Director of Benefits

The Director of Benefits is responsible for analyzing, designing, and administering the organization's employee benefit programs including medical, dental, vision, life, disability plans, 401(k), voluntary benefits, and paid time off. This senior leadership position plays a crucial role in fostering a positive organizational culture, ensuring the organization's benefits offerings are competitive, innovative, and aligned with both employee needs and business objectives.

Leadership & Strategy:

• Lead the development of the overall multi-year benefits strategy to ensure it aligns with the organization's goals and objectives.
• Ensure programs are equitable, meet employee needs, comply with legal requirements, and are cost effective.
• Develop and execute strategic plans for communicating employee health programs, ensuring they are innovative, impactful, and cost-effective.
• Recommend initiatives that create a positive organizational culture, promote employee engagement, and enhance retention.
• Act as an advisor and subject matter expert to the leadership team on issues related to employee wellbeing, mental health, benefits offerings, and overall employee experience.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the benefit administration team.
• Partner with payroll, HRIS, compensation, communications, wellness and other teams to ensure programs are administered and communicated effectively for our employees.
• Lead special projects as assigned in such areas as benefit plan strategy, compliance, competitive analysis, and acquisition alignment.

Program Development & Management:

• Oversee the design and implementation of employee benefit programs.
• Ensure benefits offerings are competitive and meet the diverse needs of the employee population.
• Oversee the company medical clinic to ensure it operates to capacity and provides excellent service.
• Create a comprehensive communication strategy to ensure employees can effectively understand and optimize their benefit packages available to them.
• Regularly assess the utilization, satisfaction, and impact of our communication strategies, adjusting as needed to ensure continuous improvement.
• Manage and evaluate the effectiveness of employee benefits programs such as health insurance, retirement plans, employee assistance programs (EAP), and other health initiatives.
• Conduct RFPs to ensure the balance of the best programs/benefits for our employees and the best cost management for the company.
• Oversee and manage open enrollment for benefits, including preparation of open enrollment materials and announcements, system configuration, and system testing.
• Update and maintain the UKG HRIS system, which includes ensuring that file feeds from the HRIS systems to the correct vendors are working properly, maintaining data integrity in the HRIS database through daily maintenance of carrier files, resolving data errors, and updating data.
• Administrator the company Retirement Plan(s) to ensure they meet all ERISA, IRS, and DOL regulations, including regular audits and partnering with stakeholders in filing Form 5500 and other required reports.
• Develop and maintain retirement plan policies and procedures, ensuring clear guidelines for plan administration and adherence to best practices.
• Conduct periodic audits of benefit programs, procedures, policies, and workflows to ensure efficiencies and compliance.
• Develop and document processes that improve department and end user efficiency and enhance overall benefit process productivity.
• Protect the company's assets and financial information by ensuring the accuracy and effectiveness of internal control procedures.

Financial Oversight:

• Manage the benefits budget, ensuring programs are delivered within financial constraints while maintaining quality and effectiveness.
• Lead cost-benefit analyses for initiatives and benefits offerings, aiming to provide maximum value for both employees and the organization.
• Process all monthly benefit premium invoices for approval and payment, ensure timely payment to vendors, initiate monthly reconciliation of benefit plan deductions by validating/correcting inaccuracies between HRIS and vendor systems and provides accounting with appropriate expense and accrual information.
• Monitor benefit spend monthly and communicate with accounting regarding status of trends in claims that could impact budget.

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Collaborate with team members in total rewards, wellness, communications, finance, legal, and other departments to ensure wellbeing and benefits programs are aligned with company policies and regulatory requirements.
• Partner with external vendors and insurance providers to negotiate and manage contracts and service delivery for employee benefits.
• Manage vendor relationships, expectations, and results.
• Lead communication strategies for benefits programs, ensuring clear, accessible, and effective communication to employees at all levels and at all locations.

Employee Engagement & Communication:

• Ensure that all employees have access to relevant information about available benefits programs, including during benefits orientation, open enrollment as well as through ongoing communication.
• Develop and implement employee education campaigns around mental health, physical wellness, and 401k programs
• Create a supportive environment where employees feel empowered to take advantage of benefits offerings and resources.

Compliance & Risk Management:

• Stay up-to-date with industry best practices, regulatory changes, and trends related to employee and benefits.
• Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations governing employee benefits, including the Affordable Care Act (ACA), ERISA, and HIPAA, among others.
• Manage risk by identifying potential liabilities in benefits programs and recommending mitigation strategies.

Data-Driven Insights:

• Utilize data analytics to measure the effectiveness of benefits programs and generate actionable insights.
• Lead the development and implementation of metrics and KPIs to evaluate the success, ROI, and impact of programs and initiatives.

Qualifications

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Health Administration, or related field. Master's degree in Human Resources or related field preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in employee benefits, wellness, or human resources, with at least 5 years in a leadership or senior management role.
• Ability to lead a team and train them cross-functionally.
• Proven experience in designing and implementing comprehensive benefits strategies.
• Strong knowledge of current trends and practices in employee benefits, including healthcare, mental health support, and financial wellness.
• HRIS experience in UKG highly preferred.
• Administrative experience and full understanding of Retirement Plan(s) required.

Skills & Personal Attributes:

• Adaptable and results-oriented with a track record of guiding overall strategy and delivering successful benefit programs.
• Empathetic leader who is deeply committed to understanding the unique needs of each employee and ensuring they receive the support and resources necessary to help navigate benefit resources effectively.
• Ability to provide data-driven options to executive management for effective decision making.
• Highly collaborative and able to build relationships cross-functionally with key stakeholders at all levels of the organization as well as with vendors.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Expertise in benefits administration, health program design, and financial management.
• Experience creating RFPs, vendor negotiations and management of overall vendor relationships.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a meticulous attention to detail.
• Strong understanding of relevant laws and regulations affecting employee benefits.