The Benefits Manager leads the design, administration, and continuous improvement of the benefit programs, ensuring competitiveness, compliance, and alignment with business strategy. This role is responsible for day-to-day administration and support of the Company’s health, welfare, and retirement programs. The Benefits Manager serves as a key point of contact for employees, vendors, and internal stakeholders; handling escalations, analyzing data, and supporting program enhancements to ensure competitive and cost-effective offerings.

Responsibilities

• Administer and optimize comprehensive benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, and voluntary plans.
• Lead leave of absence programs ensuring compliance and operational accuracy partnering with third party administrators to ensure accurate case management and compliance and communicating leave status, rights, and responsibilities to employees and HR leaders
• Manage COBRA administration, compliance, and financial coordination with Finance
• Oversee vendor relationships and ensure service delivery, accuracy, and cost effectiveness
• Evaluate benefits offerings using market data and recommend enhancements to maintain competitiveness
• Ensure full compliance with ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, USERRA, and other applicable regulations
• Manage audits, form 5500 preparation, non-discrimination testing, and plan documentation
• Interpret and maintain plan documents to ensure alignment with IRS/DOL requirements
• Administer defined benefit and defined contribution plans, including contributions, distributions, loans, and hardship withdrawals; perform or oversee regulatory testing and ensure plan compliance
• Develop, maintain, and deliver clear, engaging benefits communications and education materials
• Support open enrolment wellness programs, and employee engagement initiatives
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee benefits inquiries, providing guidance on plan options, eligibility, and claim issues
• Resolve complex employee inquiries and vendor issues
• Maintain data integrity in HRIS and benefit systems
• Maintain plan documents, summary plan descriptions, and regulatory filings
• Coordinate wellness initiatives across NABU
• Perform reconciliations, manage payroll-related benefit activities, and ensure accurate processing (FSA, HSA, etc.)
• Completes qualified medial support orders in association with the payroll department
• Audits information received from benefit vendors to ensure accuracy and consistency with plan design
• Manages monthly benefit carrier bill reconciliation, allocations, and processing
• Manages FSA, HSA, and dependent care FSA deposits
• Reviews, interprets, and maintains the legal benefit plan documents to ensure plan compliance with current IRS/DOL regulations
• Continuously improve processes, automation, and controls
• Travel up to 15%
• Perform all other job duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience Requirements:

• 5-7 years’ of experience in Benefits Management (manufacturing environment preferred)
• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, or related field preferred
• Ability to work well under pressure in a fast paced, metric-driven environment
• Deep knowledge of benefits compliance and retirement plan administration
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience with HRIS and benefits platforms
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel.

Work Environment:
This position will perform a majority of job duties in an office environment where using a computer, telephone and printer are common.