Job Summary:The Senior Benefits Manager leads TAG Benefits administration and operations across health and welfare, retirement, leave, wellness, and related employee benefit programs. This role owns benefits processes, vendor performance, compliance adherence, employee support standards, and annual Open Enrollment execution while ensuring accurate data, controls, documentation, and service delivery. The Senior Benefits Manager manages and develops the Benefits team, including Coordinator, Specialist, Lead Specialist, and Supervisor roles as applicable, and serves as the primary escalation point for complex benefits issues. The position reports to the Director, HR Technology and Operations and partners closely with HR, Payroll, HRIS, Finance, Legal, brokers, carriers, and other external vendors to deliver compliant, cost-effective, and employee-centered benefits programs.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:- Benefits operations leadership and process ownership - Own end-to-end administration of TAG Benefits programs, including health and welfare, retirement, leave, wellness, eligibility, enrollment, life events, terminations, deductions, carrier feeds, and issue resolution; establish standards for accuracy, timeliness, documentation, and employee service.
- People management and team development - Manage, coach, and develop Benefits team members; assign work, monitor priorities, provide guidance on complex cases, reinforce SOP adherence, and support performance, training, and career development.
- Vendor management and service delivery - Manage day to day broker, carrier, and administrator relationships; monitor service levels, deliverables, escalations, billing or file issues, and performance trends; recommend improvements, renewals, and service enhancements.
- Compliance adherence and audit readiness - Ensure benefits programs and processes adhere to applicable company policies and legal requirements, including ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, Section 125, FMLA/leave requirements, plan notice obligations, and required documentation; maintain audit-ready files, controls, and records.
- Open Enrollment and annual program cycles - Lead Open Enrollment planning and execution, including project timelines, system configuration and testing, employee communications, vendor coordination, leadership updates, post-OE audits, and lessons learned.
- Employee support and escalation management - Serve as the escalation point for complex employee and manager questions, sensitive benefit matters, claim or coverage issues, leave coordination, and vendor disputes; ensure responses are accurate, timely, confidential, and employee-centered.
- Reporting, analytics, and financial partnership - Prepare and review benefits reports, utilization data, claims and enrollment trends, billing and deduction reconciliations, and cost analysis; partner with Finance and Total Rewards leadership on forecasting, budgeting, and program recommendations.
- Continuous improvement and systems partnership - Develop and maintain SOPs, process maps, communications, FAQs, and controls; partner with HRIS/Payroll on system enhancements, file feed integrity, automation, data accuracy, and process improvements that improve employee experience and operational efficiency.
Minimum Requirements:Experience- Required: 7+ years of progressive benefits administration, Total Rewards, or HR operations experience, including benefits compliance, vendor management, Open Enrollment, and employee support escalation responsibilities.
- Required: 2+ years of people leadership, team lead, supervisory, or formal management experience within HR, Benefits, or Total Rewards.
- Preferred: Experience leading benefits operations in a multi-site or manufacturing environment; experience partnering with Finance, Payroll, HRIS, Legal, brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators.
Skills- Advanced knowledge of benefits administration systems, HRIS, carrier file feeds, enrollment platforms, case management processes, and data integrity controls.
- Strong working knowledge of ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, Section 125, FMLA/leave coordination, SPD/SBC/notice requirements, and audit documentation practices.
- Demonstrated vendor management skills, including SLA monitoring, issue escalation, performance reviews, service improvement planning, and renewal support.
- Strong Excel and reporting skills, including data analysis, reconciliation, pivot tables, formulas, and leadership-ready summaries.
- People leadership, coaching, workload planning, prioritization, decision-making, and performance management skills.
- Clear written and verbal communication; ability to explain complex benefits topics to employees, managers, HR partners, vendors, and leadership.
- Process improvement mindset with ability to design SOPs, strengthen controls, resolve root causes, and improve the employee experience.
Education- Required: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or related field; equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience may be considered.
- Preferred: Advanced coursework or degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Benefits, Total Rewards, or a related discipline.
Professional Licenses, Accreditations and Certifications- Preferred: CEBS, GBA/RPA, WorldatWork CBP/CCP/GRP, HRCI PHR/SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP.
