Benefits Manager

Primary Details Time Type:
Full time Worker Type:
Employee The purpose of this role is to manage the development, communication, and implementation of employee benefit policies and programs, ensuring alignment with organisational needs and compliance with legal requirements. This role will also involve managing relationships with external benefit providers, analysing market trends to enhance offerings and providing guidance in the business on benefits.

The Opportunity:

The Benefits Manager is responsible for the strategic management, administration, compliance, communication, and continuous improvement of North America's health & welfare, retirement, voluntary benefit, and wellbeing programs. This role serves as the subject matter expert for benefits, leveraging market intelligence, industry trends, employee feedback, and program data to enhance benefit offerings, improve employee experience, drive operational excellence, ensure regulatory compliance, and optimize return on investment.

The Benefits Manager oversees vendor and broker relationships, manages benefit plan financials and budgets, leads the implementation of new benefit and wellbeing initiatives, serves as the escalation point for complex employee benefit matters, and provides leadership for the benefits function, including direct management of a Senior Benefits Specialist.

Location:

Chicago, IL;
Madison, WIWork Arrangement:
This role is hybrid, where you will be expected to be in the office 2-3 days per week  The salary range for this role is between $119,000-$197,000

Your New Role:

Design, implement, administer, and optimize health & welfare, retirement, wellbeing, and voluntary benefit programs that support business objectives and employee needs.

Lead benefits and wellbeing projects and strategic initiatives, including new program implementations, vendor transitions, plan audits, compliance reviews, open enrollment activities, and Requests for Proposal (RFPs).Develop and maintain strong relationships with benefit vendors, brokers, consultants, and service providers, including contract negotiations, performance management, service delivery oversight, and identification of opportunities to improve value, outcomes, and the employee experience.

Manage the benefits ecosystem by ensuring benefit programs, vendor partners, wellbeing initiatives, employee support resources, and communication strategies work together effectively to deliver seamless employee experiences and desired business outcomes.

Research emerging industry trends, regulatory developments, and market-leading practices to identify opportunities to enhance benefits and wellbeing programs and maintain a competitive total rewards offering.

Monitor benefit plan utilization, financial performance, vendor guarantees, and annual budgets, using data, employee feedback, benchmarking, and trend analysis to develop recommendations that improve program effectiveness, employee engagement, cost management, and return on investment.

Drive the use of technology and automation to improve efficiency, accuracy, and the employee experience. Lead continuous improvement efforts to identify opportunities to streamline benefits delivery.

Develop and execute a North America wellbeing strategy that supports employees' physical, emotional, financial, and social wellbeing while advancing organizational objectives.

Lead open enrollment and year-round benefits communication strategies, including employee education, training sessions, policies, procedures, and self-service resources that improve understanding, engagement, and utilization of benefit programs.

Lead all benefits compliance activities, ensuring compliance with applicable federal and state requirements, including ERISA, COBRA, ACA, HIPAA, FMLA, and other applicable regulations. Oversee required filings, compliance testing, disclosures/notices, plan audits, reporting obligations, governance activities, and compliance controls.

Maintain and govern benefit plan documentation, including plan documents, summary plan descriptions, policies, procedures, and other required materials, in partnership with vendors, consultants, brokers, and legal counsel to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance.

Serve as an escalation point for complex employee benefit matters, applying plan provisions, regulatory requirements, and sound judgment to resolve concerns, ensure consistent interpretation of plan documents, and mitigate compliance risk.

Partner with internal stakeholders to support…