Senior Benefits and Wellness Manager

Employment Type:   Full-Time

FSLA:                         Salary/Exempt

Division:                    Human Resources

Department:              HR Operations

Reports to:                Director of HR Operations

Supervisory Duties: No

The Senior Benefits and Wellness Manager will be responsible for the strategy, design, administration, and compliance of Consigli’s benefit programs.  Manages program development and execution to ensure that the company provides benefits which attract and retain team members, while ensuring compliance and effective cost management.  The ideal candidate will be a proven, confident benefits operations professional with experience in a dynamic, changeable environment.

Responsibilities / Essential Functions

• Partner in the development and implementation of new health and welfare initiatives in partnership with the business to build a culture of wellness, enforcing healthy behaviors and optimize healthcare costs.
• Manage day-to-day activities of plan offerings including medical, dental, short-term, and long-term disability, life insurance, etc.
• Based on industry experience, stakeholder feedback, and knowledge of best-practices, work closely with Senior HR Team to create the annual benefits program package consisting of recommendations to senior management for plan design.
• Manage certain fiduciary obligations and delegations; researches, evaluates and drafting responses to ERISA benefit claims and participant inquiries on behalf of the plan fiduciaries; assists in the completion of regulatory reporting and filings (such as Forms 5500, ACA etc.).
• Manage vendors responsible for the day-to-day plan administration of the benefits programs to ensure Consigli is administering those plans in accordance with the terms of the plan document and applicable laws (e.g., ERISA and IRS).
• Partner with third party enrollment provider in updating online platform for the implementation of new plan year and conduct system testing.
• Lead the annual open enrollment process including developing communications and ensuring renewal changes are reflected in open enrollment materials, Summary Plan Descriptions, etc.
• Responsible for creating and distributing employee benefits communications during and outside of Open Enrollment.
• Monitor costs and effectiveness of benefit programs, identifying opportunities to contain or reduce costs.
• Manage all vendor relations as primary contact.·      

Key Skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Maintains a high level of professionalism and confidentiality around sensitive data.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Must have strong capacity to deal with ambiguity and possess strong project management skills.
• Excellent mathematical skills and financially savvy.
• Strong initiative and problem-solving abilities. 
• Ability to multi-task and self-prioritize. 
• Motivated and driven.
• Ability to work in a team environment with a primary focus on collaboration.  

Required Experience

• Minimum of 6 years of relevant experience in Benefits and/or HR, with minimum 3 years of experience managing a benefits function or working for a benefits consulting firm or a benefits outsourcing company.
• Knowledgeable and well versed in areas of employee health and insurance, retirement benefits design, employee benefits regulatory environment, health care reform, wellness initiatives, and marketplace trends.
• Proven ability to manage external vendors including working understanding of performance guarantees, contracting including RFP process.
• Ability to effectively design, communicate, measure and monitor benefits and wellness programs.
• Appropriate interpersonal skills for handling sensitive and confidential situations
• Ability to resolve escalated benefits issues, inquisitive mindset.
• Ability to review, update and interpret Summary Plan Descriptions and other legally required plans and other documents.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint required, excellent presentation skills.