Employee Benefits – Small Group Consultant Location: Dallas/Frisco, TX (office-based)

Our client, a growing employee benefits organization, is seeking an experienced Employee Benefits Consultant – Small Group to own small-group opportunities from initial introduction through close and renewal.

Opportunities are generated through the company's field team, client relationships and association partnerships. This individual will focus on understanding the client's needs, recommending the right solution and closing the business, not prospecting or building their own pipeline.

Once sold, the account transitions to the Onboarding and Client Success teams for ongoing support, with the Consultant re-engaging at renewal to help retain the business.

Key Responsibilities

New Business

• Own assigned small-group opportunities from initial introduction through close.
• Respond quickly to opportunities generated by internal producers, associations and other channels.
• Lead discovery conversations with decision-makers and HR leaders.
• Understand the client's current benefits program, employee population, renewal, pain points and objectives.
• Understand applicable state rules, market options and program capabilities.
• Evaluate and recommend appropriate fully insured, level-funded and other small-group solutions.
• Utilize established quoting/proposal technology and processes to develop market proposals for standard-market opportunities.
• Partner with Marketing & Underwriting and program partners when additional support is required.
• Target proposal turnaround of approximately three business days following receipt of complete information for standard-market opportunities.
• Present clear recommendations rather than simply presenting carrier quotes.
• Explain the entire process from sale through enrollment, implementation and ongoing service before the client commits, including expectations, responsibilities and timelines.
• Proactively manage questions, objections, follow-up and next steps.
• Leverage the originating producer or relationship when an opportunity stalls or additional support is needed.
• Secure required commitments and documentation.
• Maintain accurate activity, pipeline and status information in Salesforce.
• Transition closed business cleanly to Onboarding and Client Success.

Renewals & Retention

The Client Success Manager owns the ongoing client relationship and service experience throughout the year. The Consultant re-engages ahead of renewal to:

• Partner with the CSM to understand the client experience, concerns and changing needs.
• Review the renewal and determine the appropriate strategy.
• Evaluate incumbent and alternative options when appropriate.
• Work with Marketing & Underwriting to develop recommendations.
• Lead renewal recommendation and decision conversations.
• Identify opportunities to improve or expand the benefits program.
• Drive timely renewal decisions.
• Help maintain strong retention across the assigned small-group book.

Performance Expectations

Success will be measured by:

• Number of new groups closed
• Conversion rate of assigned opportunities
• Speed from opportunity to decision
• Proposal turnaround
• Pipeline movement and follow-up
• Retention of closed business
• Quality of client experience
• Internal communication and collaboration
• Clean transition to Onboarding and Client Success
• Salesforce/process discipline

Long-term performance goal: build toward the capacity and opportunity flow required to average approximately one new small-group close per business day. The company anticipates it may take approximately 12 months to develop the pipeline necessary to consistently support this level of volume.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of Employee Benefits experience preferred
• Strong small-group benefits expertise
• Experience with fully insured and level-funded medical plans
• Knowledge of state-specific small-group rules and carrier markets
• Experience with benefits quoting and proposal development; PlanYear experience strongly preferred
• Understanding of ancillary benefits
• Experience leading client discovery, recommendation and renewal meetings
• Demonstrated ability to influence decisions and close business
• Ability to explain complex benefits concepts simply
• Strong urgency and follow-through
• Comfortable managing a high volume of simultaneous opportunities
• Highly process-oriented and organized
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Life & Health license required or ability to obtain promptly