Benefits Manager; Absence, Disability Management

Manager position with focus on Absence, Disability and Life benefits for Advocate Health Teammates.

• Bachelors' Degree in Business, Human Resource discipline or related field or equivalent knowledge.
• 7 years of experience in benefits/total rewards function and 2 years of people management experience.

• Deep expertise in benefit administration and design with a proven track record of successful implementation and results, including knowledge of relevant Federal, State, and local laws/regulations relating to employee benefit plans.
• Ability to influence, without direct report authority, across various levels within an organization and with external partners
• Unyielding passion and drive for supporting and advocating for teammates.
• Excellent project management skills, ability to multi-task, work independently, balance competing priorities and work to deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to listen effectively and express thoughts and opinions clearly and concisely.
• Ability to translate data into impactful insights that drive solutions to complex problems across the organization.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (verbal, written and presentation) including the ability to communicate and present complex ideas in a clear & simple way, with the ability to resonate with a diverse audience.
• Demonstrate flexibility and work collaboratively across all levels in the organization.
• Strong technology skills including Excel, PowerPoint; strong analytic abilities required.
• Demonstrates a focus on continuous improvement, advancement and innovation within the function.
• Excellent analytical, quantitative, and qualitative skills to facilitate effective decision-making.

Develops and executes strategies within the functional unit to achieve key business objectives of the COE and site operational teams; optimizing attraction, engagement and retention initiatives.

Assist with the creation of a cohesive, holistic and comprehensive benefits strategy that delivers plans that are innovative, aligned with external market trends, cost competitive and meet the current and future needs of our teammates.

Develops recommendations to support the development of the teams, tools and metrics to facilitate proactive management of benefits costs and efficiency in order to prepare the organization for the financial challenges of the future.

In collaboration with HR Business Partners and other internal partners, develop and implement ongoing communications strategy regarding benefit programs and services to support leaders, employees and the HR community in alignment with employee value proposition.

Evaluates and monitors benefits practices to ensure market competitiveness, and consistency with our total rewards philosophy, recommending changes where appropriate.

Keeps well-informed of innovative solutions and programs in the market and develop a process to evaluate where appropriate.

Participates in developing recommendations and roadmaps for transitioning plans and programs of newly acquired affiliates.

Establishes and maintains strong relationships and a culture of engagement for the benefits team fostering high performance, continuous improvement, open communication, career development and feedback.

Performs human resources responsibilities for staff which include interviewing and selection of new employees, promotions, staff development, performance evaluations, compensation changes, resolution of employee concerns, corrective actions, terminations, and overall employee morale.

Creates and maintains strong partnerships with other departments and key stakeholders regarding oversight and administration of benefits plan (Legal, Finance, Accounting, HR Operations, Compensation, HR Business Partners, HRIS, Enterprise Population Health, etc.).

Leads the analysis, design development, communication and administration of benefits for Advocate Health.

Oversees the preparation of policies, procedures, and other forms of written communications to support the administration and compliance of the benefit programs, ensuring all documentation is up to date and meets organizational and regulatory requirements.

Leads the annual and ongoing enrollment process. This includes development, testing, and execution of the plan design changes, as well as the development, planning and implementation of various communications and training materials for all stakeholders across multiple channels. Extensive project management skills are required.

Stay abreast of all legal issues surrounding benefit plans and ensure that Advocate Health programs are in compliance with local, state, and federal laws.

Conduct on-going research in the Benefits area to keep abreast of best-in-class practices and emerging trends. Works closely with internal legal and finance partners.

Provides robust communication and marketing of Advocate Health benefit programs to facilitate team member…