Chief Operating Officer

About Us

The State of Connecticut, Paid Family and Medical Leave Insurance Authority (the “Authority”) is a quasi-governmental agency formed by statue and signed into law by Governor Ned Lamont in 2019. Its mission is to help Connecticut’s workforce navigate health challenges and life changes with greater financial security.

Through a trust funded by employees, the Authority makes benefits payments to eligible employees when either the employee or their family member takes a leave from work to care for themselves or a family member.

The Position

We are excitedly seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to oversee the daily operations of the Authority. Working under the direction of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and in collaboration with other senior leaders in the Authority, the COO works to develop and implement strategies and procedures needed to advance the Authority’s mission and purpose. As a trusted partner to the CEO, the COO is a critical liaison between the Authority, its Board of Directors, and other key stakeholders.

All State employees shall follow the guidelines as listed in Executive Orders  13F (3a) and 13G (3a) .

Application Information:

• The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• Please ensure that your application is complete before submitting it. Applicants will be unable to make revisions once their application is submitted into the JobAps system. Applicants who submit and subsequently withdraw their application will not be able to resubmit for the same posting.

Throughout the Recruitment Process:

• Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position.
• This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
• Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most clearly meet the requirements of the position.

Please Note:

• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class
• Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Jennifer Neumann at jennifer.neumann@ct.gov and reference the recruitment number.

• Partners with the CEO, and at their direction, assures the successful start and completion and maintenance of all major projects and key agency functions, including, but not limited to budgeting, claims administration and outreach and engagement efforts. In cooperation with the General Counsel and team, supports the management, oversight and audit of private plans administered by employers.
• Develops and maintains a strong working knowledge of the Paid Family and Medical Leave statutes as well as the agency’s by-laws and other governing documents to provide direction and support to agency staff, legislators and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Working in concert with the CEO, Controller and the Board’s Finance Committee, supports the Controller and CEO in building a budget for the Authority, including a capital budget, and the development of long-term plans to assure the Authority’s fiscal continuity and integrity.
• In cooperation with the Outreach and Engagement teams, regularly prepares and presents status reports for the CEO and the Board of Directors on all the Authority’s key operations.
• Provides timely, accurate and complete reports on the conditions of the daily operations of the Authority.
• In the absence or at the direction of the CEO, represents the Authority at any meetings of the Board of Directors, the Governor and the Executive Branch, legislators, the Department of Administrative Services, the Office of the Treasurer and other Constitutional offices, the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management, the Legislative Branch, Legislative Committees of the General Assembly and any other constituents and stakeholders.
• Appears as a witness at legislative hearings, fact findings, arbitrations and any other matters as needed.
• Supports and partners with the IT Director, Outreach and Engagement team, Benefits Systems Manager, General Counsel and their teams to assure the efficient operations of the Authority’s Employee Contribution, Registration and Benefits and Claims systems.
• Fosters a respectful, success-oriented, and accountable work environment
• Performs any related duties as required.

This list of duties is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities that the Authority may deem necessary from time to time and as the Authority’s work and responsibilities demand.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in Management, Business, Organizational Management, or a similar field; or a Masters of Business Administration.
• 5 years leading and executing large-scale Information Technology projects.
• 10 years of experience managing large-scale operations with public-facing stakeholders.
• 5 years of experience in managing administration.
• Experience leading a team, improving team morale and promoting accountability.
• Experience working with disability claims or Family and Medical Leave for an insurance company.
• Experience using verbal and written communication with public facing stakeholders and teams.
• Experience working in a start-up environment.
• Experience developing, monitoring, and managing budgets of at least $15 million.
• Experience managing large-scale projects with competing priorities.
• Experience prioritizing work and meeting time sensitive deadlines, including follow-through while balancing and prioritizing multiple activities and responsibilities.

Additional Key Skills

• Experience providing support, supervision, and strategic guidance to colleagues across issue areas.
• Experience sharing authority and responsibility in high stakes, complex and fast-moving work environment.
• Experience engaging in problem solving and taking initiative, while utilizing a solutions-oriented approach and exhibiting flexibility and good judgement in a complex organizational system.
• Willingness to travel throughout Connecticut and the northeast corridor, as well as periodic travel to other states as needed, as permitted by federal or state health laws and regulations.
• Experience working in all areas of business.
• Experience in municipal or state government.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly, Excel.
• Experience with relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.