Company Overview
[$COMPANY_OVERVIEW]
Role Overview
[$COMPANY_NAME] is hiring a Benefits Manager to design, operate, and optimize employee benefits programs that scale across diverse populations and geographies. Reporting to the Head of Total Rewards, you will own end-to-end benefits program management — medical, dental, vision, retirement/401(k), leave policies, disability, voluntary benefits, and wellness — and partner with HR, Finance, Legal, and external vendors to deliver compliant, cost-effective, and differentiated benefits experiences. This role requires a blend of technical program management, regulatory compliance expertise, vendor negotiation acumen, and people-centric communication skills.
Responsibilities
- Program ownership: Architect, implement, and operate benefits programs (healthcare, life/disability, retirement, FSA/HSA, leave, EAP, commuter, voluntary benefits) for employees across locations; maintain program documentation and Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
- Strategic planning: Develop multi-year benefits strategy aligned with total rewards philosophy, company growth plans, and budget constraints; model plan cost scenarios and advise leadership on trade-offs and ROI.
- Vendor management & procurement: Lead RFPs, negotiate contracts and SLAs with carriers, TPAs, brokers, and benefits platforms (e.g., ADP, Workday Benefits, Gusto, BambooHR, Mercer, Willis Towers Watson); manage vendor integrations and performance metrics.
- Compliance & risk management: Maintain compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, state and local benefits regulations; partner with Legal to update policies and manage audits and filings.
- Benefits operations & analytics: Design and optimize benefits administration workflows, job aids, and integrations between HRIS, payroll, and benefits systems; own benefits data integrity, reconciliation, and monthly/quarterly reporting (cost per employee, utilization, trend analysis).
- Open enrollment & communications: Lead annual open enrollment planning and execution, benefits education programs, and multi-channel communications (email, LMS, webinars, chatbot/FAQ); create clear total compensation statements and benefits decision tools.
- Employee experience & escalations: Serve as escalation point for complex benefits cases, coordinate appeals and claim investigations, and implement process improvements to reduce time-to-resolution.
- Cross-functional partnership: Collaborate with Finance on budgeting and forecasting, with People Ops on policy design and HRIS configuration, and with Talent on benefits positioning for recruiting and retention.
- People leadership: Mentor and manage benefits specialists or coordinators; establish team goals, performance metrics, and career development plans.
Required and Preferred Qualifications
Required:
- 5+ years of progressive benefits experience managing health and welfare and retirement programs in high-growth companies or complex enterprises.
- Proven experience with benefits administration platforms and HRIS integrations (e.g., Workday, ADP, UKG, Namely) and benefits carriers/TPAs.
- Demonstrated knowledge of US benefits regulations (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA) and experience managing compliance and vendor audits.
- Strong quantitative skills: experience building budget and forecasting models, analyzing utilization and cost drivers, and presenting data-driven recommendations to leadership.
- Vendor negotiation experience with documented cost-savings or service-improvement outcomes.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; experience creating benefits communications for diverse employee populations.
Preferred:
- Certified Benefits Professional (CBP), Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, or similar credentials.
- Experience with international benefits design or coordination with global mobility teams.
- Experience implementing wellbeing programs, voluntary benefits platforms, or benefits analytics tools (e.g., Healthcare Bluebook, Castlight, Jellyfish-style analytics).
- Prior experience at a high-growth technology company or large-scale distributed workforce.
Technical Skills and Relevant Technologies
- Hands-on experience configuring benefits modules in HRIS systems (Workday Benefits, ADP Workforce Now, UKG, BambooHR).
- Proficiency with payroll and benefits integrations (API/webhooks, SFTP), and understanding of data mappings between HRIS and carriers.
- Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, advanced formulas), and experience with SQL or BI tools (Looker, Tableau, Power BI) for benefits analytics.
- Familiarity with benefits enrollment platforms and decision support tools (e.g., Stride, Jellyfish, ALEX).
- Knowledge of document management, version control for policy documents, and ticketing systems for case management (ServiceNow, Zendesk, Lever for HR workflows).
Soft Skills and Cultural Fit
- Strategic operator: ability to translate business goals into benefits programs that balance employee value and cost discipline.
- Cross-functional influencer: proven track record of driving alignment across HR, Finance, Legal, and IT without direct authority.
- Analytical communicator: present complex benefits and financial information clearly to non-technical stakeholders and executives.
- Customer-centric mindset: obsessive about reducing friction across the employee lifecycle and improving first-contact resolution for benefits issues.
- Coaching mindset: experience mentoring junior HR professionals and building resilient, high-trust teams.
- Inclusive approach: designs benefits and communications that account for diverse family structures, accessibility needs, and cultural contexts.
Benefits and Perks
Salary range: [$SALARY_RANGE]
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans with employer contribution strategies.
- 401(k)/retirement plan with employer match and financial wellness resources.
- Generous paid parental leave, flexible paid time off, and paid volunteer days.
- Wellness stipend, EAP, mental health benefits, and discounted or subsidized wellness programs.
- Professional development stipend, certification reimbursement, and conference allowances.
- Equity or long-term incentive opportunities where applicable.
- Relocation assistance or home office stipend for eligible candidates.
Equal Opportunity Statement
[$COMPANY_NAME] is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building an inclusive workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by law. We encourage applicants from underrepresented groups and will provide reasonable accommodations during the recruitment process upon request.
Location
This is a remote position within [$COMPANY_LOCATION]; candidates must be legally authorized to work and located within [$COMPANY_LOCATION]. Occasional on-site meetings or travel to regional offices may be required. Working hours will align with core business hours in your region.
How to Apply
We encourage applicants to apply even if you do not meet every listed requirement. Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter highlighting relevant benefits program work, vendor negotiations, or systems integrations. In your cover letter, include one example of a cost or experience improvement you drove and the metrics used to measure success.