Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wellness Program Assistant

🎯 Role Definition

The Wellness Program Assistant supports the design, delivery, coordination, and evaluation of employee health and wellbeing initiatives. This role partners with HR, benefits, clinical vendors and wellness committees to increase participation in disease prevention, mental health, fitness, and nutrition programs. The ideal candidate manages logistics for on-site and virtual activities, maintains program data and reporting, communicates promotions to employees, and ensures compliance with privacy and benefit rules. Focus areas include event logistics, vendor coordination, participant outreach, data tracking (biometric screenings, participation rates), incentive administration, and continuous program improvement.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

HR Coordinator or HR Assistant transitioning to benefits and wellbeing operations
Health Coach, Group Fitness Coordinator, or Community Health Worker moving to corporate wellness
Administrative Assistant or Events Coordinator supporting HR / People Operations teams

Advancement To:

Wellness Program Manager / Coordinator
Benefits & Wellbeing Specialist or Employee Health Manager
Total Rewards Analyst with a wellness specialization

Lateral Moves:

Employee Engagement Specialist
HR Generalist with benefits or DEI focus

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Coordinate end-to-end logistics for wellness programs and events — including scheduling venues (on-site and virtual), arranging equipment and supplies, contracting and onboarding vendors (fitness instructors, nutritionists, EAP providers), and ensuring all programs run smoothly and on budget.
Manage the enrollment and incentive process for wellness challenges and preventative health programs, documenting participant eligibility, tracking points/credits, distributing rewards, and resolving discrepancies with payroll or benefits teams.
Administer and track biometric screenings, flu clinics, immunization events, and health risk assessments by coordinating vendor schedules, securing consent and privacy compliance, preparing participant materials, and ensuring accurate and secure transfer of results to authorized stakeholders.
Maintain and update wellness program databases and HRIS records (e.g., Workday, ADP, BambooHR), ensuring participant information and program completions are captured accurately for reporting and benefit qualification.
Develop, execute, and evaluate multi-channel communications and marketing campaigns (email, intranet, Slack/MS Teams, digital signage) to promote wellness initiatives, driving enrollment and sustained engagement through A/B testing and segmentation.
Produce regular program performance reports and dashboards (using Excel, Google Sheets, Tableau or Power BI) that summarize participation metrics, ROI indicators, health outcomes, and recommendations to leadership and wellness committees.
Support program design by collecting and synthesizing employee needs assessments, survey results, utilization trends and benchmarking data to recommend evidence-based wellness activities and incentives aligned with organizational goals.
Manage relationships with external vendors and partners, negotiating service levels, reviewing contracts, coordinating vendor performance metrics, and escalating issues to procurement or legal as needed.
Assist in the development and enforcement of privacy, security and compliance protocols (HIPAA, ADA, GINA) related to health data, ensuring all communications, reporting and vendor transfers meet regulatory and company standards.
Implement and manage incentive budgets and petty cash for wellness programming, processing invoices, reconciling expenditures, creating purchase orders, and coordinating with finance to track ROI and spend against plan.
Facilitate wellness committee activities: prepare agendas, capture meeting notes, assign follow-ups, and translate committee goals into actionable program milestones with measurable KPIs.
Provide frontline participant support and case management for employees seeking program guidance, troubleshooting portal or app access, answering benefits-related questions, and escalating clinical inquiries to licensed providers when appropriate.
Assist in curating and updating a resource library of on-demand wellness content (webinars, recorded classes, articles) and learning modules on LMS platforms to support ongoing employee education and skill building in stress management, nutrition, and physical activity.
Coordinate targeted interventions for high-risk or chronic disease populations by working with health coaches, case managers and partner clinicians to schedule outreach, enrollment and outcome tracking while safeguarding confidentiality.
Support diversity, equity and inclusion in wellness programming by auditing participation data, recommending culturally relevant offerings, and collaborating with ERGs to ensure equitable access to health resources and accommodations.
Plan and execute pilot programs and small-scale experiments (e.g., mindfulness challenge, step-count competition) including participant recruitment, metric definition, timelines, data collection, and post-pilot evaluation to validate broader rollouts.
Maintain program documentation including SOPs, vendor contact lists, consent forms, data flow diagrams, and training materials to ensure continuity and scalability of wellness services.
Monitor member experience by collecting and analyzing satisfaction surveys, NPS-type feedback and qualitative input to refine communication tone, program cadence, and service delivery.
Coordinate multi-site or satellite office wellness schedules and vendor logistics to ensure consistent program delivery across locations and during virtual/hybrid work schedules.
Support grant applications or special funding pursuits for community health initiatives or corporate philanthropy aligned with wellness objectives, performing background research and compiling necessary attachments.
Serve as the operational backup for wellness reporting during benefits open enrollment and special population events, ensuring accurate crediting of activities and compliance with plan rules.
Track and report on competitive vendor performance and market trends, recommending new partnerships, technologies (wellness platforms, wearables, telehealth) and cost-effective program optimizations.

Secondary Functions

Assist with the creation and maintenance of wellness content calendars and editorial plans to ensure timely, consistent messaging year-round.
Provide administrative support for health coaching and EAP scheduling, including calendar management, reminder communications and follow-up documentation.
Support cross-functional initiatives with Benefits, Legal, Communications and Facilities teams to align wellness services with employee policies and physical spaces.
Participate in periodic training for HR and wellness staff on program tools, privacy practices and new vendor platforms.
Collect and maintain consent forms and program waivers, scanning and filing records per company retention policies.
Act as a wellness ambassador at company-wide events, open houses and new-hire orientations to drive program awareness and enrollment.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Wellness program administration and event logistics management (on-site and virtual) with demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent activities.
Proficiency with HRIS platforms (e.g., Workday, ADP, BambooHR) to record participation and reconcile benefits-related data.
Advanced spreadsheet skills in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, data validation) for participation and ROI analysis.
Experience with data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI, Looker) or building clear dashboards for leadership reporting.
Familiarity with population health concepts and program evaluation methodologies (KPIs, pre/post measures, A/B tests).
Knowledge of privacy and regulatory requirements impacting wellness programs (HIPAA, ADA, GINA) and secure handling of protected health information.
CRM and marketing automation skills for campaign execution (Mailchimp, HubSpot, Marketo, or internal email platforms).
Vendor management and contract administration experience, including SOW review and performance monitoring.
Experience managing biometric screening logistics and securely handling screening results or coordinating with clinical partners.
Basic budgeting, invoicing and purchase order processing skills with experience collaborating with finance teams.
Competence with learning management systems (LMS) and content platforms for delivering on-demand wellness education.
Familiarity with telehealth and EAP integration, scheduling tools and participant case tracking systems.
Knowledge of wellness platforms and mobile apps (Virgin Pulse, Limeade, Wellable, Virgin Pulse, WellRight) and experience onboarding employees to these systems.

Soft Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication, able to draft persuasive promotional copy and clear operational documentation.
Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines and manage cross-functional dependencies.
Empathy and active listening when interacting with employees about sensitive health topics; maintains confidentiality and professionalism.
Problem-solving mindset with data-driven decision making and continuous improvement orientation.
High attention to detail and accuracy in tracking participant records, incentive distribution and financial reconciliation.
Stakeholder management and influencing skills to partner effectively with clinical vendors, HR colleagues and senior leaders.
Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced, hybrid work environment, able to pivot programs based on participation trends or organizational changes.
Cultural competence and the ability to design inclusive programming that respects diverse backgrounds and needs.
Facilitation and public speaking skills for delivering wellness workshops and leading committee meetings.
Customer-service orientation with patience and responsiveness in handling employee inquiries.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Associate degree or relevant certificate in health promotion, public health, human resources, communications, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Health Promotion, Kinesiology, Human Resources, Communications, Social Work, or related discipline.
Relevant certifications preferred: Certified Corporate Wellness Specialist (CCWS), Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), Health Coach certification, or CPR/First Aid.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Public Health
Health Promotion / Health Education
Human Resources / Organizational Development
Communications / Marketing
Kinesiology / Exercise Science

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–3 years supporting wellness, benefits, HR programs, event coordination, or health promotion in corporate, non-profit, or healthcare settings.

Preferred:

2–5+ years of direct wellness program coordination, health coaching support, or benefits administration with demonstrated success running prevention and engagement initiatives, managing vendors, and producing management-level reporting.