Director - Benefits, Leave, and Retirement
University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

Posted in Education and Training


This job has expired.

Job Info


The Benefits Director oversees the policy and administration of the benefit, retirement, and leave programs for over 20,000 employees, including faculty, staff, graduate students, residents, and other temporary employees.
Our next Benefits Director will be a progressive and visionary leader who has a track record of creating, defining and implementing a strategic vision for diverse benefits teams that elevates benefits offering and value.

The Benefits Director reports directly to the Assistant Vice President of Human Resources and oversees a team of 20.

Key Responsibilities

  • Administers the benefits, leave and retirement programs for the University.
  • Oversees the Assistant Director of Benefits regarding policy and the administration of the various benefit plans including state health, state life, university life, personal accident, long term care, long term disability, dental, hospital income, cancer, intensive care, short term disability, prepaid legal, and accident insurance; pre-tax flexible reimbursement accounts; pre-paid college program; and the vendor discount program.
  • Responsible for the administration of the leave administration services for all university employees including the supervision of the Leave Manager and oversight of services including the administration of paid family leave and other leaves of absence, sick leave pool, leave cashouts, and other leave benefits offered to employees. Oversees the Aid-A-Gator program.
  • Oversees and coordinates the administration of existing and new plans with UF IT departments, Payroll, and vendor partners.
  • Researches and proposes new concepts, makes recommendations, and develops new benefit, retirement, and leave programs that would enhance offerings to the University community.
  • Responsible for the administration of the retirement services program for all university employees.
  • Oversees the policy and the administration of the various retirement plans, including the Florida Retirement System (FRS) Pension Plan, FRS Investment Plan, Optional Retirement Program (ORP), the State Deferred Compensation program (457), the 401(a) FICA Alternative Plan for all eligible temporary employees, the 401(a) Retirement Special Pay Plan for leave cash outs, and the voluntary 403(b) plans. Serves as the primary point of contact with state agencies and plan administrators.
  • Provides subject matter expertise on university special projects to include acquisitions, union negotiations, HRMS enhancements, and campus-wide human resources training.
  • Assists with implementation issues regarding GatorCare and any changes in the state insurance plans.
  • Develops strategic goals and initiatives in conjunction with the Assistant Director of Benefits and other leadership in UF Human Resources.
  • Prepares articles and training programs used for campus wide presentations and newsletters.
  • Serves as the HR liaison with the Faculty Senate Welfare Committee. Participate in other university and community committees as needed, including various search committees.
  • Monitors pending and proposed legislation as to its impact on business practices.
  • Assists the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources on other human resource issues and representation on university and external committees.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

University Benefits is committed to attracting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce and values diversity of thoughts, background, and experience.

The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations, genetic information and veteran status in all aspects of employment including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training.

University Benefits

The University of Florida Benefits Team is dedicated to elevating our benefits offerings to support the wellbeing of our faculty and staff and to be responsive to a range of individual and family needs. Our dedicated team of specialists are here to assist faculty, students and staff with all things benefits.

The Benefits Team consists of over 20 benefits subject matter experts including an Assistant Director, a Leave Manager, two Team Leads and Benefits Specialists. To support a University on the rise, there are four divisions of the Benefits team: Service Center, Leave Administration, Benefits Administration, and Customer Service.

The University of Florida

The University of Florida (UF), the flagship university for the state of Florida, ranked No. 5 among the nation's top public research universities by U.S News and World Report. Located in Gainesville since 1906, UF has 16 colleges, a major academic health center, a championship winning athletic program, a top-ranked undergraduate online program and, in keeping with its land-grant mission, one of the nation's most comprehensive agriculture and natural resources programs. All are based at the University's 2,000-acre campus, joining its historic red-brick core with advanced facilities and preserved natural areas and connecting to adjacent innovation, commercial and residential districts.


UF has 55,000 students, 30,000 employees, 5,500 faculty members, a $5 billion annual budget and more than 140 mission-focused units across the state of Florida. It is the Sunshine State's only member of the Association of American Universities comprising the nation's 60 leading public and private research universities. More than 51,000 students have applied as freshmen for the 2021-22 academic year - a new record.
Several qualities distinguish UF among today's leading public research universities. The first is its highly comprehensive breadth on a single campus, facilitating interdisciplinary collaboration among, for example, faculty within the adjacent colleges of journalism, engineering and medicine. The second is its unwavering support from the state of Florida, which has endorsed UF's drive to become one of the nation's very best public research universities - supporting those efforts since 2013 with hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding to grow its faculty ranks by 500 members. UF's third exceptional quality is its dynamism. Like Florida, the nation's third-largest state and among the fastest-growing, UF is undergoing rapid transformation as it pursues the overarching aspiration to be "a premier university that the state, nation and world look to for leadership."

The City of Gainesville


Gainesville is home to Florida's largest and oldest university, and so is one of the state's centers of education, medicine, cultural events and athletics. The University of Florida and UF Health Shands Hospital are the leading employers in Gainesville and provide jobs for many residents of surrounding counties.
Gainesville is also the largest city in Alachua County and is the county seat, with approximately 269,000 residents county-wide. It serves as the cultural, educational and commercial center for the north central Florida region. The city provides a full range of municipal services, including cultural and nature services and necessary administrative services to support these activities.


Additionally, the city owns a regional transit system, a regional airport, and a 72-par championship golf course. Known for its preservation of historic buildings and the beauty of its natural surroundings, Gainesville's numerous parks, museums and lakes provide entertainment to thousands of visitors. Because of its beautiful landscape and urban "forest," Gainesville is one of the most attractive cities in Florida.
The city is in a central location to both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, providing easy access within a day's drive to beaches, nature preserves, and water-based activities. Explore Gainesville in 60 Seconds

Applications, Inquiries, and Nominations

Inquiries and nominations can be sent to Mercedes Swan, Manager for the Strategic Talent Group at mdswan@ufl.edu or 352-273-1703.


This job has expired.

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