Benefits Consultant - EMEA

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by diversity and inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health equity on a global scale. Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.
The EMEA Benefits Consultant will report into the Senior Director Total Rewards and will be responsible for developing best practice employee benefit and wellbeing solutions designed to support our employees across the EMEA region.
Careers with Optum offer flexible work arrangements and individuals who live and work in the Republic of Ireland will have the opportunity to split their monthly work hours between our Dublin office and telecommuting from a home-based office in a hybrid work model.
Primary Responsibilities:
Strategic Input:

• Deep experience of key employer based benefits including retirement plans, private medical insurance, other risk based benefits and employee wellbeing solutions
• Effective benefit vendor management experience (including the review of policy design and annual renewal rate negotiations)
• Leading the end to end employee benefit enrolment process (from vendor negotiation through to employee communication)
• Management and development of all employee facing communications and benefit enrollment systems
• Drive continued benefit benchmarking to ensure that all benefit plans are statutorily compliant and market competitive
• Lead benefit harmonization as a consequence of M&A activity
• Liaise with key internal and external partners to drive the regional wellbeing agenda

Operational Direction:

• Oversee the development and delivery of appropriate tools and technology for benefit solutions
• Coordinate with global peers to work on global initiatives across UHG
• Oversee and execute the annual open enrolment benefit exercises
• Work closely with human capital, payroll, legal, and communications to ensure alignment and compliance across the region, as needed

You will be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role, as well as providing development for other roles you may be interested in.
Required Qualifications:

• University/Bachelor's Degree or equivalent in Human Resources, Finance/Accounting, Business, Economics or related field
• Proven extensive benefits management experience, including experience with analysis and understanding of global Total Rewards practices
• Proven regional specific benefits experience in trends/costs and modeling outcomes
• Proven experience working with benefits program design, competitive market analysis, cost forecasting
• Proven experience of managing benefits harmonization and transition following M&A activity
• Proven solid benefit program vendor management and Project management skills
• Demonstrated familiarity with benefits compliance rules regionally
• Proven ability to be confident working directly with senior business leaders to ensure solid stakeholder management
• Demonstrated good interpersonal and client facing skills with Human Capital Partners and Key Stakeholders
• Proven solid organizational and time management skills, and capable of multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated effective verbal, written, and presentation skills
• Proven ability to be a collaborative team player, capable of contributing beyond benefits
• Proven ability to be a self-starter and resourceful with demonstrated ability to work effectively in matrixed work environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven prior experience of working within fast growing global organizations
• Proven former Consultancy experience
• Proven experience of compensation/benefits within the broader EMEA region (notably UK and Ireland)

Please note you must currently be eligible to work and remain indefinitely without any restrictions in the country to which you are making an application. Proof will be required to support your application.
At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.
Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: Optum is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, disability, religion, age, race, and membership of the Traveller community, or any other characteristic protected by law. Optum is a drug-free workplace. © 2025 Optum Services (Ireland) Limited. All rights reserved.