Benefits Manager

Job Description Job Description

TalentBridge is partnering with a well-established, industry-leading organization seeking an experienced Benefits Manager to oversee the administration, compliance, and ongoing improvement of its employee benefits programs.

This is a highly technical, hands-on individual contributor role ideal for an experienced benefits professional who thrives in a complex corporate environment, enjoys solving problems, and brings exceptional analytical skills and attention to detail.

The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with health and welfare benefits, retirement and pension plans, benefits compliance, HRIS systems, vendor management, and leave administration. This individual will serve as a key subject matter expert, working closely with HR leadership, benefits coordinators, employees, and external partners to ensure benefits programs operate accurately and efficiently.

This position offers excellent long-term growth potential, including the opportunity to develop into a future benefits leadership role.

Key Responsibilities

Benefits Administration & Operations

• Oversee the administration of employee health, welfare, retirement, pension, and wellness programs.
• Ensure the accuracy of employee benefits enrollments, eligibility records, and benefits information maintained within HRIS platforms.
• Manage and monitor benefits data feeds between HRIS systems, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators.
• Conduct regular benefits audits, eligibility reconciliations, and file feed reviews to identify and resolve discrepancies.
• Review and approve benefits vendor invoices, ensuring accuracy and timely resolution of billing discrepancies.
• Monitor benefit plan utilization, analyze trends, and provide actionable recommendations to improve program effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes, strengthen data integrity, and improve benefits operations.

Compliance & Leave Administration

• Ensure benefits programs comply with ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, and other applicable federal and state regulations.
• Manage and coordinate leave of absence programs, including FMLA, short-term disability, long-term disability, and ADA accommodations in partnership with HR.
• Maintain a strong understanding of regulatory requirements, employee protections, and benefits compliance obligations.
• Support compliance audits, reporting, documentation, and benefits-related regulatory activities.

Vendor Management & Employee Support

• Serve as the primary technical resource for complex employee benefits questions, issues, and escalations.
• Partner with benefits coordinators to resolve escalated concerns requiring additional research, technical expertise, or vendor involvement.
• Act as a liaison between employees, managers, HR partners, insurance carriers, brokers, and benefits vendors.
• Manage vendor relationships, troubleshoot service issues, and ensure timely resolution of employee concerns.
• Deliver exceptional customer service while handling sensitive employee situations with professionalism, empathy, and discretion.

Open Enrollment & Benefits Projects

• Lead and support annual open enrollment activities in partnership with internal teams, brokers, and benefits vendors.
• Coordinate open enrollment communications, employee education materials, and informational webinars.
• Participate in open enrollment system configuration, testing, eligibility validation, and troubleshooting.
• Support benefits renewals, plan changes, system enhancements, and other benefits-related initiatives.
• Collaborate with HR leadership on benefits reporting, analysis, and continuous improvement projects.
• Perform additional responsibilities and special projects as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in employee benefits administration, preferably within a large or complex corporate environment.
• Strong technical knowledge of health and welfare benefits, retirement programs, and pension plan administration.
• Comprehensive understanding of benefits regulations, including ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, and applicable leave laws.
• Experience managing benefits eligibility, HRIS data accuracy, carrier file feeds, and benefits reconciliations.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating leave administration, disability programs, and employee accommodations.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency, including pivot tables, complex formulas, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and analysis of large datasets.
• Experience working with HRIS and benefits administration platforms.
• Strong vendor management, analytical, problem-solving, and project coordination skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to identify and resolve complex data discrepancies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a strong customer service orientation.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and take ownership of complex benefits issues.

What We're Looking For

We are seeking a benefits professional who combines deep technical expertise with a hands-on, solutions-oriented approach. The successful candidate will be someone who enjoys digging into the details, analyzing data, identifying problems, and implementing solutions. This individual should be equally comfortable working through complex Excel reconciliations, troubleshooting benefits eligibility issues, coordinating with vendors, and supporting employees through sensitive benefits-related situations.