Overview
Senior Manager – Benefits Jobs in Deerfield, IL at PremiStar
The Senior Manager of Benefits is responsible for the strategy, design, implementation, administration, and ongoing management of employee benefit programs. This role ensures that our programs are competitive, sustainable, and aligned with the company’s strategic objectives and culture. The Senior Manager leads a growing team and collaborates closely with HR leadership to support a compelling employee value proposition.
This position operates in a complex environment that includes both union and non-union populations, requiring strong understanding of benefit plan design variations, interactions with union supported benefits, and compliance considerations across diverse employee groups. The ideal candidate brings both strategic leadership and hands-on operational expertise in benefits administration.
Responsibilities:
Partner with leadership to develop and implement a comprehensive benefits strategy aligned with business objectives and company culture.
Conduct and leverage broker to obtain market research and benchmarking to ensure programs are competitive and cost-effective.
Recommend plan design changes based on industry trends, data analysis, and employee feedback.
Leverage analytics to evaluate program effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.
Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws (e.g., ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA).
Develop and update policies and procedures to reflect plan changes and regulatory updates.
Lead, mentor, and develop a growing team of benefits professionals.
Administer and oversee day-to-day operations of all benefit programs, including health, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plans, leaves of absence, wellness initiatives, and voluntary benefits.
Develop and optimize processes leveraging technology and other best practices.
Serve as a point of escalation for employee inquiries, providing direct guidance and issue resolution.
Manage life event processing, benefit enrollment/termination, and other routine transactions.
Draft and distribute employee communications related to benefits programs, compliance notices, and policy changes.
Coordinate and conduct benefits orientations and annual open enrollment processes.
Partner with brokers, third-party administrators, and vendors to ensure service quality, compliance, and program optimization.
Ensure accuracy of benefit system configurations and interfaces with payroll and HRIS systems.
Provide oversight and sign-off for required regulatory filings (e.g., Form 5500s, ACA reporting) and support annual audits and nondiscrimination testing.
Lead benefit integration efforts during mergers, acquisitions, or organizational changes.
Monitor benefit usage and claim trends and identify opportunities for process or plan enhancements.
Qualificatons:
Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or related field.
Master’s degree a plus.
· 5+ years of experience in benefits administration, with at least 3 years in a senior or managerial capacity.
Experience working in environments with both union and non-union employee populations preferred.
Experience in both strategic planning and operational execution of benefit programs.
Demonstrated experience in documenting, streamlining and automating operations.
None required; CEBS or similar certification is a plus.
Competencies
Strategic Planning: Ability to align benefits strategy with organizational goals and workforce needs.
Operational Expertise: Strong understanding of end-to-end benefit administration, compliance reporting, and leveraging various technologies for operational efficiencies and accuracy.
Analytical Thinking: Ability to use data to assess plan performance, forecast costs, and guide decision-making.
Leadership & Collaboration: Experience leading a team and working cross-functionally with stakeholders at all levels.
Communication: Skilled in crafting and delivering clear benefits communications.
Cultural Competency: Ability to tailor programs and messaging to a diverse employee base.
Union Experience: Familiarity with union environments, including collective bargaining implications for benefits.
Technology Proficiency: Experience with benefits administration platforms and advanced Excel skills (e.g., PivotTables, VLOOKUP).
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
This position is a largely sedentary role; however, some filing is required. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bend or stand, as necessary.
Work Environment
This job operates in both an office and a field environment. Must be able to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time.
Reasonable Accommodation
Reasonable accommodation will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions unless doing so presents an undue hardship on the Company’s business operations.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Employee understands the above job description and agrees to comply with and be subject to its conditions. Employee further agrees this job description does not alter his/her at-will employment status. Employee understands that the Company reserves the right to delegate, remove, expand or change any and all responsibilities. Employee acknowledges that he/she can fulfill the above duties with or without reasonable accommodation.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.Show more
Title: Senior Manager – Benefits
Company: PremiStar
Location: Deerfield, IL
