Sr Manager, Total Rewards & Risk Management

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Program Governance

• Develop and execute enterprise Benefits, Leave, Disability, and Workers' Compensation strategies aligned with organizational, operational, and financial objectives.
• Lead long-term planning, program design, and continuous improvement initiatives that enhance employee experience, mitigate risk, and support business growth.
• Establish governance frameworks, policies, standard operating procedures, controls, and audit practices that promote compliance, consistency, and operational excellence.
• Monitor industry trends, legislative developments, and workforce needs to proactively recommend program enhancements and risk mitigation strategies.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on Benefits, Leave, Disability, and Workers' Compensation matters.

Benefits & Leave Strategy

Oversee all health and welfare benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, retirement, wellness, EAP, and voluntary benefit offerings.

• Lead annual benefits planning, open enrollment, employee communications, and program implementation efforts.
• Evaluate plan performance, utilization trends, enrollment data, and employee feedback to optimize program effectiveness, competitiveness, and cost efficiency.
• Partner with brokers, consultants, actuaries, and carriers to develop plan design recommendations and long-term benefits strategies.
• Oversee enterprise leave and disability programs, including FMLA, ADA, state leave programs, Paid Family Leave, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and workplace accommodations.

Workers' Compensation & Workforce Risk Management

Provide strategic oversight of the organization's Workers' Compensation program, including claim management, return-to-work initiatives, injury prevention, and vendor performance.

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators including claim frequency, severity, lag time, litigation rates, reserve accuracy, lost-time claims, and return-to-work outcomes.
• Analyze claim trends and organizational risk factors to identify opportunities for prevention, cost reduction, and improved employee outcomes.
• Partner with third-party administrators, carriers, legal counsel, and operational leaders to ensure effective claim management and regulatory compliance.
• Develop enterprise-wide education, reporting, and investigation practices that strengthen injury management and workplace safety.

Financial Stewardship & Analytics

Develop and manage budgets related to Benefits, Leave Administration, Disability, Workers' Compensation, and associated vendor partnerships.

• Conduct financial forecasting, trend analysis, and cost modeling to support strategic decision-making and long-term planning.
• Identify opportunities to improve program efficiency, reduce costs, and maximize organizational return on investment.
• Deliver executive-level reporting, dashboards, and recommendations that provide actionable insights into program performance, cost drivers, and emerging risks.

Vendor Management & Operational Excellence

Lead relationships with brokers, carriers, third-party administrators, leave vendors, disability providers, wellness partners, and consultants.

• Conduct vendor performance reviews and ensure accountability for service levels, contractual obligations, compliance standards, and business outcomes.
• Lead vendor selection processes, contract negotiations, implementations, renewals, and ongoing optimization efforts.
• Drive process improvements, workflow enhancements, and scalable solutions that improve service delivery and operational effectiveness.

Compliance & Risk Management

Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, provincial, and local regulations, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, ADA, OSHA, Workers' Compensation regulations, and state leave laws.

• Partner with Legal, Compliance, Finance, and HR Operations to proactively identify and mitigate organizational risk.
• Lead internal audits, compliance reviews, and corrective action initiatives while maintaining audit-ready documentation and practices.

Leadership & Team Development

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Benefits and Workers' Compensation professionals, including internal employees and contracted resources.

• Establish clear performance expectations, accountability measures, and service standards.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, continuous improvement, and exceptional employee service.
• Build scalable team structures, processes, and capabilities that support organizational growth and evolving business needs.