Human Resources Benefits Manager

POSITION SUMMARY The HR Operations & Benefits Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for UCP's employee benefits and assigned Human Resources operations. The Manager is responsible not only for accurate administration, but also for analyzing costs, utilization, vendor performance, employee needs, and operational data to recommend strategies that improve employee value, manage organizational cost, strengthen compliance, and improve the effectiveness of HR systems and processes.

The Manager owns benefits, leave administration, workers' compensation coordination, HRIS functions within assigned areas, vendor management, and the administrative infrastructure supporting UCP's performance evaluation cycle. Routine administrative work should be appropriately delegated to the HR Clerk or other assigned support staff, allowing the Manager to focus on analysis, problem-solving, process improvement, vendor accountability, and strategic recommendations. The Manager also coordinates ACA reporting, unemployment claims, retirement contribution reviews, and related compliance processes.

The Manager establishes and enforces effective verification, reconciliation, and audit controls to protect team members from coverage or deduction errors and to reduce financial and compliance risk. The Manager remains accountable for quality assurance even when processing is delegated to HR support staff.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Benefits Strategy, Cost Management & Employee Value
• Develop and implement benefits strategies that balance employee value, workforce needs, competitiveness, and responsible stewardship of organizational resources.
• Analyze benefit utilization, claims trends, participation, costs, renewal information, and available market data to identify opportunities to manage UCP's overall benefit costs while maintaining competitive offerings.
• Partner with the Vice President of Human Resources, Director of Human Resources, Finance, benefits brokers, carriers, and other partners to evaluate plan design, funding approaches, vendor performance, and cost-containment opportunities.
• Develop recommendations for annual benefit strategy and renewal decisions, including analysis of financial impact, employee impact, risks, and alternatives.
• Strategically manage carrier wellness funds, credits, incentives, and other available resources to achieve defined employee-health, engagement, utilization, or cost-management outcomes; establish measures to evaluate results.
• Identify strategies to increase appropriate use of preventive care, wellness resources, and cost-effective benefits and communicate recommendations to leadership.

Benefits, Retirement & Vendor Management
• Own the administration and continuous improvement of UCP's health, dental, vision, life, disability, flexible spending, retirement, and other employee benefit programs.
• Manage ongoing employee benefit enrollments and changes, including accurate eligibility and deductions, and ensure team members receive clear guidance on benefit options.
• Ensure timely and accurate monthly benefit invoice reconciliation, investigation and resolution of billing discrepancies, and coordination of payments with Finance.
• Coordinate COBRA administration and required notices in accordance with applicable plan requirements.
• Oversee 403(b) enrollment, payroll-contribution reviews, required reporting, and plan audits in coordination with Finance and plan partners.
• Coordinate life-insurance death claims with brokers and carriers, ensuring timely, sensitive communication and accurate documentation.
• Verify that life-insurance elections, coverage limits, dependent eligibility, carrier enrollment, and payroll deductions match, and resolve discrepancies before a claim…