Senior Manager, Benefits & Wellness

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. The Senior Manager partners closely with HR leadership, Finance, Legal, People Business Partners, and Internal Communications, as well as external brokers and vendors. This role serves as the primary owner of benefits strategy and execution, balancing cost management, risk mitigation, regulatory compliance, and employee well-being across a diverse, multi-franchise workforce What You’ll Do:   Benefits Strategy & Financial Stewardship  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.  Compliance, Governance & Risk Management  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.  Leave of Absence & Accommodations  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.  Vendor, Technology & Operations  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.  Wellness, Communication & Employee Experience  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.  Who You Are: 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.