What are the responsibilities and job description for the Group Benefits Account Specialist position at Keystone Agency Partners LLC?
About Us
Founded in 1981, Loman-Ray Insurance Group, LLC, is an independent insurance headquartered in Central Illinois. Throughout the decades, Loman-Ray excelled at serving the needs of educators, farmers, group health clients, and families of all shapes and sizes, providing value and building personal, trusted relationships. In 2016, Loman-Ray announced a new logo to represent the nature of the agency's identity and capture what makes our team unique. The shield symbolizes our dedicated employees, each genuinely vested in our insureds' well-being and ready to protect their best interests. Each section of the shield represents the categories of insurance we provide: life, health, home, auto, commercial, and farm insurance. The shield brings all of these together into one entity – Loman-Ray Insurance Group, LLC. Today, Loman-Ray continues to grow, offering multiple insurance lines from dozens of proven providers. Carefully selected mergers have helped Loman-Ray enter new communities across Illinois and to develop a growing staff of experienced insurance professionals.
Group Benefits Account Specialist
Position Summary:
The Group Benefits Account Specialist is responsible for supporting the day-to-day management of a designated book of small group employee benefits clients. This role delivers exceptional client service while assisting with renewals, enrollments, and the accurate administration of employee benefits programs. Serving as a key liaison between clients, carriers, and internal teams, the specialist helps ensure client satisfaction, retention, and compliance with applicable regulations.
Key Responsibilities:
Client Service & Relationship Management
- Serve as a primary point of contact for assigned employee benefits clients in partnership with senior account management staff.
- Provide responsive, professional, and proactive client communication throughout the policy lifecycle.
- Assist clients with service-related issues including billing inquiries, eligibility concerns, claims assistance, and coverage questions.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with clients, carriers, and internal departments.
Renewals & Plan Administration
- Coordinate the renewal process by gathering census information, submitting renewal requests to carriers, and reviewing plan proposals.
- Prepare renewal comparisons, benefit summaries, and supporting documentation for client presentations.
- Assist in evaluating plan options to support cost management and compliance considerations.
- Ensure timely completion and submission of renewal materials and carrier requirements.
Implementation & Open Enrollment Support
- Assist with the implementation of new benefit plans and carrier transitions, including enrollment setup, documentation, and system updates.
- Coordinate open enrollment activities with clients, carrier representatives, and internal teams.
- Support the preparation and distribution of employee communication and enrollment materials.
- Ensure enrollment deadlines and implementation timelines are consistently met.
Compliance & Documentation
- Support compliance efforts related to ACA, COBRA, ERISA, HIPAA, and other applicable regulations.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date client records within the agency management system.
- Assist with the preparation of required compliance documents, including SBCs, employee notices, and 5500 filing support.
- Ensure proper documentation and adherence to agency procedures and compliance standards.
Team Collaboration & Carrier Coordination
- Work collaboratively with producers, account managers, carriers, underwriters, and internal departments to support effective plan administration.
- Manage day-to-day communication with carriers and vendors on behalf of clients.
- Participate in team meetings, training initiatives, and departmental projects as needed.
- Contribute to a positive, service-focused team environment.
Qualifications:
- High school diploma or equivalent required; Associate or Bachelor’s degree preferred
- Minimum of 2–3 years of experience in employee benefits account management or related field
- Active Illinois Life & Health license required, or the ability to obtain within 90 days of hire
- Strong understanding of group health, dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary benefits products
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite
- Working knowledge of Applied Epic desired; will consider experience with comparable agency management systems
- Experience with benefits administration platforms such as Employee Navigator preferred
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- Demonstrated interpersonal skills with a strong client-service orientation
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team setting
- Ability to pass a criminal background check, as permitted by law
Office Location: 2703 Boulder Drive, Urbana, IL 61802
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm
Benefits:
- Competitive Salary
- Health Insurance Plans (PPO, HSA, Copay Options)
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Company Paid Disability Insurance
- Supplemental Insurance including Critical Illness, Accident, Legal, Pet Insurance
- 401(k) with Safe Harbor Match
- Paid Time Off
- Paid Holidays
No Solicitation Notification to Agencies: Please note that Keystone and our Partner Agencies do not accept unsolicited resumes or calls from third-party recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Master Service Agreement and approval from HR to submit resumes for a specific requisition, Keystone will not consider or approve payment to any third parties for hires made.
Salary : $45,000 - $55,000