Senior Benefits Specialist

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Illinois.

📋 Description

• Develop health and welfare, retirement, and wellness initiatives that align with company goals and comply with regulatory standards.

• Collaborate with brokers, consultants, carriers, and third-party administrators during the renewal process, enrollment, and ongoing management.

• Assist in the rollout of new benefit programs, enhancements to existing plans, system integrations, and improvements to processes.

• Evaluate plan usage, participation patterns, and the overall effectiveness of programs to identify opportunities for enhancements and cost savings.

• Uphold benefit policies, procedures, governance frameworks, and necessary plan documentation.

• Engage in vendor assessments, RFP processes, contract evaluations, implementations, audits, and performance reviews.

• Supervise vendor performance and facilitate the resolution of complex participant issues, claims, enrollment matters, and escalations.

• Promote benefit communications and educational programs.

• Ensure adherence to ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, and other federal, state, and local regulations.

• Gather and analyze benefits data; create reports, presentations, business cases, budgets, forecasts, and enrollment analytics.

• Keep abreast of market trends, emerging practices, and legislative changes to suggest program improvements.

⛳️ Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree in business, mathematics, finance, health administration, human resources, or a related field, along with 5+ years of experience in employer benefits focusing on plan design and financial analysis, or 9+ years of experience in the same areas.

• Comprehensive knowledge of health plan benefit design, plan administration processes, underwriting/actuarial principles, funding, and compliance requirements.

• Familiarity with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, IRS Section 125, and MHPAEA regulations.

• Exceptional verbal and written communication abilities.

• Capability to manage competing priorities, adapt to changing business demands, and meet deadlines effectively.

• Proficiency in data collection and analysis, logical and creative reasoning, drawing conclusions, and providing recommendations.

• Ability to work autonomously with minimal guidance.

• Strong skills in creative problem-solving, resourcefulness, organization, and adaptability.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Copilot.

• Experience with Workday is an advantage.

🏝️ Benefits

• Annual bonus target of 5% subject to the terms and conditions of the plan.

• Health, welfare, retirement, and wellbeing programs.

• Comprehensive benefits information available through the CDW benefits overview.

• Opportunities for AI learning and experimentation.

• A collaborative environment that fosters professional growth.