Benefits Manager

Our fashion client is currently seeiking a Benefits and Total Rewards Manager for their downtown NYC office.

Role pays $50-53/hr depending on experience, is in office 4 days a week and has the possibility of going full time should it be a good fit.

Job Summary:

We are looking for a Manager, Benefits & Total Rewards to join our People Team. This is a hands-on role that owns the daily operations of our benefits programs from end to end, executing them flawlessly across every stage of the associate lifecycle — from onboarding and enrollment through leaves of absence, life events, and offboarding. This role is responsible for configuring plans in our systems, partnering directly with carriers and brokers to resolve escalations, building and managing the open enrollment timeline, and running the numbers on plan costs and utilization. This role will also be the go-to resource for associates across the organization, ensuring that deadlines are met, deductions are accurate, compliance requirements are met, and associates get clear, correct answers fast.

This role requires equal parts operational discipline and people-first communication, as you'll be balancing the technical demands of benefits administration with the day-to-day experience of associates navigating their benefits, leaves, and wellness needs.

Responsibilities:

• Manage and administer health and welfare programs including negotiating with insurance carriers and vendors, managing the broker and vendor relationships, overseeing annual renewals and open enrollment, developing cost analysis and annual recommendations for health and welfare benefit plans and premiums, and developing processes and controls
• Manage the leave administration and reasonable accommodation life cycle starting with employee intakes, compliant documentation, People Operations processing, identifying business coverage needs, and all internal/external communications
• Responsible for ongoing education of benefit and wellness offerings in addition to managing all employee inquiries and connecting dots to identify areas of improvement and/or continuing education
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal and state regulations which affect employee pay and benefits including FLSA, FMLA, ADA, COBRA, ERISA, ACA, ARPA, HIPPA, in addition to all regulatory (federal, state, local) paid family leaves
• Oversee compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) including 1094/1095-C reporting, filing, and employee communications requirements
• Assist with data analysis for administration, annual 5500 preparation, audits, annual disclosure reporting requirements, and non-discrimination testing
• Ensure compliance, administration, and monthly auditing of various employee benefit plans; including, but not limited to health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, flexible spending, and voluntary products
• Plan, design, implement and administer a comprehensive rewards strategy including programs for wellness, recognition, and work/life effectiveness
• Contribute to the development and improvement of performance management systems and processes including annual goal setting and performance evaluations
• Monitor workers’ compensation claims and metrics. Identify and initiate programs to drive employee safety programs to reduce workers’ compensation expenses
• Evaluate competitive practices and positioning relative to the market and make recommendations to ensure our compensation and benefits plans are attractive
• Drive continuous improvement, creating better workflow, eliminating errors and inefficiencies and standardizing processes as they relate to benefits

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Human Resources, and/or equivalent combination of education and experience with an emphasis in Human Resources and Benefits
• Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) certification, PHR or SHRM-CP preferred
• 3 to 5 years’ experience in Total Rewards (Benefits, Wellness, Recognition)
• Comprehensive working knowledge of Legal Compliance including FMLA/Paid Family Leave, Health Care Reform Act, ERISA & Section 125, HIPPA, FLSA, ADA, COBRA, reasonable accommodations, etc
• Self-starter with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize work with competing demands
• Exceptional attention to detail & accuracy
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to resolve problems using independent judgement that is consistent with standards, practices, policies, procedures, regulation, or law
• Effective communication and presentation skills as well as strong leadership and teamwork skills
• Demonstrated skills using Microsoft Office
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now strongly preferred, including system implementations / upgrades