Policy, Rules & Compliance Section Manager

This is a full-time permanent, hybrid position. Employees will be asked to attend in-person meetings or events based on business needs. All HCA employees are required to be Washington state residents upon their first day of employment.

The Opportunity

The main purpose of this position is to provide leadership, direction, and oversight necessary to seven FTEs to ensure the PEBB and SEBB Programs comply with state and federal regulation that governs employee benefit plans; formulate administrative policy. This position advises the PEB and SEB Boards in the development of eligibility and enrollment policy. It also oversees and directs the work necessary to promulgate WAC (rules) for the PEBB and SEBB Programs. This position directs the work related to the development of agency request legislation and budget decision packages for the ERB Division; overseeing the analysis of federal and state legislation.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee and ensure that PEBB and SEBB Program WAC is promulgated in accordance with HCA policy and state law, including the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) (chapter 34.05 RCW); the Code Reviser regulations in chapters 1-21 WAC; and applicable Executive Orders.
• Develop, present, and recommend eligibility and enrollment policy resolutions to the PEB and SEB Boards to support the administration of PEBB and SEBB benefits.
• Oversee the development and implementation of rules and policy needed to support the on-going alignment of school employee benefits and improve the administration of retiree insurance coverage.
• Oversee the PEBB and SEBB rule revision process and annual assessment of rule effectiveness.
• Plan, organize, oversee, and control the work performed by ERB Division legislative analysts during session to receive, disseminate, and analyze legislative proposals and to respond to legislative inquiries.
• Oversee, plan, lead, organize, and control the work to analyze federal regulations that impact the administration of eligibility and enrollment of the PEBB Program benefits offered to state employees, retirees, and their families and to SEBB Program benefits offered to school district employees and their families.
• Review all PEBB and SEBB Communications to ensure that issued guidance are aligned to state and federal laws, WAC, PEBB and SEBB Program Administrative Policy, and legislative mandates or initiatives.
• Project management and implementation oversight for complex projects including but not limited to, lawsuits, federal or state legislation requiring PEBB and SEBB program changes, Evaluation, and system replacement efforts, including strategic direction related to processes, funding, risk, and communications as they apply to eligibility and rules implementation.

Why You’ll Love This Role

As a vital leader within the Health Care Authority (HCA) and a voting member of the Agency Policy and Procedure Committee, you will guide a dedicated team of seven FTEs to shape administrative policy and rulemaking that directly controls $6 billion in benefit expenditures. Your decisions will protect and enhance the health, vision, dental, and life insurance benefits of nearly 885,000 public and school employees, retirees, and their families.

What You Bring

If you are driven by the opportunity to provide influence over state legislation, counsel executive boards, and integrate an equity lens into enterprise-wide healthcare purchasing strategies, this position elevates you into meaningful public service.

Required Qualifications

Experience may have been gained through paid or unpaid activities. Please ensure any relevant experience defined below is outlined in your cover letter, resume, and application. This position requires advanced knowledge of health benefits delivery systems, the highly technical and dynamic nature of health care and payroll/benefit functions, and the fiscal and political environment of a publicly sponsored employee benefits program operating in a predominately private sector health care market.

About the Employees and Retirees Benefits (ERB) Division

The Employees and Retirees Benefits (ERB) Division oversees three lines of work with an overall annual spending of ~$6 billion dollars for almost 885,000 covered lives: The Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) Program, the School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) Program, and for the state’s individual insurance market, ERB oversees the contracting and management of the state’s “public option” plan offerings (called Cascade Select).

About the Washington State Health Care Authority

Better Health. Better Care. A Healthier Washington. At HCA, we work to ensure people across Washington have the opportunity to be as healthy as possible. As the State’s largest health care purchaser and behavioral health authority, HCA serves nearly 3 million Washington residents through Apple Health (Medicaid), Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) and School Employees Benefits Board (SEBB) programs, and behavioral health services.

Work Location and Schedule

This is a full-time 40-hour-per-week hybrid position. You will report to the HCA office located in Olympia, WA for in-person work. Our standard business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with alternative work schedules considered based on business needs.

Application Directions

To be considered, you must complete the online application in full and submit all required materials. Incomplete applications or applications missing required materials will not be considered.