Head of Employee Benefits

Department: Department of Administration

Division: Human Resources

Classification: Deputy Personnel Administrator, JC-02735600-99 (Non-Union)

Salary: $137,547 - $156,627

Pay Grade: C00144A

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Company Description The State of Rhode Island offers a wide range of career opportunities in public service, supporting critical functions such as infrastructure, environmental stewardship, workforce development, and public health and safety. The Division of Human Resources is dedicated to making State Government an Employer of Choice by building and supporting a skilled workforce that reflects the diversity and talent of the community. The team is committed to excellence in service and fostering an inclusive, high-performing workplace. Applicants can explore current openings or submit interest through ApplyRI to receive notifications about future opportunities. Joining the State of Rhode Island provides a chance to contribute meaningfully to residents across the Ocean State.

Role Description The Deputy Personnel Administrator for the Office of Employee Benefits serves as the strategic and operational leader for Rhode Island’s statewide employee benefits programs within the Department of Administration. This executive-level position is responsible for the administration, oversight, compliance, and continuous improvement of comprehensive employee benefits programs serving a large and diverse public-sector workforce in a complex, unionized environment.

The Deputy Personnel Administrator oversees the full portfolio of employee benefit offerings, including administration of the State’s self-funded healthcare programs and insured benefit offerings, such as medical, dental, vision, life insurance, flexible spending accounts, wellness initiatives, leave-related benefits, and deferred compensation programs. The incumbent is responsible for benefits strategy, plan design, policy development, annual open enrollment, vendor and consultant management, employee communications, and regulatory compliance under applicable federal and state laws and regulations.

This position serves as the State’s functional leader for benefits administration within the Workday Human Capital Management (HCM) platform, Workday, and is responsible for ensuring effective system configuration, process optimization, data integrity, reporting, operational continuity, and oversight of benefits-related business processes and integrations.

The Deputy Personnel Administrator provides leadership and direction to professional Benefits Unit staff and works collaboratively with executive leadership, agency human resources teams, labor relations, union representatives, finance, procurement, legal counsel, actuaries, brokers/consultants, and external vendors to ensure compliant, equitable, fiscally responsible, and customer-focused delivery of benefits services statewide.

The position carries significant fiscal and operational responsibility, including benefits budget oversight, healthcare cost forecasting, claims and utilization trend analysis, reserve and vendor performance review, and strategic evaluation of program effectiveness and long-term sustainability. The incumbent advises senior leadership regarding emerging healthcare trends, compliance risks, workforce wellbeing initiatives, legislative and regulatory developments, and benefits strategy recommendations impacting the State workforce.

Qualifications: The successful candidate must possess substantial experience leading complex employee benefits programs and demonstrate the ability to navigate highly regulated environments, manage competing priorities, lead organizational change, and provide strategic guidance within a large public-sector organization.

Education: Such as may have been gained through: Such as may have been gained through: possession of a Bachelor’s Degree with specialization in Human Resources Management, Public Administration, Political Science, Business Administration, Psychology, or a closely related field; and

Experience: Such as may have been gained through: Employment in a highly responsible administrative position in the field of public administration, including the responsibility for the development and implementation of a comprehensive and complex strategic plan encompassing the integration of centralized and departmental Human Resources Programs in a state government environment; or employment in a highly responsible capacity in directing a broad technical area of public personnel administration in a central merit system agency.

Or, any combination of education and experience that shall be substantially equivalent to the above education and experience.

Qualifications

• Strong expertise in benefits-focused domains, including Benefits Administration and Employee Benefits.
• Demonstrated experience managing total rewards programs, including Compensation Management and Compensation & Benefits.
• Advanced Analytical Skills for evaluating benefits utilization, costs, market benchmarks, and regulatory impacts.
• Knowledge of federal and state laws related to benefits (e.g., ACA, ERISA, FMLA) and public sector HR practices.
• Proven leadership experience overseeing HR or benefits teams, including vendor and stakeholder management.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills for working with a diverse workforce and multiple agencies.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field; advanced degree or relevant certifications (e.g., CEBS, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP) preferred.
• Ability to work on-site (with eventual hybrid flexibility) in Providence, RI at Department of Administration, manage multiple priorities, and maintain a high level of confidentiality and professionalism.