Sr Benefits Specialist

What you will do

• Design health and welfare, retirement, and wellness programs, ensuring programs align with organizational objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with benefit brokers, consultants, carriers, and third-party administrators throughout plan renewals, annual enrollment activities, and ongoing program administration.
• Support the implementation of new benefit programs, plan enhancements, system integrations, and process improvements.
• Analyze plan utilization, participation trends, and program effectiveness to identify opportunities for enhancement and cost optimization.
• Assist in developing and maintaining benefit policies, procedures, and governance frameworks.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with benefit vendors, insurance carriers, brokers, and consultants.
• Participate in vendor evaluations, Requests for Proposal (RFPs), contract reviews, and implementation activities.
• Monitor vendor performance, service levels, and operational effectiveness.
• Coordinate participant issue resolution with carriers and vendors and ensure timely follow-up on escalated matters.
• Support ongoing benefit program audits and vendor performance reviews.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex benefit inquiries, claims issues, enrollment concerns, and vendor-related matters.
• Partner with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate timely resolution of coworker benefit concerns.
• Support benefit communications and educational initiatives that enhance employee understanding and engagement.
• Identify opportunities to improve service delivery and the overall coworker experience.
• Ensure benefit programs comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, and other relevant requirements.
• Support preparation and maintenance of required plan documentation, including Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs), plan notices, participant disclosures, and regulatory filings.
• Coordinate compliance-related activities, annual testing, and reporting requirements.
• Assist with internal and external audits and provide supporting documentation as requested.
• Partner with Legal, Payroll, HRIS, and external vendors to ensure compliance obligations are met.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret benefits data to support decision-making and strategic planning.
• Monitor marketplace trends, emerging benefit practices, and legislative developments to provide recommendations for program enhancements.
• Prepare reports, presentations, and business cases for leadership regarding benefit program performance and opportunities.
• Support annual budgeting, forecasting, enrollment reporting, and benefits analytics.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, mathematics, finance, health administration, human resources, or related field and 5+ years of employer benefits experience in plan design and financial analysis OR 9+ years of employer benefits experience in plan design and financial analysis
• Strong knowledge and understanding of health plan benefit plan design, plan service/administration procedures, health plan underwriting/actuarial principles/funding, and compliance requirements such as ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, IRS Section 125, and MHPAEA.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively interact with all stakeholders, including plan participants and senior leadership.
• History of balancing competing priorities with the ability to adapt to the changing needs of the business while meeting deadlines.
• Ability to gather and analyze data, reason logically and creatively, draw conclusions, and make appropriate recommendations.
• Ability to be flexible and adapt to change.
• History of working independently with little direction.
• Strong creative problem-solving skills and resourcefulness.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office including Copilot. Workday experience is a plus.

Pay range: $91,000-$126,200 depending on experience and skill set
Annual bonus target of 5% subject to terms and conditions of plan
Benefits overview:
Salary ranges may be subject to geographic differentials
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