LEAD INSURANCE COUNSEL - UNCLASSIFIED

LEAD INSURANCE COUNSEL - UNCLASSIFIED

Salary

$151,108.00 Annually

Location

Carson City

Job Type

Full-Time

Job Number

2026-03801

Department

NVHA - PUBLIC EMPLOYEES BENEFITS PROGRAM

Opening Date

09/04/2026

Closing Date

Continuous

FLSA

Exempt

Bargaining Unit

N/A

Salary Grade

Not Assigned

Full Physical Address of Position (City, State, Zip)

Carson City, NV 89706

• Description
• Benefits
• THIS RECRUITMENT MAY CLOSE WITHOUT FURTHER NOTICE DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED. APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE*

Job Summary

The Public Employees' Benefits Program (PEBP) Insurance Counsel provides legal guidance and advice on matters affecting state and federal compliance for the PEBP, which provides group health insurance and basic life insurance to active employees and retirees. This position ensures the program's legal integrity and compliance with federal law, Nevada statutes and regulations, and public-sector administrative requirements. The Counsel supports executive leadership and the Board by providing authoritative guidance on regulatory obligations, governance, procurement, appeals, and plan administration. The role collaborates closely with the Deputy Attorney General to ensure all actions align with state law, statewide policy, and public-sector standards for accountability, transparency, and ethical conduct.

Essential Qualifications

Minimum qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of Nevada, or eligibility for admission through reciprocity with the ability to obtain Nevada licensure within 6 months of hire.
• Minimum 3 years of experience practicing law.
• Foundational knowledge of health, administrative, insurance, or related area of law
• Experience advising clients on compliance, appeals, contract oversight, or regulatory interpretation

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with legal issues involving group health insurance, self-insured plans, fully insured plans, COBRA, HIPAA, Affordable Care Act, and state insurance laws
• Prior work with public agencies, state-administered benefit programs, or government regulatory bodies
• Familiarity with Nevada public-sector requirements, including procurement rules, administrative hearings, open meeting laws, and public records obligations

Job Duties

Public-Sector Compliance & Governance

• Ensure PEBP operates in compliance with Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS), Nevada Administrative Code (NAC), and statewide policies governing public agencies
• Interpret federal and state mandates affecting PEBP and advise leadership on necessary operational or policy changes
• Support compliance with reporting, public records laws, open meeting requirements, legislative reviews, audits, and statewide oversight processes
• Provide legal guidance related to public accountability standards, ethical obligations, and transparency requirements expected of state programs

COBRA Administration & Compliance

• Advise on federal COBRA and Nevada continuation coverage requirements
• Develop and maintain COBRA policies, notices, forms, and procedures
• Address complex COBRA-eligibility scenarios, including cases involving multi-state employment, intergovernmental transitions, and variable-qualified beneficiaries.

Appeals Management

• Oversee participant and provider appeals processes in accordance with Nevada state law and any applicable plan or contract provisions
• Review appeals determinations and support state administrative hearings and coordinate as needed with the Office of the Attorney General with such disputes
• Coordinate with third-party administrators and external counsel as needed
• Review determinations to ensure compliance with statutory obligations, plan rules, and fair-hearing standards

Executive Guidance

• Present legal updates, compliance risks, and strategic recommendations to executive leadership
• Present to Board on behalf of the Executive Officer on legal or compliance matters
• Prepare legal analyses addressing policy changes or statutory amendments risks
• Interpret statutory and regulatory changes impacting the plan and provide recommendations to mitigate or address compliance risks
• Provide guidance to the Executive Officer on governance practices expected of state authorities and the Board

Plan Design & Plan Documents

• Ensure plan design updates comply with applicable state and federal laws and public-sector requirements for benefit administration
• Draft and maintain Plan Documents, Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs), policies, and amendments reflecting statutory mandates and administrative rules

Contract Review & Negotiation

• Draft, review, and negotiate agreements with vendors, TPAs, PBMs, ERIs (stop-loss carriers), consultants, and others as requested by the Executive Officer
• Ensure contract language aligns with Nevada procurement statutes, state contracting standards and regulatory compliance
• Strengthen protections in contracts for data security, performance guarantees, indemnification, and HIPAA/BIPA compliance

Regulatory Monitoring & Compliance

• Track changes in federal and state laws affecting PEBP
• Recommend policy or operational adjustments to maintain compliance with DOL, IRS, HHS, CMS HHS, NV Division of Insurance, and state administrative requirements. Proactively adapt policies and materials to maintain compliance with DOL, IRS, HHS, and Nevada insurance regulations.
• Support legislative analysis, regulatory filings, audits, and compliance reviews relevant to PEBP.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Legal & Regulatory Expertise

• In-depth knowledge of federal and state laws applicable to public-sector benefit plans like PEBP
• Understanding of COBRA, ACA, IRS, HIPAA and PEBP statutes and code.

Analytical & Advisory Skills

• Ability to analyze complex regulatory and public-sector compliance scenarios
• Skillful in providing clear, actionable legal guidance to government leadership, the Board, and staff

Drafting & Documentation

• Proven ability to draft precise legal documents, including plan documents, notices, contracts, memoranda.

Communication & Collaboration

• Excellent verbal and written communication; comfortable presenting to boards, executives, and vendors.
• Effective relationship-builder; able to coordinate across internal and with external partners.

Ethical Standards & Judgement

• High integrity and judgment aligned with public-sector ethics standards
• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information discreetly.

Project & Time Management

• Strong organizational skills with ability to manage multiple priorities and projects.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize under tight deadlines.

The State of Nevada is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to building diverse, inclusive, and innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. All applicants are considered without regard to race, color, national origin, religion or belief, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, domestic partnership, genetic information (GINA), or compensation and/or wages.

Please send direct Inquiries or correspondence to the recruiter listed on this announcement.

Benefits include:

• Health Insurance: Medical, dental, life, and disability insurance programs for employees and their dependents/family are offered through the Public Employees' Benefits Program (PEBP).

• Vacation: Accrual of three weeks of annual leave each year.

• Sick Leave: Accrual of three weeks of sick leave each year.

• Holidays: 12 paid holidays per year.

• Retirement: Participation in the Nevada Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). Employees do not contribute to Social Security but will contribute to PERS if their position is at 50% or more full-time equivalency. For more information on how PERS service may impact Social Security benefits, visit the SSA publication.

• Deferred Compensation: The State offers a voluntary Deferred Compensation Program.

• No Nevada state income tax.

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: Eligible due to public sector employment.

• Longevity Payments Eligibility: Employees who have received a performance rating of "standard" or better and have completed eight (8) or more years of continuous service are eligible for longevity pay.

Additional benefits may apply to employees covered under a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), depending on their designated bargaining unit. For more information, visit the Labor Relations Unit (LRU).

For more details about your rights and responsibilities as a State of Nevada employee, please review the State of Nevada Employee Handbook (PDF).

• State Holidays The holiday schedule for State employees is established by the Legislature.

The following are legal holidays:

January 1.............................................. New Years Day

Third Monday in January.................. Martin Luther King, Jr.s Birthday

Third Monday in February................ Washington's Birthday

Last Monday in May........................... Memorial Day

June 19................................................ Juneteenth Day

July 4.................................................... Independence Day

First Monday in September.............. Labor Day

Last Friday in October....................... Nevada Day

November 11........................................ Veterans Day

Fourth Thursday in November........ Thanksgiving Day

Friday following the Fourth Thursday in November...................... Family Day

December 25........................................ Christmas Day

When January 1, June 19, July 4, November 11, or December 25 falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday is the observed legal holiday. If these days fall on Sunday, the following Monday is the observed holiday. Eligibility for holiday pay is covered by the provisions of NAC 284.255

Employer State of Nevada (NV)

Address See Above for Agency Information

See Above for Posting Location, Nevada, 89701

Website https://nvjobs.nv.gov