Benefits Manager

Benefits Plan Management

• Manage the day-to-day operations and annual lifecycle of Auberge's U.S. benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, parental leave, and retirement plans, ensuring seamless administration, renewals, vendor coordination, and plan enhancements.
• Oversee the administration and financial operations of Auberge's self-funded medical benefit programs, ensuring accurate funding, reporting, reconciliation, and compliance with plan requirements.
• Partner with third-party administrators (TPAs), stop-loss carriers, PBMs, consultants, and finance teams to ensure accurate claim payments, eligibility administration, funding transfers, and financial reporting.
• Monitor monthly claims activity, funding requirements, stop-loss performance, reserve levels, and plan financial results; identify trends, risks, and opportunities for cost containment.
• Reconcile benefit plan funding, invoices, claim payments, administrative fees, stop-loss reimbursements, and reserve accounts; investigate and resolve discrepancies.
• Serve as the primary benefits subject matter expert for property-level Talent & Culture teams, providing guidance on plan administration, eligibility, Team Member inquiries, and issue resolution.
• Support benefits compliance by maintaining plan documentation, monitoring regulatory developments, and partnering with Benefits Consultants and ERISA Counsel to ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, and other applicable federal and state regulations.
• Analyze benefits costs, utilization trends, Team Member engagement, and market benchmarks to identify opportunities for program enhancements, cost management, and improved Team Member experience; present recommendations to the Director, Talent & Culture.
• Coordinate vendor selection and management activities, including RFP support, contract renewals, performance monitoring, service issue resolution, and relationship management.
• Develop and maintain benefits dashboards, metrics, and reporting to track participation, utilization, vendor performance, and Team Member feedback, providing actionable insights to stakeholders.
• Support internal and external audits by preparing documentation, responding to requests, and ensuring timely resolution of findings and remediation activities.
• Lead and execute benefits-related projects, including vendor implementations, process improvements, communication enhancements, and system upgrades, ensuring successful delivery and stakeholder alignment.

Benefits Technology

• Serve as support for Auberge's Benefits Administration platform transition, supporting implementation activities and ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and functionality of benefits data and plan configurations in preparation for the January 1, 2027 go-live.
• Partner with internal stakeholders, vendors, and implementation teams to validate system requirements, test functionality, and support successful deployment of the new platform.
• Oversee annual system readiness for Annual Enrollment, including configuration reviews, testing, quality assurance, and coordination with vendors to ensure a seamless Team Member experience.
• Manage ongoing benefits technology operations, including system maintenance, data audits, process enhancements, and issue resolution to ensure optimal performance and compliance.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, reporting capabilities, automation, and the overall user experience through effective utilization of benefits technology solutions.
• Develop and maintain system documentation, workflows, and training materials to support Talent & Culture teams and ensure consistent administration practices across the organization.

Benefits Communication

• Support the development and execution of the Annual Enrollment communication strategy, including reviewing communication materials and coordinating training sessions for Talent & Culture teams and Team Members.
• Drive year-round benefits communication initiatives through a variety of channels to increase awareness, understanding, and engagement with benefit programs.
• Partner with brokers, vendors, and benefit plan administrators to analyze plan utilization, trends, and performance metrics, and develop targeted communication campaigns that improve program participation, engagement, and outcomes.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of communication efforts and recommend enhancements to improve the Team Member experience and overall benefits program performance.