Senior Manager, Benefits & Wellness

About the role

The Senior Manager, Benefits & Wellness leads the strategic design, financial stewardship, compliance, communication, and administration of SS&E’s benefits, wellness, and leave programs. This role is accountable for delivering competitive, compliant, and employee-centered experience that supports organizational goals and workforce needs.

Responsibilities

• Lead annual benefits strategy, plan design evaluation, vendor selection, and renewal processes in collaboration with internal stakeholders and external brokers.
• Own benefits financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, claims analysis, and development of data-driven recommendations to optimize cost, utilization, and employee outcomes.
• Assess plan utilization, workforce needs, market trends, and employee feedback to inform short- and long-term benefits strategy.
• Establish and report on key performance indicators, including cost trends, engagement, utilization, compliance metrics, and employee experience.
• Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including FMLA, ADA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, PCORI, and Gag Clause Attestations.
• Serve as benefits fiduciary steward, ensuring strong plan governance, audit readiness, documentation integrity, and risk mitigation in partnership with Legal and Finance.
• Act as escalation point for complex, high-risk benefits, leave, compliance, or vendor issues, ensuring timely resolution and clear communication to leadership.
• Provide strategic oversight of the workers’ compensation program and ensure cross-functional alignment with Payroll and operational leadership on strategy and governance practices.
• Ensure overall OSHA injury reporting compliance, including required audit submissions.
• Own leave of absence and accommodations strategy and oversight, including complex case review, vendor management, policy interpretation, tracking, and escalation management, in partnership with Legal, Finance, and People Business Partners.
• Manage relationships with benefits brokers, third-party administrators, and insurance carriers, ensuring accountability, service-level adherence, and value delivery.
• Oversee benefits administration technology and data integrity, partnering with HRIS and vendors to ensure accuracy, efficiency, scalability, and strong employee experience.
• Design and implement process improvements and operational enhancements that scale with organizational growth and evolving workforce needs.
• Develop and execute a wellness strategy encompassing physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being; evaluate program effectiveness using engagement and outcomes data.
• Own benefits education, communication, and change management strategies for key initiatives, partnering with Internal Communications to ensure messaging is clear, timely, accessible, and inclusive.
• Champion benefits and wellness as a core component of SS&E’s total rewards strategy and employer value proposition, ensuring programs are equitable and accessible across roles, locations, and life stages.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field required; advanced degree or certifications (CEBS, SHRM-CP/SCP, CCP) preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in employee benefits, wellness, and leave of absence administration.
• 3+ years of experience directly managing benefits and wellness programs and external vendors.
• Demonstrated expertise in benefits strategy, plan design, cost containment, vendor management, and compliance.
• Strong knowledge of FMLA, ADA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and related regulations.
• Proven experience overseeing self-funded and fully insured plans, complex leaves of absence, and accommodations processes.
• Experience managing benefits administration platforms and partnering with HRIS and external vendors to ensure data integrity and operational efficiency.
• Ability to lead through influence, navigate complex organizational dynamics, and drive initiatives to completion.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills, with demonstrated discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information.
• Ability to travel to company locations within approximately one hour of the primary work location, as needed.

Qualifications

• Alignment with SS&E’s core values and mission.
• Collaboration with internal/external community members.
• Ongoing development.

Skills

• Strategic planning and implementation.
• Financial management and budgeting.
• Compliance and regulatory knowledge.
• Vendor management and negotiation.
• Communication and stakeholder management.
• Wellness program development and administration.

Benefits

Not specified.

Pay

Not specified.

Schedule

Not specified.