Benefits Manager

Benefits ManagerArmor Health is seeking an experienced Benefits Manager to serve as the organization's subject-matter expert for employee benefits and compensation. Supporting approximately 1,000 employees today with growth expected in the coming months, this role will independently own the administration, execution, communication, compliance, analysis, and continuous improvement of Armor Health's benefits and compensation programs.This is a highly hands-on role for a deeply knowledgeable benefits professional who can quickly establish credibility, operate independently, and serve as a trusted resource to employees, leaders, HR partners, Payroll, Finance, and operational teams.The successful candidate will bring deep benefits expertise, practical compensation knowledge, strong analytical skills, and the ability to translate complex information into clear guidance and effective solutions. This individual will ensure benefits and compensation programs are accurate, compliant, competitive, financially responsible, scalable, and aligned with the needs of a growing, multi-site healthcare organization.While every organization has unique processes, systems, and plan designs, the expectation is that the successful candidate will leverage substantial existing expertise to quickly assume ownership of the function.ResponsibilitiesServe as Armor Health's primary subject-matter expert and owner of employee benefits programs.Independently manage the day-to-day and annual administration of all employee benefit programs, including medical, prescription drug, supplemental medical GAP, dental, vision, HSA/FSA, life and AD&D, disability, voluntary benefits, EAP, legal, pet, retirement, tuition/CME reimbursement, nurse loan reimbursement, and other employee programs.Maintain a comprehensive understanding of Armor Health's benefit plans, eligibility provisions, employee contributions, vendor relationships, systems, and administrative processes.Provide accurate, timely, and confident guidance to employees, HR partners, leaders, Payroll, and operational teams.Serve as the primary escalation point for complex benefit issues, eligibility disputes, carrier discrepancies, claims escalations, enrollment errors, and employee benefit questions.Maintain current knowledge of applicable benefits regulations, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, Section 125, HSA requirements, FMLA, ADA, and other applicable federal and state requirements.Manage benefits enrollment activities for new hires, qualifying life events, new-site implementations, organizational growth initiatives, and other employee status changes.Ensure benefit elections, eligibility, system access, and required documentation are accurately completed within established timelines and prior to applicable effective dates.Partner with site leaders, HR, Payroll, and Operations before critical deadlines to identify and resolve issues before they impact employees.Support benefits implementation associated with new contracts, acquisitions, expansions, and new facilities.Investigate enrollment and eligibility issues, determine root cause and impact, establish resolution timelines, and implement preventative solutions.Maintain accountability with vendors and internal partners to ensure timely resolution of enrollment and eligibility challenges.Build processes that support accurate and scalable benefits administration as Armor Health continues to grow.Lead the annual Open Enrollment process from planning through implementation and post-enrollment audit.Coordinate plan configuration, eligibility rules, employee contributions, enrollment materials, carrier feeds, system testing, communications, employee education, and reconciliation.Partner with HR leadership, brokers, carriers, Payroll, Finance, and benefits administration vendors to execute successful renewals and Open Enrollment.Analyze renewal proposals, plan utilization, claims experience, enrollment trends, contribution structures, and other relevant data to support recommendations.Identify opportunities for plan improvement, cost containment, administrative efficiency, and improved employee understanding.Establish and manage clear milestones, responsibilities, and deadlines throughout the process.Administer and maintain Armor Health's compensation programs in partnership with HR leadership and operational leadersMaintain benefits programs and administrative processes in accordance with applicable federal and state requirements.Provide expertise and guidance regarding FMLA and ADA administration and related employee processes.Manage leave-related workflows with an understanding of compliance requirements and operational impact.Coordinate required benefits notices, disclosures, reporting, plan documentation, audits, and regulatory processes with brokers, carriers, vendors, and HR leadership.Support ACA reporting, Form 5500 preparation, nondiscrimination testing, plan audits, and other required compliance activities.Maintain accurate documentation of benefit plan decisions, compensation decisions, administrative procedures, employee communications, and compliance activities.Protect the confidentiality and appropriate handling of employee health, benefits, compensation, and personally identifiable information.Establish controls to ensure accurate benefit elections, payroll deductions, employer contributions, carrier eligibility, and benefit invoices.Conduct regular enrollment-to-payroll-to-carrier reconciliations and resolve discrepancies promptly.Review benefit invoices for accuracy and coordinate corrections with vendors, Payroll, Finance, and carriers.Monitor benefit costs, enrollment, participation, utilization, claims trends, and other relevant financial data.Support annual benefits budgeting and forecasting.Analyze claims experience and utilization trends and provide data-driven recommendations to HR leadership.Support compensation budgeting and analysis, including merit planning and market adjustments.Identify financial, operational, or compliance risks and develop action plans to address them.Prepare reporting and recommendations regarding benefits costs, enrollment, utilization, claims trends, compensation positioning, and other total-rewards metrics.Develop and execute proactive benefits communication plans with clear timelines, milestones, and stakeholder responsibilities.Create employee-friendly communications that simplify complex benefits and compensation information.Lead benefits education sessions, employee meetings, onboarding discussions, Open Enrollment presentations, webinars, and manager training.Clearly explain benefit provisions, eligibility requirements, enrollment processes, compensation practices, and employee resources.Identify recurring employee questions and use those trends to improve communications, processes, and employee education.Evaluate benefits and compensation processes and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy, compliance, scalability, and employee experience.Develop standard operating procedures, documentation, controls, and workflows that support consistent administration.Investigate issues thoroughly by understanding root cause rather than relying solely on HRIS messages, vendor responses, or system notifications.Provide solutions, recommendations, and action plans—not simply status updates or escalations.Take ownership of issues from identification through resolution.Use data and reporting to identify trends, audit processes, reconcile discrepancies, and support decision-making.Identify opportunities to reduce manual work, recurring errors, unnecessary handoffs, and administrative risk.Serve as a primary relationship manager for brokers, consultants, insurance carriers, third-party administrators, benefits administration vendors, retirement-plan providers, compensation data providers, and other external partners.Hold vendors accountable for service delivery, issue resolution, accuracy, and communication.Evaluate vendor performance against contractual expectations, service standards, and employee experience.Participate in benefits renewal negotiations and vendor discussions with brokers and leadership.Partner effectively across HR, Payroll, Finance, IT, and Operations to deliver a seamless benefits and compensation experience.Escalate vendor performance concerns appropriately and maintain documentation of unresolved issues and corrective actions.Maintain the integrity of benefits and compensation data across HRIS, payroll, benefits administration, and carrier systems.Manage or oversee benefits eligibility rules, plan configuration, payroll deduction setup, carrier interfaces, enrollment processes, and annual testing.Utilize bswift or comparable benefits administration technology to manage enrollment, eligibility, reporting, and administrative processes.Conduct system testing and validation before Open Enrollment, plan changes, new-site implementations, and other major system updates.Develop recurring audits and controls to identify data discrepancies and prevent downstream errors.Use advanced Excel skills to analyze benefits, enrollment, payroll, claims, compensation, and financial data, including VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, PivotTables, data reconciliation, and reporting.What Success Looks LikeThe successful Benefits and Compensation Manager:Becomes Armor Health's trusted benefits and compensation expert within the first 90 days