Manager, U.S. Health Care Benefits Administration

As part of our Human Resources team youll help us attract hire and retain the top talent we need to achieve our bold vision. Youll play a vital role in defining developing and maintaining the winning culture that empowers diverse individuals to work together and create the impossible. Were seeking change leaders talent strategists employee advocates and culture architects to enable our teams partners and businesses to do and be their best.

In this position...

The Manager U.S. Health Care Administration leads the operational excellence administration and execution of Fords U.S. health care benefits programs. This role partners closely with the Manager U.S. Health Care Strategy and Design to ensure strategy is grounded in administrative feasibility and executed flawlessly. The ideal candidate is a strong operational leader with deep expertise in benefits administration compliance and vendor management who can serve as a critical execution partner to the Manager U.S. Health Care Strategy and Design.

This role is hybrid and requires at least 4 days per week onsite in Dearborn MI.

What youll do...

Operational Excellence and Plan Administration:

• Own the consistent accurate and compliant day-to-day administration of health care programs across union and non-union populations.
• Manage the health care benefits budget execution cost tracking and financial reporting; partner with Finance and actuarial consultants on funding administration.
• Drive continuous improvement in processes systems and service delivery ensuring adherence to collective bargaining agreements regulatory requirements and internal policy.
• Lead annual enrollment execution including vendor system readiness communications rollout and issue resolution.
• Serve as primary escalation point for complex administrative and compliance issues with direct visibility to the Executive Director on significant matters.

Strategy Feasibility Analysis and Execution:

• Partner with the Manager U.S. Health Care Strategy and Design to pressure-test proposed plan design changes vendor strategies and negotiations proposals for administrative feasibility implementation risk and member experience impact.
• Provide operational data historical administration performance and process expertise to inform strategy development.
• Lead the detailed implementation planning and execution once strategy and negotiated outcomes are finalized ensuring smooth well-sequenced rollout.

Labor Negotiations Support:

• Serve as a senior negotiator for health care benefits in collective bargaining shaping proposals that balance business sustainability with union partnership and employee value.
• Develop detailed bargaining strategies scenario modeling and long-term cost projections to inform executive decision-making and negotiation positioning.
• Build strategic relationships with union leadership to foster collaboration mutual understanding and creative problem-solving for complex health care challenges.
• Translate negotiated agreements into actionable implementation roadmaps then lead team to implement.

Vendor Relationship Management:

• Manage day-to-day vendor relationships to consistently deliver operational excellence ensuring industry leading service level agreements and performance standards are met.
• Lead vendor benchmarking and market testing processes (e.g. RFPs RFQs) by evaluating proposals for strategic fit and administrative and operational feasibility coordinating due diligence and ensuring seamless implementation once vendors are selected.
• Design and oversee best-in-class vendor governance frameworks; escalate performance issues and manage contract administration and renewals.

Plan Governance and Compliance:

• Implement governance structures policies and procedures to ensure equitable compliant and consistent benefit delivery.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with federal state and local regulations (ACA COBRA HIPAA ERISA) and applicable collective bargaining agreements.
• Identify and mitigate operational and compliance risks through proactive monitoring and audit support.

Team Leadership and Development:

• Build and lead a team focused on operational excellence coaching members to strengthen operational excellence build technical expertise and deliver best-in-class member experience.
• Foster a culture of accountability collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Manage change execution for benefits transformation initiatives ensuring smooth adoption and minimal disruption.
• Act as a trusted operational partner to the Manager U.S. Health Care Strategy and Design and cross-functional stakeholders (Supply Chain Finance Legal IT HR Labor Relations).

Youll have...

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources Business Administration Health Care Administration or a related field (Masters preferred).
• Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive experience in employee benefits with at least 4-6 years focused on health care benefits administration in a large complex organization (Fortune 500 or comparable experience strongly preferred).

Even better you may have...

• Demonstrated experience administering health care benefits in a unionized environment; exposure to labor negotiations support is a plus.
• Experience managing vendor relationships performance management and contract administration in the health care benefits space.
• Strong operational execution skills with demonstrated ability to translate strategy into action and drive results through process discipline.
• Comfort operating with autonomy and directly supporting executive leadership.
• Track record of building and leading teams focused on service delivery and operational excellence.
• Solid knowledge of federal and state benefits legislation (ACA COBRA HIPAA ERISA) and compliance requirements.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data assess feasibility and generate actionable recommendations.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate clearly and confidently with executive leadership and collaborate effectively with a peer strategy leader.
• Proven project management and coaching skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Professional certification such as CEBS (Certified Employee Benefit Specialist) or similar.
• Experience with self-insured health plans actuarial valuation processes and claims analytics.
• Experience in automotive large industrial manufacturing or other heavily unionized industries.

As an established global company we offer the benefit of choice. You can choose what your Ford future will look like: will your story span the globe or keep you close to home Will your career be a deep dive into what you love or a series of new teams and new skills Will you be a leader a changemaker a technical expert a culture builderor all of the above No matter what you choose we offer a work life that works for you including:

• Immediate medical dental vision and prescription drug coverage.
• Flexible family care days paid parental leave new parent ramp-up programs subsidized back-up child care and more.
• Family building benefits including adoption and surrogacy expense reimbursement fertility treatments and more.
• Vehicle discount program for employees and family members and management leases.
• Tuition assistance.
• Established and active employee resource groups.
• Paid time off for individual and team community service.
• A generous schedule of paid holidays including the week between Christmas and New Years Day.
• Paid time off and the option to purchase additional vacation time.

This position is leadership level 6 and ranges from $115500-$218100.
Final determination of salary grade will be based on candidates skills and experience and base salary will be set within the applicable range according to job scope responsibility and competitive market value.

For more information on salary and benefits click here.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Candidates for positions with Ford Motor Company must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race religion color age sex national origin sexual orientation gender identity disability status or protected veteran the United States if you need a reasonable accommodation for the online application process due to a disability please call 1-.

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