
Benefits:
We offer a highly competitive package of many desirable benefits to our full-time employees including:
- Health/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
- We provide an outstanding package of health, dental, vision and life benefits for employees, with the monthly premium paid by NCTCOG 100%. Coverage available for their families and those monthly premiums are shared with NCTCOG. We provide employees with life insurance coverage that is employer paid with a benefit of 2 times the employee’s annual salary.
- Paid Leave
- Paid vacation, sick leave, and personal days are provided as part of the benefit plan, as well as specified holidays. This position also includes a phone allowance.
- Retirement
- NCTCOG participates in a defined contribution plan as an alternative to Social Security. The defined contribution retirement plan provides retirement benefits for all eligible employees. NCTCOG contributes twelve percent (12%) of permanent full-time employees' gross salaries. Participating employees contribute six percent (6%) of gross salary. An employee becomes forty percent (40%) vested in NCTCOG's contributions after three full years of employment. An additional fifteen percent {15%) is vested for each additional year of employment. An employee becomes fully vested after seven years of employment.
- Work/Life Balance Programs
- To help employees and their families meet personal and professional challenges, NCTCOG provides an employee assistance program, prepaid legal services, lunch and learn seminars, alternate work schedules, alternate commute programs, and an on-site gym.
- Professional Development
- NCTCOG is committed to professional development and provides a wide range of training opportunities-both online and traditional classroom sessions. It covers applicable professional development expenses, professional memberships, and licenses, as well as tuition reimbursement
Equal Employment Opportunity Employer:
NCTCOG is an equal opportunity employer/program. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other classifications covered under federal, state, or local laws. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
Background Check & Drug Testing:
All selected candidates must undergo a pre-employment background check and drug screening. Background checks include national criminal background check, employment history, motor vehicle record check, social security verification, education verification, and other elements as needed. NCTCOG is committed to a safe and drug free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing. All new hires are required to undergo a drug test which detects the presence of illegal drugs for months prior to testing. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping NCTCOG safe and drug free. In order to receive an offer of employment from NCTCOG, selected candidates must successfully pass the pre-employment background check and drug screening.
E-Verify:
The North Central Texas Council of Governments participates in the federal E-Verify program in order to verify a new employee's authorization to work in the United States. Applicants must be lawfully authorized to work in the U.S.
Job postings are kept open for a minimum of 10 calendar days and may close anytime thereafter at the discretion of the hiring manager.