Benefits Consultant - Hybrid (Reston, VA)

Employee Benefits is the core of our business and at our heart we are a people-focused organization. Every day, we help over 100,000 employers give their employees peace of mind by providing health, pharmacy, long and short-term disability, vision, dental and other insurance solutions. What makes us unique is that we can surround our clients with more services and more technology-based tools and a team of advisors that simply cares more than anyone else. 

If you want a career giving people the reassurance that they can have access to the health care they need for themselves and their loved ones, join OneDigital.

Our Newest Opportunity: 

Benefits Consultant – Employee Benefits

We are seeking an experienced Benefits Consultant to join our established and growing employee benefits practice serving small and midsize employers throughout Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C.

This is a consultative, client-facing role focused on both existing and new clients. The Benefits Consultant will work with employers to evaluate benefit strategies, review plan options, lead renewals, assess alternative funding arrangements and help clients make informed decisions about their employee benefits programs.

The consultant will also play an important role in supporting new business opportunities by working with prospective clients, analyzing existing benefit programs, identifying opportunities for improvement and helping present competitive solutions.

You will be joining an experienced and highly supportive team of employee benefits professionals. You will work closely with producers, account management and enrollment/service specialists, insurance carriers, general agencies and other partners. Our team approach allows the Benefits Consultant to focus on strategy, client relationships and benefits guidance while working alongside professionals who support implementation and ongoing administration.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience with traditional fully insured group benefits and, preferably, meaningful experience with level-funded medical plans.

Key Responsibilities

Client Consulting & Relationship Management

• Serve as a trusted benefits consultant to an assigned group of existing employer clients.
• Develop strong, long-term relationships with business owners, executives, HR leaders and other key client contacts.
• Meet with clients throughout the year to review benefit strategy, market conditions and emerging opportunities.
• Help employers evaluate plan design, contribution strategies, networks, cost-sharing and overall benefit structure.
• Provide clear, practical guidance that helps clients make informed benefits decisions.
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve benefits, manage costs and strengthen the overall employee benefits program.

New Client Opportunities

• Work with producers and the broader team on prospective client opportunities.
• Participate in discovery meetings with prospective employers to understand their current benefits program, business needs and objectives.
• Analyze existing plans, costs, funding arrangements and benefit structures.
• Identify opportunities for improved pricing, plan design, carrier positioning and funding strategies.
• Help develop and present recommendations to prospective clients.
• Participate in finalist presentations and other new business meetings as appropriate.
• Help transition new clients into the practice following a successful sale.

Renewals & Benefits Strategy

• Lead the annual renewal strategy for assigned clients.
• Review carrier renewals, claims information, market alternatives and financial considerations.
• Develop renewal recommendations in collaboration with producers and other members of the benefits team.
• Present renewal options and recommendations directly to clients.
• Evaluate alternative carriers, plan designs and funding arrangements when appropriate.
• Help clients balance cost, benefits, employee experience and long-term strategy.
• Coordinate with the internal team to ensure selected strategies are implemented successfully.

Level-Funded Plan Consulting

• Provide knowledgeable guidance regarding level-funded medical plans.
• Help clients understand the differences between fully insured and level-funded arrangements.
• Explain fixed monthly costs, claims funding, stop-loss protection, claims experience, potential surplus or refund provisions and renewal considerations.
• Review level-funded renewals and help clients understand the financial implications of available options.
• Compare level-funded and fully insured alternatives when evaluating renewal or new business opportunities.
• Work with carriers, general agencies, third-party administrators and stop-loss partners when additional analysis is needed.
• Help identify employers for whom level funding may provide a meaningful strategic or financial advantage.

Benefit Design & Market Analysis

• Review medical, dental, vision, life and disability benefit offerings.
• Analyze plan design, employee contributions and employer contribution strategies.
• Help clients evaluate competitive positioning and employee benefit priorities.
• Stay informed about market developments, carrier changes, emerging funding strategies and benefit trends.
• Bring relevant ideas and opportunities to clients throughout the year rather than limiting strategic conversations to renewal season.

Client Meetings & Presentations

• Lead or participate in client strategy meetings, renewal presentations and benefit reviews.
• Present complex benefit and financial information in a clear and understandable manner.
• Assist with employee benefit education and open enrollment meetings when appropriate.
• Develop strong relationships with senior client decision-makers.
• Represent the practice professionally in both existing client and prospective client meetings.

Team Collaboration

• Work closely with producers, account managers, enrollment specialists and other benefits professionals.
• Provide strategic direction while partnering with the service team on implementation and ongoing administration.
• Coordinate with carrier representatives, general agencies and vendors as needed.
• Share market knowledge, ideas and best practices across the team.
• Help ensure a seamless client experience from strategy and renewal through implementation and ongoing support.

Documentation & Technology

• Maintain accurate client and opportunity information within the agency's CRM and benefit systems.
• Document key client decisions, strategies and recommendations.
• Utilize carrier quoting systems, benefit administration platforms and analytical tools as appropriate.
• Become proficient with the technology platforms used by the employee benefits team.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of employee benefits, group health insurance or benefits consulting experience strongly preferred.
• Experience working directly with small and midsize employer groups.
• Strong knowledge of medical, dental, vision, life and disability benefits.
• Demonstrated experience presenting benefit strategies and recommendations directly to clients.
• Experience with level-funded health plans strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of fully insured and level-funded arrangements, including claims funding, stop-loss coverage and renewal considerations.
• Experience participating in new business presentations or prospective client meetings preferred.
• Familiarity with the Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. employee benefits markets preferred.
• Life and Health insurance license preferred, or willingness and ability to obtain appropriate licensing.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical and presentation skills.
• Ability to build credibility and trusted relationships with business owners, executives and HR professionals.
• Ability to manage multiple clients, opportunities, priorities and deadlines.
• Comfortable working collaboratively within a team-oriented environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn CRM, quoting and benefits technology platforms.

Who Will Thrive in This Role

We are looking for an experienced employee benefits professional who genuinely enjoys consulting with employers, developing benefit strategies and building long-term client relationships.

The right person will be comfortable working with both existing clients and prospective new clients, asking thoughtful questions, analyzing benefit programs and presenting recommendations with confidence.

This is not primarily a service or administrative position. The Benefits Consultant will focus on strategy, relationships, renewals, market analysis and helping employers make better benefits decisions, while working alongside an experienced team that supports implementation, enrollment and ongoing administration.

The strongest candidates will also be comfortable with level-funded medical plans and interested in helping employers navigate an increasingly complex marketplace that includes both traditional fully insured and alternative funding arrangements.

Most importantly, you will become part of an experienced, collaborative team that works together toward a common goal: providing exceptional benefits guidance to our existing clients while continuing to grow a successful and well-established benefits practice.

The typical base pay range for this role nationwide is $60,000 to $70,000 per year.  

Your base pay is dependent upon your skills, education, qualifications, professional experience, and location. In addition to base pay, some roles are eligible for variable compensation, commission, and/or annual bonus based on your individual performance and/or the company’s performance. We also offer eligible employees health, wellbeing, retirement, and other financial benefits, paid time off, overtime pay for non-exempt employees, and robust learning and development programs. You will receive reimbursement of job-related expenses per the company policy and may receive employee perks and discounts.

To learn more, visit: www.onedigital.com/careers

OneDigital is an equal opportunity employer. Not only as a matter of standard, but to honor and celebrate our differences. We believe that the power of ONE starts with you. We are committed to cultivating and preserving a culture that celebrates diversity, insists on equity and inclusion, and connects us. Ensuring our people feel seen, valued, respected, and supported is fundamental to our core values and business goals.

OneDigital provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment regardless of their: veteran status, uniformed servicemember status, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age (40 and over), pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin or ancestry, citizenship or immigration status, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics) or any other category protected by federal, state or local law (collectively, “protected characteristics”). A copy of the Federal EEO poster is linked here.

Pursuant to local Fair Chance Ordinances, we will consider qualified applications with arrest or conviction records for employment. For applicable candidates, the following ordinances are linked here to inform you of your rights as an applicant:

City and County of San Francsico

City of Los Angeles

County of Los Angeles

Employment decisions shall comply with all other applicable federal, state and city/county laws prohibiting discrimination in employment. OneDigital complies with all criminal history inquiry [or ‘ban the box’] laws in California, Connecticut, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.

In short, we believe in hiring the most qualified applicant for the position, regardless of background.

If you have questions about our hiring policies and practices, we would be happy to discuss upon receiving your application. We hope to welcome you to OneDigital and look forward to hearing from you.

OneDigital understands the immense responsibility and opportunities provided by Artificial Intelligence. We utilize advanced Artificial Intelligence [AI] technologies to enhance our recruitment process. This includes using AI to filter candidates based on their qualifications and to rediscover potential candidates from our existing applicant pool. Our AI systems help us efficiently identify the best fit for our open positions, ensuring a streamlined and effective hiring experience. However, AI does not replace the humans in our process. If you have concerns about our use of AI, you may opt out where laws allow.

Thank you for your interest in joining the OneDigital team!