Benefits Manager Temecula, CA

Benefits Manager

An established, multi-site organization is seeking an experienced Benefits Manager to oversee the strategy, administration, and ongoing enhancement of employee benefits programs. This role is well suited for a hands-on benefits professional who can balance day-to-day operations with broader planning initiatives, while ensuring employees receive accurate, responsive, and high-quality support.

The ideal candidate will bring strong expertise in health and welfare plans, retirement administration, compliance, vendor management, and annual enrollment processes. This individual will also serve as a key internal resource for resolving complex benefits issues and improving operational effectiveness across benefits-related workflows.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the administration of employee benefit offerings, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, voluntary benefits, and retirement plans
• Lead the full annual enrollment cycle, including planning, system coordination, employee communications, implementation, and post-enrollment review
• Act as the primary internal expert for benefit-related questions, escalations, and issue resolution
• Oversee relationships with external brokers, carriers, retirement partners, and benefit vendors to ensure service quality and effective plan administration
• Monitor benefits billing, reconciliations, payroll deductions, audits, and overall data accuracy across systems
• Administer 401(k) plan operations, including coordination with service providers, participant data review, compliance-related activities, and required reporting support
• Help ensure adherence to applicable benefits regulations and requirements, including ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and ERISA
• Partner with HR leadership on renewal planning, cost analysis, vendor evaluations, plan recommendations, and process enhancements
• Collaborate closely with Payroll and HRIS teams to maintain accurate deductions, eligibility rules, file feeds, and benefit system configuration
• Identify opportunities to strengthen controls, streamline workflows, improve employee communication, and enhance the overall benefits experience

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in employee benefits administration
• Strong background managing health and welfare benefit programs
• Demonstrated experience leading open enrollment and handling complex benefits operations
• Experience working with benefit brokers, carriers, retirement providers, and third-party vendors
• Knowledge of applicable compliance areas such as ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and ERISA
• Experience with benefits audits, reconciliations, payroll coordination, and data integrity oversight
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities
• Advanced communication skills and a service-oriented approach to employee support
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered