Senior Manager, Benefits

This role is responsible for the management and administration of the company’s US benefit programs plans, including plan design recommendations, administration, vendor management, participant communication, financial management, and compliance related activities. 

Benefits Strategy and Plan Design

• Lead the development, evaluation, and implementation of health and welfare, and well-being strategies aligned with business objectives and workforce needs.
• Conduct annual reviews of benefit plan performance, market competitiveness, utilization trends, and employee feedback to recommend plan design enhancements.
• Evaluate emerging benefits trends and benchmark programs against industry peers to ensure market competitiveness.
• Develop business cases and financial analyses to support benefit program changes and strategic initiatives.

Benefits Administration and Operations

• Lead annual open enrollment planning, implementation, testing, employee communications, and post-enrollment evaluation.
• Oversee day-to-day administration of benefit programs, ensuring efficient delivery of services and a positive employee experience.
• Partner with HR Technology and Payroll to maintain accurate benefits system configuration, data integrity, and process effectiveness.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and service delivery.

Financial Management and Analytics

• Manage benefits budgets and support forecasting, financial planning, and cost management initiatives.
• Monitor claim trends, vendor performance metrics, and program utilization to identify opportunities for cost savings and improved outcomes.
• Lead the management of benefits data warehouses, dashboards, and reporting tools to support decision-making and executive reporting.
• Provide data-driven analysis and recommendations regarding plan design, vendor performance, and workforce trends.

Vendor and Consultant Management

• Manage relationships with benefit carriers, administrators, consultants, brokers, and other third-party vendors.
• Establish and monitor service level agreements, performance guarantees, and key performance indicators.
• Lead vendor selection processes, requests for proposal (RFPs), contract negotiations, and implementation activities.
• Conduct regular vendor performance reviews and hold vendors accountable for service delivery commitments.

Compliance and Governance

• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, IRS, Department of Labor, and other regulatory requirements.
• Oversee required compliance communications, filings, notices, audits, and testing activities.
• Partner with Legal, Internal Audit, and external advisors on governance, fiduciary responsibilities, and risk management initiatives.
• Support benefit plan committee activities, including preparation of materials and documentation.

Employee Communications and Change Management

• Develop and oversee employee benefit communications, enrollment materials, and educational programs.
• Lead communication and change management strategies related to benefit program changes and strategic initiatives.
• Ensure communications are compliant, accurate, clear, and effective for diverse employee populations.

Labor Relations Support

• Partner with Labor Relations, HR, Finance, and Legal to support collective bargaining activities involving employee benefit programs.
• Develop cost analyses and financial modeling related to proposed benefit changes.
• Support implementation and administration of collectively bargained benefit plans and negotiated program changes.

Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures, and Separations

• Assist with benefits due diligence, transition planning, and integration activities associated with acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and corporate restructurings.
• Coordinate employee benefit transitions and ensure continuity of coverage during organizational changes.
• Assess benefits-related risks, liabilities, contractual obligations, and integration opportunities.

Leadership and Collaboration

• Serve as a subject matter expert and trusted advisor to HR leadership and business stakeholders.
• Lead cross-functional project teams and influence decisions across multiple functions and levels of the organization.
• Mentor and develop team members while fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Periodically support international benefits initiatives and global projects as required.

Essential Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Analytical — Possess the ability to synthesize large amounts of data and extract and communicate clear and concise findings with supportive analysis.
• Communication Skills — Strong presentation and communication skills, ability to present to senior leaders with competence and clarity, articulating complex issues in a crisp, compelling, and insightful manner.
• Disciplined Execution — Seasoned professional with the ability to multi-task in a corporate environment with high-volume work periods combined with critical deadlines.
• Detail Focused — Maintains attention to detail, focus on accuracy, and commitment to strong customer service.
• Interpersonal Skills — Able to interact with internal and external customers, other analysts, management, and other departments.
• Management — Experience managing and developing a team.
• Interpersonal Skills — Ability to communicate and manage efficiently at all levels of the organization.
• Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
• Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance and time management of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
• Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.

Required Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. 
• Minimum of 10 years' benefits experience with a demonstrated increase in scope of responsibilities and exposure to health and welfare topics during this time. 
• Employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at time of hire.  Visa sponsorship is not available for this position

Additional Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Education or Certifications including Master of Business Administration and/or CEBS
• Strong leadership and people management skills
• Superior knowledge of Excel including formulas, look-ups, pivot tables, and other database functions.
• Superior knowledge of PowerPoint and significant experience presenting to a wide range of audiences
• Oracle HRIS familiarity
• Performance demonstrating project management capabilities
• Ability to manage multiple vendors and service level agreements.
• Experience with continuous improvement and/or quality methodologies

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