Senior Counsel - Employee Benefits

Overview

This role is part of a team of four attorneys providing strategic legal guidance and support for the organization’s Protection Solutions and Savings & Investments businesses. The position primarily supports the Employee Benefits division, focusing on supplemental health products and employer-provided life insurance.

Preference is given to candidates located near the organization’s four key offices (Denver, Cedar Rapids, Baltimore, Philadelphia), but remote candidates will be considered.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice and support in the development, filing, offering, and administration of life insurance products and services for the Employee Benefits division, including:
  • Term accident
  • Disability
  • Hospital indemnity
  • Executive health
  • Medical gap
  • Retiree medical
  • Medicare supplement
  • Employer-provided life products
• Prepare, review, and negotiate legal contracts, documents, and agreements, including marketing, distribution, administration, TPA, and/or vendor agreements for review of senior team members.
• Research, counsel, and draft recommendations addressing unique regulatory challenges, including:
  • State-based claims processing requirements
  • Benefit coordination with group health plans
  • Benefit triggers and eligibility
  • Application of ERISA’s preemption clause to state insurance mandates
• Advise on legal risks and potential impacts of business decisions, including escalated claims and consumer complaints.
• Monitor, review, and interpret changes in laws, rules, and regulations, particularly those related to insurance regulations.
• As needed, support the organization’s Life Insurance division.
• Draft regulatory responses, disclosures, and other correspondence, including items related to market conduct issues from state and federal regulators (for review of senior team members).
• Collaborate with internal compliance teams to develop and implement policies and procedures to mitigate legal risks.
• Work on legal issues requiring identification and evaluation of multiple factors.

Qualifications

• JD from an ABA accredited law school
• Member of the Bar in good standing of any US jurisdiction
• Five years of experience at a sophisticated law firm or in-house counsel with insurance regulatory legal experience and/or a focus on supplemental health insurance, state insurance matters, and life insurance, with knowledge of relevant laws, rules, and regulations
• Effective communicator in writing and orally
• Ability to exercise sound judgment in a fast-paced environment
• Agility and adaptability in providing legal advice
• Comfort in a rapidly changing corporate environment
• Proficiency using MS Office
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• Action-oriented, timely, and organized approach, with ability to prioritize workload with accuracy and attention to detail
• Commitment to honesty, inclusion, and respect; openness to differing ideas and perspectives; ability to collaborate in a fully inclusive manner

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with individual and group life insurance products
• Experience with voluntary benefits insurance products, including supplemental health and/or long-term care, and with the ACA, HIPAA and ERISA laws
• Experience applying innovative thinking to help the business generate and implement creative, cost-effective, realistic solutions that create business impact and support growth

Compensation & Benefits

Compensation

• Salary generally ranges between $165,000 - $185,000 annually.
• This range is a good faith estimate; actual starting pay is determined by factors including qualifications, experience, geography, work location designation (in-office, hybrid, remote), and operational needs.
• Salary may vary above and below the stated range as permitted by applicable law.
• This position is typically eligible for an Annual Bonus based on the Company Bonus Plan/Individual Performance and is at the organization’s discretion.

Benefits (for eligible employees)

• Pension Plan
• 401k Match
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Disability Insurance
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Employee Discounts
• Career Training & Development Opportunities
• Paid Time Off starting at 160 hours annually for employees in their first year of service
• Ten (10) paid holidays per year (typically mirroring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) holidays)
• Be Well Company holistic wellness program, including Wellness Coaching and Reward Dollars
• Parental Leave: fifteen (15) days of paid parental leave per calendar year for eligible employees with at least one year of service at the time of birth, placement of an adopted child, or placement of a foster care child
• Adoption Assistance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Back-Up Care Program
• PTO for Volunteer Hours
• Employee Matching Gifts Program
• Employee Resource Groups
• Inclusion and Diversity Programs
• Employee Recognition Program
• Referral Bonus Programs

Location & Working Conditions

• Hybrid for candidates near Baltimore/Cedar Rapids/Denver/Philadelphia (3 days in office)
• Remote for candidates not near a core office location

Additional Information

This job description is not a contract of employment and the organization may change, add to, remove, or revoke the terms at its discretion. Managers may assign other duties and responsibilities as needed.

In the event an employee or applicant requests an accommodation to perform job functions, the applicable HR Business Partner should be contacted to evaluate the accommodation request.