Your Purpose

The Benefits Manager is responsible for designing, implementing, administering, and communicating associate benefits programs that support the organization's talent strategy and associate experience. This role oversees health and welfare plans, retirement programs, leave administration, wellness initiatives, and vendor relationships while ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

What You'll Do

• Manage administration of employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, retirement, and wellness programs, in accordance with federal, state, and local laws.
• Serve as the primary liaison with benefits brokers, carriers, consultants, and third-party administrators. Evaluate vendor performance and recommend improvements or cost-saving opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, and other federal and state requirements.
• Manage 5500 filings, Summary Annual Reports, Section 125 and all other benefit plan related government filings including any required plan testing.
• Monitor legislative changes and recommend program updates as needed.
• Analyze benefits utilization, costs, trends, and employee feedback. Develop recommendations to improve program effectiveness, employee satisfaction, and cost management.
• Oversee annual open enrollment planning, execution, and employee communications.
• Create the annual health and welfare budget in partnership with finance and external vendors, and regularly track performance, identifying potential cost trends.
• Develop and maintain benefits policies, procedures, and documentation. Assess and recommend changes or enhancements as needed.
• Develop benefit programs communication strategy to include presentations, educational materials, including the HR Intranet Site/Associate Portal to ensure plan information presented is accurate.
• Maintain data integrity by coordinating benefit plan audits, including internal HR systems and external vendor systems.
• Lead and develop benefits staff. Resolve complex employee benefits issues and escalations.

Supporting Leadership Through the 5 Es

• As a leader, you are expected to model and reinforce our leadership expectations through the 5Es Leadership Framework - serving as both an example and a multiplier of leadership impact across teams and functions:
  • Envision: Craft a bold, strategic vision that aligns with the company's direction. Communicate clearly and consistently to ensure every team understands the "why" behind the work and feels connected to the bigger picture.
  • Energize: Cultivate a high-energy, resilient environment where passion, recognition, and urgency fuel momentum. Drive engagement across levels by being visible, present, and inspiring in your leadership.
  • Enroll: Build alignment and commitment by involving others early and often. Create clarity around change, communicate transparently, and ensure all stakeholders feel heard, valued, and empowered to act.
  • Enable: Break down barriers, advocate for necessary resources, and build capability across your teams. Champion development, empower decision-making, and foster a culture of continuous learning and ownership.
  • Execute: Deliver results that matter. Turn strategy into action with prevision and agility, ensure accountability, and continuously improve outcomes through clear priorities, strong follow-through, and data-driven

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) from four-year college or university and five to seven years related progressive benefits, human resources and/or training experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least two years of people management experience

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include Close vision, perception and Ability to adjust focus.

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.

Job Title: Benefits Manager
Job Code: 417
Department: Human Resources
Reports To: Director of Compensation & Benefits
Direct Reports: Benefits Supervisor, Benefits Administrator
FLSA Status: Salary Exempt
Location: Store Support Center - Matthews, NC
Created by: June 2026