Senior Counsel, Assistant Vice President of Legal Affairs, Employee Benefits and ERISA Compliance

Job Title: Senior Counsel

Location: SBC Corporation

Department Name: General Counsel Office

Req #: 0000206241

Status: Salaried

Shift: Day

Pay Range: $175,000.00 - $295,000.00 per year

Pay Transparency: The above reflects the anticipated annual salary range for this position if hired to work in New Jersey.

The compensation offered to the candidate selected for the position will depend on several factors, including the candidate's educational background, skills and professional experience.

Senior Counsel, Assistant Vice President of Legal Affairs, Employee Benefits and ERISA Compliance

Job Overview:

RWJBarnabas Health, New Jersey s largest integrated academic healthcare system, seeks a highly experienced and detail-oriented in-house attorney to serve as Assistant Vice President of Legal Affairs with a focus on employee benefits and ERISA compliance,

The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in health and welfare benefit plans, retirement plans, Affordable Care Act compliance, fiduciary obligations, and related tax reporting requirements,

This role will serve as a key legal advisor to Human Resources, Finance, and Compliance teams, ensuring that all benefit programs are designed and administered in accordance with applicable laws and organizational strategy. This position requires a minimum of 8 years of relevant legal experience, preferably within a large employer, health system, or law firm specializing in employee benefits and tax-exempt healthcare organizations.

Reports to: The Senior Counsel, Assistant Vice President of Legal Affairs, Employee Benefits and ERISA Compliance reports directly to the Vice President of Legal Affairs.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school
• Active license to practice law in the State of New Jersey -or eligibility for in-house counsel licensure in NJ
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant legal experience, with a strong preference for candidates with in-house healthcare system or health and welfare benefit plan experience
• Deep expertise in benefits contracting, health plan operations, and regulatory frameworks governing plan benefits
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate high-stakes contracts with a strong grasp of both legal risk and business priorities
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex legal concepts to non-lawyers
• Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail, with a proactive and collaborative work style
• Experience with value-based payment models and risk arrangements
• Familiarity with contract lifecycle management systems and legal operations software
• Background in or understanding of healthcare economics, reimbursement methodologies, and health system finance

Essential Functions:

Employee Benefits Legal Support

• Provide legal counsel on all aspects of employee benefits, including plan design, implementation, administration, and compliance for health, welfare, retirement, and executive compensation programs
• Review, draft, and negotiate vendor agreements, plan documents, summary plan descriptions, and amendments
• Partner with HR and Total Rewards to ensure compliant and strategic benefit offerings across the organization

ERISA and Fiduciary Compliance

• Provide counsel regarding fiduciary duties under ERISA and assist with the governance of plan fiduciaries and committees
• Monitor and interpret federal and state legislative and regulatory developments affecting employee benefit plans, including ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, MHPAEA, and GINA
• Advise on fiduciary governance, prohibited transaction exemptions, and IRS/DOL audits or voluntary correction programs

Internal Legal Support and Business Strategy

• Serve as a trusted advisor to system leadership, offering practical legal counsel that balances risk mitigation with business objectives
• Proactively identify areas of legal risk and propose creative, legally compliant solutions that promote health system initiatives and strategic partnerships
• Participate in cross-functional teams focused on health and welfare benefits strategy, payment innovation, and operational implementation of contractual terms

Administrative and Team Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate documentation and tracking of all agreements and associated legal files
• Provide training and education to internal stakeholders regarding contract provisions, regulatory changes, and negotiation strategies
• Contribute to departmental initiatives around process improvement, contract lifecycle management, and legal operations

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Additional Information:

Benefits and Perks:

At RWJBarnabas Health, our employees are at the heart of everything we do. Driven by our Total Wellbeing promise, our market-competitive offerings include comprehensive benefits and resources to support our employees’ physical, emotional, financial, personal, career, and community wellbeing. These benefits and resources include, but are not limited to:

• Paid Time Off including Vacation, Holidays, and Sick Time
• Retirement Plans
• Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• Disability and Life Insurance
• Paid Parental Leave
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Student Loan Planning Support
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Wellness Programs
• Voluntary Benefits (e.g., Pet Insurance)
• Community and Volunteer Opportunities
• Discounts Through our Partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, and Verizon
• ….and more!

Choosing RWJBarnabas Health!

RWJBarnabas Health is the premier health care destination providing patient-centered, high-quality academic medicine in a compassionate and equitable manner, while delivering a best-in-class work experience to every member of the team. We honor and appreciate the privilege of creating and sustaining healthier communities, one person and one community at a time. As the leading academic health system in New Jersey, we advance innovative strategies in high-quality patient care, education, and research to address both the clinical and social determinants of health.

RWJBarnabas Health aims to truly make a unique impact in local communities throughout New Jersey. From vastly improving the health of local residents to creating educational and career opportunities, this combination greatly benefits the state. We understand the growing and evolving needs of residents in New Jersey—whether that be enhancing the coordination for treating complex health conditions or improving community health through local programs and education.

At RWJBarnabas Health, our market-competitive Total Rewards package provides comprehensive benefits and resources to support our employees physical, emotional, social, and financial health.

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• Retirement Plans
• Short & Long Term Disability
• Life & Accidental Death Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Wellness Programs
• Voluntary Benefits (e.g., Pet Insurance)
• Discounts Through our Partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, Verizon, and more!

RWJBarnabas Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer