Senior Manager, Benefits

Summary

The Senior Manager, Benefits serves as a strategic and hands-on leader responsible for the design, administration, governance, and continuous improvement of the organization's employee benefits programs. Reporting to the Director, Compensation & Benefits, this role partners closely with People & Culture, Finance, Legal, Payroll, and external vendors to deliver competitive, compliant, and cost-effective benefits programs that support employee wellbeing and business objectives.

This position requires a player-coach approach, balancing strategic leadership with direct involvement in program administration, vendor management, compliance, employee support, and operational execution. The Senior Manager will lead key functions including health and welfare benefits, retirement plans, leave of absence administration, accommodations, wellness initiatives, and benefits communications while helping to build scalable processes and a memorable employee experience.

Primary Responsibilities

Benefits Strategy & Program Design

· Lead the development, implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of employee benefits programs, policies, and procedures.

· Develop and execute benefits strategies aligned with organizational goals, workforce needs, and market trends.

· Evaluate benefits offerings against industry benchmarks to ensure competitiveness and support attraction and retention efforts.

· Utilize data and analytics to assess program effectiveness, identify opportunities, and make recommendations regarding plan design and cost management.

· Drive enterprise-wide benefits initiatives and change management efforts to support business priorities.

Benefits Administration & Vendor Management

· Oversee the administration of health and welfare programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, voluntary benefits, and retirement plans.

· Manage relationships with brokers, consultants, insurance carriers, retirement plan providers, and third-party administrators.

· Lead vendor performance reviews, contract negotiations, and service delivery assessments to ensure quality, value, and accountability.

· Partner with vendors and consultants to identify emerging trends and innovative solutions that enhance employee experience.

Retirement Programs

· Provide oversight for the organization's retirement programs, including 401(k) plan administration, governance, compliance, and employee education.

· Partner with retirement plan providers, consultants, and internal stakeholders to ensure effective plan operations and regulatory compliance.

· Support retirement plan committee activities, audits, annual reporting, and ongoing evaluation of plan performance and effectiveness.

· Recommend plan enhancements that support employees' long-term financial wellbeing and retirement readiness.

Leave of Absence & Accommodations

· Oversee leave of absence and accommodation programs, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.

· Manage third-party leave administrators and internal processes to deliver consistent and positive employee experience.

· Partner with HR, Legal, and business leaders to support complex leave, disability, and accommodation cases.

· Continuously improve leave administration processes and employee support resources.

Wellness & Employee Experience

· Lead the development and execution of wellness and wellbeing programs that promote employee engagement and healthy outcomes.

· Design and implement communication strategies that improve employee understanding, appreciation, and utilization of benefit offerings.

· Enhance employee education and self-service resources to support informed benefits decisions.

· Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local benefits regulations, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, ADA, and related requirements.

· Monitor legislative and regulatory changes and assess their impact on benefits programs.

· Partner with legal counsel to maintain compliant policies, plan documents, employee communications, and required filings.

· Oversee benefits-related audits, reporting requirements, and compliance reviews.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

· Serve as a player-coach leader by providing strategic direction while maintaining active involvement in the day-to-day administration and execution of benefits programs.

· Partner closely with the Director, Compensation & Benefits to develop and implement benefits strategies that align with organizational objectives.

· Lead, mentor, and develop benefits team members while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer service.

· Act as an escalation point for complex benefits, leave, accommodations, and retirement plan issues, providing practical solutions and guidance to employees, managers, and HR partners.

· Build strong partnerships with HR Business Partners, Finance, Payroll, Legal, Internal Communications, and external vendors to ensure effective program administration and service delivery.

· Drive key projects from strategy through implementation, balancing long-term planning with operational execution.

· Present recommendations, program updates, compliance matters, and strategic initiatives to senior leadership and key stakeholders.

Qualifications & Experience Required

· Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.

· 8+ years of progressive benefits experience, including benefits strategy, plan administration, and vendor management.

· Strong knowledge of health and welfare benefits, retirement plans, leave administration, and accommodations.

· Experience leading and developing high-performing teams.

· Thorough understanding of benefits-related laws and regulations, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, ADA, and applicable state requirements.

· Demonstrated experience managing brokers, consultants, carriers, and third-party administrators.

· Proven ability to influence stakeholders and drive cross-functional initiatives.

· Strong analytical, financial, and project management skills, including advanced Excel proficiency.

· Exceptional communication, presentation, and relationship management skills.

Preferred

· CEBS, SHRM-CP, PHR, or related certification.

· Workday experience preferred.

· Experience supporting retirement plan administration and governance.

· Experience leading benefits-related organizational change and communication initiatives.

Success Profile

The ideal candidate is a strategic, hands-on benefits leader who thrives in a player-coach environment. They bring broad expertise across health and welfare, retirement, leave, and wellbeing programs, along with the ability to seamlessly shift between strategic planning and operational execution. This individual is comfortable rolling up their sleeves to solve complex issues, improve processes, manage vendor relationships, and support employees while simultaneously influencing leaders, driving change, and advancing the organization's benefits strategy. They are a collaborative partner, trusted advisor, and strong people leader who balances employee experience, compliance, and financial stewardship to deliver high-impact benefits programs.