Manager, at Virgin East Irvine, California

Manager, Benefits

Virgin Galactic is seeking a Manager, Benefits to implement and execute on the strategy of our employee benefit programs, including healthcare programs, leave programs, retirement plans, and Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). Support the company strategy by holding ourselves and one another accountable for getting the work done. This is a hybrid - 4 day a week in our Tustin, California office position.

Responsibilities

• Ensuring our programs are competitive and cost-effective.
• Identifying opportunities for refining the benefits lineup and aligning our offerings to the needs of our workforce.

Vendor Management

• Manage relationships with brokers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators to ensure high-quality service and competitive pricing.
• Working closely with our benefits broker on the negotiation and renewal of benefits plans, market benchmarking, and plan design alternatives.
• Engaging with carriers on eligibility files, escalated claims, and data accuracy.
• Coordinating Short-Term/Long-Term Disability/FMLA/PDL/CFRA and state required leaves of absence with our 3rd party administrator.
• Ensuring service level agreements are met and maintained.

Operational Management

• Ensure company compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, including ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
• Evaluate benefits usage, analyze costs, and benchmark against industry standards to make recommendations to senior leadership.
• Performing data reconciliation and audits to ensure accurate carrier file feeds and deductions.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of internally controlled processes.
• Perform audits and reconciliations on billing, invoicing, and eligibility files.
• Ensure legal compliance and deadlines are met, such as ACA reporting (1094/1095 forms), 5500 filings, reporting/filing of the PCORI fee, non-discrimination testing, retirement plan audit, etc.

Employee Support & Internal Stakeholder Management

• Lead annual open enrollment, including system configuration, employee presentations, and creating educational materials
• Develop and execute comprehensive wellness programs and communication strategies, including education programs to promote health and well-being within the organization and increase participant awareness and knowledge.
• Being responsive and timely to escalated cases and appeals that are sent from the benefits administration provider and/or employee inquiries and problem resolution requests.
• Delivering New Hire Benefits Orientation and supporting new employees with enrolling in the benefits.
• Resolve complex employee issues regarding benefits claims, coverage, and policy interpretation.
• Coordinating with Business Partners and Employee Relations on leave cases, accommodation requests, etc.
• Partner with payroll on LOA with tracking of payments to ensure compliance and accuracy.
• Coach, train, and transfer expertise to your team to drive projects to completion

Required Skills and Experience

• Preferably have a BS/BA with 8+ years of proven Benefits Administration experience, including leading a team.
• Deep understanding of benefits-related laws (ACA, ERISA, etc.) and vendor management.
• Experience with ADP Comprehensive Benefits Administration platform is a plus.
• Proficient in HRIS systems (e.g., SuccessFactors, ADP) and Microsoft Office Suite (especially Excel and Outlook).
• Deep knowledge of Retirement plans and ESPP (Employee Stock Purchase Plan).
• Strong analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with all levels in the organization.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to multitask.
• Experience with managing multiple plans that include retirement, health, medical, dental, vision, life, etc.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to independently analyze, make recommendations, and solve problems.
• Demonstrate willingness to adjust thinking and behavior.
• Ability to communicate in a manner that is timely, respectful, and open to other ideas