HR Benefits Manager

The Benefits Manager is responsible for the strategic oversight, administration, compliance, and continuous improvement of the organization’s employee benefits and leave programs. This position serves as the primary liaison between employees, vendors, brokers, and carriers, ensuring the effective delivery of health and welfare benefits, retirement plans, leave administration, and employee wellness initiatives. The Benefits Manager provides leadership in plan design, compliance, employee communications, vendor management, and benefits operations while ensuring a positive employee experience. Location Requirements: Location open and remote; with a preference for those located near an office site of San Jose, California, although not required. Supervisory Responsibilities: May hire, train, and oversee staff in the department Provides constructive and timely performance coaching Duties/Responsibilities: Administer and oversee employee health and welfare benefit programs across all 50 states and Canada, ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and provincial regulations. Manage complex benefits structures, including multiple employee eligibility groups, varied plan designs, and diverse workforce populations. Serve as the subject matter expert on ACA compliance, including eligibility determinations, look‑back measurement periods, stability periods, administrative periods, and reporting requirements. Lead the administration of health and welfare benefit plans, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, voluntary benefits, and leave‑related programs. Administer and support retirement and deferred compensation programs, including 401(k), nonqualified deferred compensation, and executive benefit plans. Partner with brokers, carriers, third‑party administrators, payroll providers, and internal stakeholders to ensure effective plan administration and issue resolution. Lead benefits due diligence efforts for mergers, acquisitions, and organizational integrations, including plan analysis, compliance reviews, vendor coordination, employee transition planning, and benefit harmonization strategies. Evaluate benefits‑related compliance risks and develop recommendations to mitigate exposure during periods of organizational growth, restructuring, acquisitions, and workforce changes. Analyze benefits utilization, costs, and trends to identify opportunities for program enhancements, cost containment, and improved employee experience. Develop, maintain, and communicate benefits policies, procedures, and employee communications to ensure understanding and compliance across the organization. Provide strategic guidance to leadership regarding benefits design, compliance obligations, regulatory changes, and emerging industry best practices. Manage and resolve escalated benefits inquiries, including complex cases involving plan and policy interpretation across U.S. states in which the company operates and Canada. Administer and provide team guidance and training for corporate health benefit plans, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, and COBRA. Process enrollments and plan changes and manage the annual benefit open enrollment program and QLEs. Collect and compile key HR metrics and data from a variety of sources, including human resource information systems (HRIS) and payroll outputs, benefits enrollment records, management, and employee surveys, exit interviews, personnel records, government labor statistics, competitors’ practices, and other sources. Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and best practices. #J-18808-Ljbffr