Company Overview
[$COMPANY_OVERVIEW]
Role Overview
[$COMPANY_NAME] is hiring a Benefits Manager to design, operate, and optimize comprehensive employee benefits programs that scale with rapid growth. You will lead benefits strategy, vendor management, compliance, and analytics to deliver competitive total rewards that attract and retain top talent. This role combines strategic program design with hands-on operational execution, requiring deep knowledge of health & welfare plans, retirement programs, leave administration, COBRA, ERISA, ACA, and benefits technology platforms.
Responsibilities
- Define and execute benefits strategy aligned to total rewards objectives and company growth metrics; develop multi-year roadmap, KPIs, and ROI models for benefits investments.
- Manage benefits program operations end-to-end: health, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, commuter, life & disability insurance, employee assistance programs (EAP), retirement plans (401(k)/pension), voluntary benefits, and equity-related education.
- Administer compliance for ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, state-specific leave laws and international benefits requirements where applicable; prepare audit documentation and support external audits.
- Own vendor relationships: solicit RFPs, negotiate contracts and SLAs, evaluate performance against KPIs (cost trend, utilization, NPS), and manage vendor implementations and integrations.
- Drive benefits technology strategy: evaluate and implement benefits administration systems, HRIS integrations (Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, ADP), benefits enrollment platforms, and single sign-on/SCIM provisioning.
- Design and deliver benefits communication and education programs using data-driven segmentation, UX-focused enrollment flows, and multichannel campaigns to increase enrollment accuracy and employee engagement.
- Analyze benefits data and benchmarking: conduct spend modeling, population health analysis, and benefits utilization reporting using SQL, Excel modeling, Tableau/Looker or similar BI tools to inform plan design decisions.
- Partner with Total Rewards, Compensation, Payroll, Legal, People Ops, and Finance to align benefits programs with compensation philosophy, budget cycles, and regulatory requirements; prepare executive summaries and board-level presentations.
- Lead projects for plan renewals, mid-year adjustments, M&A benefits integration, and international plan rollouts; develop runbooks, playbooks, and standard operating procedures for scalable operations.
Required and Preferred Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or related field, or equivalent experience.
- 5+ years of progressive benefits experience managing health & welfare plans and retirement programs in fast-paced environments.
- Practical expertise with benefits compliance (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA) and experience preparing for audits and government reporting.
- Demonstrated vendor management experience including contract negotiation, RFP execution, and SLA oversight.
- Strong analytical skills with experience using SQL, advanced Excel (pivot tables, VBA optional), and BI tools for benefits reporting and financial modeling.
- Experience implementing or operating benefits administration platforms and integrating with HRIS/payroll systems (Workday, ADP, BambooHR, Rippling, etc.).
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with experience building employee-facing benefits materials and executive briefings.
Preferred:
- Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR, or equivalent professional certification.
- Experience in international benefits, expatriate programs, or multi-jurisdictional plan design.
- Experience with total rewards strategy and compensation-working knowledge to align benefits with pay philosophy.
- Experience at high-growth technology companies or companies with distributed/global workforces.
Technical Skills and Relevant Technologies
- HRIS and benefits administration systems: Workday, ADP, Rippling, BambooHR, Gusto, or similar.
- Benefits-specific platforms: Zenefits, bswift, Ease, Maxwell Health, Castlight, Virgin Pulse, or comparable vendors.
- Payroll integrations, APIs, and SSO/SCIM provisioning knowledge for systems connectivity.
- Data analysis and visualization: SQL, Looker, Tableau, Power BI, advanced Excel.
- Experience with RFP tools, e-signature and contract management platforms (DocuSign, Ironclad).
Soft Skills and Cultural Fit
- Strategic thinker with pragmatic execution skills—able to translate high-level benefits strategy into operational runbooks and measurable outcomes.
- Proven stakeholder partner—builds credibility with Finance, Legal, People, and senior leadership while influencing cross-functional roadmaps.
- Detail-oriented operator with strong project management discipline; comfortable managing multiple concurrent implementations and deadlines.
- Empathetic communicator who can explain technical and regulatory detail to non-technical employees and create clear enrollment guidance.
- Bias for data-driven decisions and continuous improvement; maintains confidentiality and exercises good judgment with sensitive employee information.
Benefits and Perks
Salary: [$SALARY_RANGE]
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with employer contributions and options for dependents.
- 401(k) with employer match and retirement planning resources.
- Generous paid time off, parental leave, and flexible holiday policy.
- Annual professional development stipend and certification reimbursement.
- Wellness stipends, EAP, mental health benefits, and preventive care programs.
- Commuter benefits, voluntary insurance options, and employee discounts.
- Equity grants or long-term incentive plans where applicable.
Equal Opportunity Statement
[$COMPANY_NAME] is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building an inclusive, diverse workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other category protected by law. We encourage applicants from historically underrepresented groups to apply.
Location
This is a hybrid position based in [$COMPANY_LOCATION]. A successful candidate will be expected to work from the office at least three days per week to collaborate with People, Finance, and cross-functional partners; occasional travel for vendor meetings and benefits benchmarking is expected.
How to Apply
We encourage applicants who may not meet every listed qualification to apply. Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter describing your most relevant benefits program work, major achievements (cost savings, improved utilization, or compliance projects), and why you are interested in joining [$COMPANY_NAME]. Selected candidates will be invited to a technical and behavioral interview focusing on program design, vendor negotiations, compliance scenarios, and data analysis case studies.