Benefits Project Manager

At ScionHealth, we empower our caregivers to do what they do best. We value every voice by caring deeply for every patient and each other. We show courage by running toward the challenge and we lean into new ideas by embracing curiosity and question asking. Together, we create our culture by living our values in our day-to-day interactions with our patients and teammates.

Job Summary

The Benefits Project Manager plays a key role on the Total Rewards team, responsible for driving and managing benefits-related project initiatives that directly impact the employee experience. This position is instrumental in managing the execution of multi-site open enrollment, benefits harmonization projects, and employee communication strategies - ensuring our health, welfare, retirement, and wellness programs are effectively communicated, understood, and optimized for our diverse workforce. Serve as project leader with a strategic mindset, excellent vendor and stakeholder management skills, and a passion for improving the employee benefits experience. Focus on the execution of strategic benefits projects, optimizing the value of the benefits broker/consultant and benefits carriers and vendors. Support projects and initiatives that strengthen benefits communications, benefits literacy, employee engagement, and align with organizational objectives and employee needs. 

Essential Functions

• Manage and execute benefits-related projects that enhance the employee experience, including Open Enrollment, program rollouts, and harmonization efforts across locations.
• Manage the project lifecycle for broker and consultant-driven initiatives, ensuring deliverables, communications, and timelines.
• Implement data-driven communication and education strategies that support benefits understanding and informed decision-making.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders (HR, Payroll, Legal, HRIS) and external partners to deliver best-in-class benefits projects and initiatives.
• Navigate organizational complexity by working effectively across union and non-union employee groups, state-specific requirements, and hospital locations.
• Develop and implement strategic communication plans that simplify benefits concepts and highlight the value of offerings to diverse employee populations.
• Monitor trends and gather employee feedback to recommend and support improvement to benefit offerings. 
• Ensure project compliance with all applicable laws and regulations (ACA, ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, Section 125, IRS and DOL).
• Identify strategic opportunities to advance and evolve Total Rewards programs and initiatives. 

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Experience implementing high-impact benefits projects and initiatives.
• Strong understanding of current and emerging benefits trends, total rewards strategies, and their alignment with organizational goals and workforce needs
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with the ability to facilitate execution with cross-functional support while managing multiple priorities.
• Experience with vendor and consultant management, including implementation and transitions while maximizing benefit vendor relationships.
• Highly experienced with BenAdmin platforms and HRIS systems
• Integrates deep knowledge of ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA and other benefits-related laws and regulations into project planning and execution, ensuring all deliverables meet federal, state, and local compliance requirements throughout the project lifecycle. 
• Coordinate across HR, Legal, Payroll, Finance, and IT teams to deliver project execution.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in related field
• HR Professional certification strongly preferred

Experience

• Minimum of 8 - 10 years of progressive experience in benefits (health, welfare, retirement, and wellness) in large, complex organizations
• Experience managing projects involving self-insured health plans and related benefits brokers/consultants, benefits carriers, and vendors.
• Experience with benefits operations, vendor implementations, communications, and compliance
• Proven record of embedding regulatory compliance and risk mitigation strategies into benefits project management and implementation
• Highly skilled in partnering with internal teams and external partners to develop and deliver communication plans that make benefits easy to understand and access.
• Experienced monitoring trends and benefits utilization to support effective benefits projects and strategies.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a commitment to continuous improvement
• Strong understanding of Total Rewards principles