Client Relationship Manager - Employee Benefits - IAS, West

Position Summary

The Client Relationship Manager (CRM), Employee Benefits, is the primary liaison between insurance carriers and clients, managing employee benefit programs, renewals, and day-to-day service inquiries. They ensure plan compliance, analyze benefit trends, and provide advice and guidance on coverage, with the goal of driving client relationships, satisfaction, and retention.

Primary Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong client relationships as the primary point of contact, proactively communicating expectations, updates, and strategic recommendations.
• Assess client needs and develop tailored benefit solutions, including evaluating existing programs and identifying opportunities for additional coverage.
• Lead the renewal process by preparing, analyzing, and effectively presenting benefit options, benchmarking, claim experience, contribution modeling, and plan design alternatives.
• Manage the client service calendar, including onboarding, renewals, open enrollment preparation, compliance updates, and delivery of required plan documentation.
• Ensure benefit programs comply with federal and state regulations (ERISA, HIPAA, ACA) and oversee related compliance activities such as 5500 filings and plan documents.
• Liaise with carriers and vendors to negotiate contracts, resolve issues, solicit proposals, and manage policy activity to ensure timely, accurate service delivery.
• Oversee new client onboarding in alignment with the Peace of Mind process, including timely C-suite engagement.
• Partner with Client Success Specialists and internal teams to clarify data needs, monitor task progress, and maintain consistent, high-quality workflows.
• Develop employee-facing communication materials, including Benefit Guides, and coordinate or conduct enrollment meetings.
• Maintain high standards of accuracy, timeliness, and completeness in all interactions.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, tools, and workflows, escalating issues to leadership as needed.

Required Knowledge & Experience

• Strong industry knowledge of benefit programs, preferably in a brokerage firm.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities effectively.
• A commitment to providing exceptional client service.
• Ability to evaluate complex information, identify issues within defined parameters, and recommend next steps.
• Strong attention to detail when reviewing materials for completeness and accuracy.
• Proficiency with Agency Management Systems (e.g., Brokerage Builder), Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), Zywave, and digital workflow tools.
• Able to prioritize tasks, manage deadlines, and follow structured processes to support client commitments.
• Build strong relationships with clients through responsive, reliable communication and a proactive service-oriented approach.
• Demonstrates firm’s core values with aligned corporate culture, including reliability, integrity, and follow-through; communicates clearly about status and next steps.
• Works effectively within cross-functional teams, contributing to shared objectives and escalating issues constructively.
• Strong presentation skills, both verbal and written communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, insurance, finance, or related field; professional insurance designation preferred.
• Current state License required (Life & Health).
• 2-4+ years of employee benefits and account management experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to deliver presentations to decision-makers and employees.
• Foundational understanding of employee benefits processes, and renewal workflows, including functional knowledge of plan funding types such as self-funded and level-funded.
• Experience coordinating with offshore teams or third-party partners is preferred.

Skills & Behaviors

• Functional/Technical Skills: Strategic Execution, Client Advisory, Quality Assurance, Systems Agility.
• Behaviors: Planning, Earns Trust, Peer Relationships, Client Focus.

Pay

The starting salary is $100,000 annually.