Senior Manager, Benefit Operations

About the Job

The role involves acting as the primary strategic and technical partner for HR-Benefits operations, working with the Empyrean team to configure HR Benefits systems, identifying and recommending business process improvements, leading the annual enrollment project, overseeing outsourced resources, and staying updated on industry trends.

Technical and Analytical Skills

The candidate should have strong analytical, planning, organizing, and adaptation skills, and the ability to review existing infrastructure to develop enhancements for cost mitigation in employee benefits administrative processing.

Healthcare and Insurance Vendor Interface Management Responsibilities

• Managing insurance vendor relationships (medical, dental, vision)
• Third Party Administrators: FSA/HAS, life, disability, EAP, 401k, pension
• Evaluating contracts
• Participating in RFP activities
• Reviewing payroll interfaces
• Ensuring data quality in file transmissions

Qualifications

The candidate should have a bachelors degree, 10+ years of experience in healthcare administration, knowledge of Benefits administration processes, insurance vendor relationship management, proficiency in Microsoft products, and effective communication skills.

Job Responsibilities

In this role, you will be responsible for:

• Act as the primary strategic and technical partner for HR-Benefits operations process owners and stakeholders
• Documenting business requirements, defining scope and objectives, and deploying and supporting technical solutions for the Danone Health platform and Danone Health application
• Work with the Empyrean team to configure HR systems (Ceridian Dayforce, SHARE) by offering guidance and benefits expertise on building application components, integrating software, troubleshooting, resolving issues, file transmission audits and error reporting and maintaining technical documentation
• Identify and recommend solutions or improvements to business processes through innovative technology or alternative uses of existing technology
• Lead the planning, implementation, and coordination of the annual enrollment project, utilizing technical skills to direct stakeholders (internal and external) and resolve issues, ensuring project goals are met
• Oversee outsourced resources to ensure AE project meets schedule, budget, quality standards, and Danone requirements, in accordance with contractually established terms and conditions
• Healthcare and Wellbeing Vendor management and negotiation - manage relationships with brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators; request proposals, renew plans, and negotiate terms to optimize cost and service, evaluate contracts, and participate in RFP activities, M&A due diligence, as applicable to the benefit operations function
• Compliance oversight - ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, ADA, state/federal regulations, coordinate audits, disclosures, Form 5500 filings
• Stay updated on industry trends and advancements through product releases, features, and best practices, and recommend enhancements aligned with organizational needs
• Review file transmissions to all vendor partnerships addressing audit requirements and ensuring data quality measures are met for all programs that interface with Empyrean
• Administer day-to-day operations of all interfaces - Subject Matter Expert for the outsourced Third-Party Platform for Annual Enrollment and ongoing activities, Responsible for the execution of the annual enrollment process, materials, and presentations with the team, maintain knowledge of market and legislative benefits trends, and evaluate costs/benefits to the company
• Review all Payroll interfaces to assigned benefit programs including TransAmerica for reliability and alignment with plan design rules and reliance Matrix for enhancements in automation and LOA processing
• Strategic and innovative thinker - able to identify new automation designs to reach virtual and digital capabilities with great understanding of plan rules
• Strong analytical, planning, organizing, and adaptation skills - review existing infrastructure and develop enhancements to mitigate costs in administrative processing
• Review, reconcile, and approve benefit invoices for assigned programs as processed by the monthly carrier remittance through Empyrean
• Offer recommendations to improve overall operational efficiency, minimizing risk, maximizing effectiveness, and ensuring cost containment
• Connect organizational issues and goals to benefit plans using digital tools and resources
• Collaborate with internal partners (HRIS, Payroll, Legal, Procurement, Communications and Finance teams) on the implementation, processing, budgeting, forecasting, communication, and compliance of assigned program platforms
• Monitoring of assigned TPA platforms (research best practices, analyze annual review data, implement program offerings, increase engagement levels, develop communications, answer inquiries, maintain compliance)
• Create a framework for superior customer service for assigned benefit programs
• Maintain knowledge of healthcare market and legislative benefits trends and evaluate costs/benefits to the company. Ensure programs adhere to all requirements of benefit compliance.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $120k-172k USD. The exact salary offered will depend on several factors, including the candidate's relevant experience, geographic location, internal equity, and market conditions. Danone North America additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options. To give our employees flexibility, Danone is a hybrid work environment.