Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wellness Coordinator

🎯 Role Definition

The Wellness Coordinator leads the development and execution of workplace wellness initiatives that support employee physical, mental, and financial wellbeing. Reporting to HR or Benefits leadership, the Coordinator partners with clinical providers, benefits vendors, leadership, and employees to design evidence-based programs (screenings, coaching, workshops, challenges) that drive participation, improve health outcomes, and demonstrate ROI. The role balances strategic planning, program operations, vendor management, marketing, and measurement of outcomes using quantitative and qualitative metrics.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

HR generalist or HR specialist with wellness responsibilities
Health educator, community health worker, or health promotion specialist
Patient or population health coordinator in clinical or benefits settings

Advancement To:

Senior Wellness Manager / Wellness Program Manager
Benefits Manager or Total Rewards Manager
Director of Employee Wellbeing or Head of Workplace Health

Lateral Moves:

Health Coach Lead
Employee Engagement Manager
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Program Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive, multi-year workplace wellness strategy that aligns with organizational goals, reduces health risk factors, and improves employee engagement and retention.
Design and run evidence-based health promotion programs such as biometric screenings, tobacco cessation, weight management, stress reduction, mental health awareness, chronic disease self-management, and preventative care campaigns.
Create measurable program goals, KPIs, and dashboards to monitor participation, clinical outcomes, satisfaction, and ROI, and deliver quarterly and annual performance reports to leadership and stakeholders.
Manage vendor relationships for health coaching, EAPs, fitness subsidies, biometric screening vendors, and wellness technology platforms, ensuring SLAs, compliance, and cost-effectiveness.
Conduct needs assessments and regular employee surveys, focus groups, and health risk assessments (HRAs) to identify priority areas, tailor interventions, and segment populations for targeted outreach.
Deliver one-on-one or small-group health coaching and behavior change sessions using motivational interviewing and evidence-based coaching techniques to support employees with chronic conditions or health goals.
Coordinate onsite and virtual wellness events, workshops, lunch-and-learns, and wellness challenge campaigns, including logistics, content development, speaker selection, and marketing to maximize participation.
Develop and manage program budgets, track expenditures, forecast costs, and identify opportunities to optimize spend and demonstrate financial impact of wellness initiatives.
Ensure program policies and communications comply with HIPAA, ADA, ERISA, and other relevant federal/state privacy and benefits regulations, and work with legal and benefits teams on compliance matters.
Create compelling internal marketing campaigns and content (email, intranet, posters, social, webinars) to increase awareness, drive enrollment, and sustain engagement using segmentation and A/B testing where appropriate.
Integrate wellness programming with benefits strategy, open enrollment initiatives, and health plan vendor partnerships to create seamless employee experiences and drive utilization of preventive care.
Train and coach managers and wellness champions to promote wellbeing within teams, deliver ergonomic and mental health first-aid guidance, and sustain peer-driven engagement activities.
Analyze clinical and utilization data with HRIS/benefits systems or third-party reports to identify trends, evaluate program effectiveness, and make data-driven recommendations for continuous improvement.
Lead cross-functional project teams to pilot new wellness technologies, digital health tools, or on-site offerings (fitness spaces, meditation rooms), including RFPs, vendor evaluation, and implementation planning.
Support population health initiatives by coordinating immunization clinics, flu shot programs, and onsite preventive screening events in partnership with health providers and community organizations.
Facilitate return-to-work, leave-of-absence, and accommodation coordination in collaboration with HR, occupational health, and external providers to support employee recovery and reintegration.
Create and maintain clear documentation, SOPs, and program playbooks for recurring wellness activities to ensure consistency, scalability, and knowledge transfer across the organization.
Monitor and respond to employee wellness inquiries, triage high-risk cases to appropriate clinical or EAP resources, and maintain confidentiality and empathy in all employee interactions.
Develop outcome-based pilots (e.g., chronic disease management, telehealth mental health services) and scale successful pilots enterprise-wide while tracking engagement, clinical results, and cost savings.
Lead crisis or mental health response coordination during workplace incidents, ensuring access to immediate support, resources, and follow-up care pathways for affected employees.
Partner with benefits, finance, and analytics teams to quantify program ROI, present business cases for new initiatives, and secure executive sponsorship and ongoing funding.

Secondary Functions

Maintain accurate records and participant data within HRIS, wellness platforms, and reporting tools; support periodic audits and data requests.
Support the development and maintenance of wellness resource libraries, toolkits, and manager guides to enable self-service wellness support.
Identify and cultivate community partnerships with gyms, health clinics, nonprofits, and public health agencies to expand employee access to services and discounts.
Coordinate volunteer health ambassadors and internal champions program, providing training, toolkits, and recognition to sustain grassroots engagement.
Assist with benefits communications during open enrollment to align wellness incentives with plan design and consumerism education.
Stay informed of industry trends, emerging best practices, and regulatory changes in workplace wellness and health promotion and recommend relevant updates to programs.
Collect feedback after events and programs, run post-activity evaluations, and iterate on content and delivery to improve future participation and impact.
Provide onboarding and orientation support for new hires related to wellness benefits, programs, and points of contact.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Program design and management for workplace wellness, including development of curricula, timelines, and evaluation plans.
Experience with health risk assessments (HRAs), biometric screening processes, and related clinical data interpretation.
Proficiency with HRIS and benefits platforms (e.g., Workday, ADP, UKG), wellness platforms, LMS, and basic CRM tools for participant management.
Data analysis and reporting skills: ability to create dashboards, analyze participation and clinical metrics, and translate results into executive summaries (Excel, Google Sheets, Tableau or Power BI preferred).
Vendor management experience, including RFP creation, contract negotiation, and performance monitoring for health vendors and EAP providers.
Knowledge of HIPAA, ADA, ERISA, and privacy considerations related to employee health information and program incentives.
Budgeting and financial analysis for program planning, ROI calculation, and cost-management.
Health coaching certification or training (e.g., NCHEC, NBHWC, ACE, or equivalent) or experience in behavior change methodologies.
Comfortable delivering virtual and in-person programming, facilitation, and adult-learning techniques.
Familiarity with mental health first aid, CPR/First Aid, and basic occupational health concepts (preferred).

Soft Skills

Excellent verbal and written communication with the ability to produce engaging, persuasive wellness communications and present to executive audiences.
Strong interpersonal skills with empathy, active listening, and the ability to build trust with employees across levels and backgrounds.
Project and time management skills with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives.
Stakeholder engagement and influencing skills to secure buy-in from leadership, managers, and cross-functional partners.
Problem-solving mindset and ability to adapt program design based on data, feedback, and changing organizational priorities.
Cultural competence and inclusivity in program design to meet the needs of diverse employee populations.
Coaching and motivational skills to inspire behavior change and support individual goal-setting.
Facilitation and public speaking confidence for workshops, webinars, and large group presentations.
Customer-service orientation and responsiveness to employee needs and sensitive situations.
Creativity in marketing and program design to sustain participation and refresh offerings over time.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Health Promotion, Human Resources, Nursing, Kinesiology, Psychology, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree plus wellness/health coaching certification or a Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Education, or Organizational Psychology.
Certifications such as Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), or SHRM/HR certification are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Public Health
Health Promotion / Health Education
Nursing
Kinesiology / Exercise Science
Human Resources
Psychology / Behavioral Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

2–5 years of experience in workplace wellness, health promotion, benefits administration, population health, or a related setting.

Preferred:

3–5+ years developing and managing employee wellness programs, demonstrated success in driving participation and measurable outcomes, experience with vendor oversight, and experience translating clinical or utilization data into actionable program improvements.r.