Senior Benefits Manager (Contract)

Bounteous serves as a digital innovation partner to the world’s most ambitious companies, leveraging data to conceive, design, and build elegant digital experiences and commerce solutions. The company has scaled revenues from ~$50 to ~$250M in the past five years and seeks to continue this rapid pace of growth both organically and through strategic acquisitions.
Location: Position can be based remotely. Hours: 40 hours per week. Must be able to work during core CST hours.Reports to: Senior Director, Benefits & Wellbeing
Effective Contract Dates: January 1, 2024 to March 31, 2024. Contract-to-hire for the right candidate. The Senior Benefits Manager, North America plays a crucial role in supporting the administration and management of the company's North American health insurance plans and overseeing comprehensive leave administration. You will work closely with the Talent & Culture, Finance, and Operations teams to ensure seamless operation of our benefits programs, delivering top-tier team member experiences that align with the company's growth and team member benefit goals.

Role and Responsibilities

• Administers the daily operations of our health insurance plans in the US, Canada, and Mexico, coordinating effectively with third-party administrators and other vendors.
• Reviews and analyzes claims data to identify trends, manage costs, understand the effectiveness of programming, and develop proactive measures that align with our company’s benefits and wellbeing strategy.
• Supports health and welfare plans compliance with all ACA requirements and any other national or local applicable healthcare regulations.
• Coordinates benefits eligibility, life-status changes, COBRA, and carrier enrollments.
• Works with internal teams and brokers for annual go-to-market analysis and recommendations. Implements open enrollment activities.
• Works closely with the Finance team to forecast and budget for health and welfare-related claims and expenses, analyze cost trends, and review aspects of the self-funded plans, including stop-loss insurance, to optimize financial performance.
• Provides support for escalated benefits questions from team members and guidance to the People Experience team and leaders, and ensuring documentation and administration are handled with sensitivity and confidentiality.
• Provides as-needed support in administering wellbeing and voluntary programs to ensure continuity and comprehensive coverage for all employees.
• In collaboration with the People Experience team and leave administrator, provides as-needed support in administering North American leave programs, including respective national and local regulations such as FMLA, ADA (as amended), parental, and disability leaves and equivalent leave entitlements and accommodations. Coordinates leave of absence requests and disability paperwork processing, with internal teams and third-party administrators.
• Follows established processes to ensure seamless transitions for team members going on and returning from leave, including the continuation of benefits and compliance with all regulations.
• Maintains strong relationships with third-party administrators, insurance carriers, and other benefits vendors to ensure high service levels and cost-effective plan management.
• Tracks metrics and routinely reviews vendor performance aligned with Service Level Agreements and other contractual obligations. Explores opportunities for service enhancements.
• Stays current with legislative and regulatory changes affecting health and welfare plans and leave policies, implementing necessary updates in coordination with legal and compliance advisors.
• Supports preparation and presentation of reports on plan performance, utilization, and cost analysis for strategic decision-making.
• May conduct open enrollment audits and tests to determine if carrier feeds and payroll records reflect team member selections. Works with vendors and brokers to reconcile and correct discrepancies.
• Coordinates with payroll and accounting teams for audit, recordkeeping, and government compliance purposes and to ensure proper health premium and/or paid leave offsets and top ups as well as year-end reporting.
• Actively contributes to achieving and adhering to key benefit program metrics to enhance the effectiveness and fiscal alignment of benefit offerings.
• Develops communication plans and programs to enhance team member awareness and engagement with the leave policies and health and welfare benefits.
• Designs and delivers educational programs and materials to help team members make informed decisions about their benefits and leaves.
• Collaborates with the M&A team to evaluate and integrate the health and welfare benefits and leave policies of acquired entities, ensuring alignment with Bounteous’ standards and strategic goals,