Benefits Specialist

About us KnitWell Group, a specialty retail operating company, comprises some of the most iconic brands in America – Ann Taylor, Chico's, Haven Well Within, Lane Bryant, LOFT, Soma, Talbots, White House Black Market. Individually, our brands are unique and strong. Together, we are powerful.

Our common thread is our commitment to create exceptional products, provide memorable experiences, and achieve superior results. Our associates are innovators who thrive through collaboration and are dedicated to excellence. At the heart of it all are the customers we serve. We are dedicated to creating fashion that not only looks good but also makes our customers feel good.

Benefits Specialist About the role

The Benefits Specialist is responsible for supporting the administration, communication, compliance, and day-to-day operations of employee benefit programs.

This role serves as a key point of contact for associates, HR partners, vendors, carriers, third-party administrators, and other internal stakeholders regarding benefit eligibility, enrollment, coverage, claims, retirement programs, billing, compliance, and policy-related questions.

This position provides high-quality customer service, resolves associate benefit inquiries, supports health and welfare and retirement plan administration, assists with compliance activities, maintains accurate benefit data, supports open enrollment and benefit communications, and helps ensure benefit plans are administered accurately, timely, and in compliance with applicable federal and state regulations.

The impact you can have Benefit Administration and Associate Support Provide day-to-day support for benefit programs, including medical, prescription, dental, vision, life, disability, wellness, employee assistance, retirement, and other benefit programs.

Serve as a primary contact for associate benefit questions, including eligibility, enrollment, plan provisions, coverage, claims, retirement, and policy-related inquiries.

Counsel associates, HR partners, managers, and other stakeholders on benefit plan provisions, policies, procedures, and administrative processes.

Research, respond to, and resolve associate benefit questions, complaints, and escalated issues in a timely, accurate, and professional manner.

Provide a high level of customer service when working with associates by phone, email, system cases, and in person as needed.

Enrollment, Data Integrity, and Systems Process benefit enrollments, status changes, terminations, deduction adjustments, and other benefit-related updates in HRIS, payroll, enrollment, and vendor systems accurately and timely.

Review benefit data and file feeds to support accuracy between HRIS, payroll, benefit administration systems, and external vendor platforms.

Perform audits to ensure benefit enrollment, eligibility, payroll deductions, vendor files, and reporting data are accurate and complete.

Partner with vendors, carriers, recordkeepers, and internal teams to research and correct data discrepancies.

Compliance and Plan Administration Support compliance activities for applicable benefit programs, including ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, ERISA, Form 5500 filings, 1094-C, 1095-C, Summary Plan Descriptions, plan documents, legally required notices, and other required filings or disclosures.

Assist with retirement plan compliance activities, including compliance testing, external audits, Form 5500 filings, required notices, and review of plan administration processes.

Partner with Benefits, HR, Finance, Payroll, Legal, vendors, recordkeepers, consultants, and other external partners to support compliant and accurate benefit plan administration.

Interpret benefit plan documents, compliance materials, policies, and procedures to support accurate administration and associate guidance.

Claims, Appeals, and Specialized Benefit Processes Support claims-related issue resolution by working with associates, vendors, carriers, and TPAs as appropriate.

Coordinate and track benefit claim appeals, including review, follow-up, communication, and documentation.

Process and support life insurance claims for associate and dependent deaths, as applicable.

Assist with dependent…