Role: Senior Benefits Specialist (Italian or Spanish speaker HIGHLY desired)
Location: Chester, (50/50 remote/ hybrid)
Duration: 12 Months
Pay rate: £22 per hour
Position Summary:
The Senior Specialist Benefit Operations will be part of People Services and has responsibility for execution and administration of the company benefits and retirement program, including health & welfare, savings plans, and wellness.
Key Business Partners:
Benefit Strategy and Governance Center of Excellence (COE) / Payroll / Strategic Benefits Delivery Management Team / Capability Center peers / HR and People Services Business Partners / Finance / Third Party Vendors and Brokers.
Detailed Position Responsibilities:
- Responsible for the effective, end to end operation of benefits programs for assigned markets, ensuring efficiency and positive customer experience.
- Understand, interpret, and communicate benefit plan provisions and processes.
- Proactively document all processes and activities, drafting and updating Local Work Instructions (LWI's) and Knowledge Articles, including defining streamlined processes for all applicable scenarios.
- Drive implementation of new benefits / benefit designs and process changes into operations, process improvement activities and other projects related to benefit programs.
- Execute and administer day to day activities related to benefit plan eligibility, enrolments, status changes, terminations and claims, including:
- Actioning changes in provider portals.
- Reviewing and reconciling system generated reports and integrations.
- Administering invoicing and payment processes: raising POs, validating invoice specifications and tracking payments, within the defined vendor management framework.
- Logging, managing and monitoring through to resolution any deviations from agreed service standards.
- Manage renewals and enrolment windows in partnership with benefits system provider and Benefits Strategy and Delivery Management teams. Agree and maintain annual calendars of activities.
- Review / update system generated communications, and content on the benefits system and HR portal, ensuring they support employee self-service, are current, accurate and market-relevant.
- Research and problem-solve on issues related to benefit programs and procedures as the escalation point for Key Business Partners and Employees.
- Assist with compliance and governance of all total rewards plans including identifying risks, participating in audits and delivering corrective actions.
- Specify and implement required benefits system changes:
- prepare change request documentation.
- manage and perform testing activities.
- train team members, and HRAs on benefit topics, processes and changes.
- Complete annual Benefit Surveys.
- Assist with administration of wellness programs and vendors. Coordinate wellness communications.
Must have requirements:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
- In depth experience in Benefits Administration.
- Demonstrated analytical abilities and attention to detail.
- General knowledge and understanding of HR policies, processes, regional Employment Laws and Benefits legislative requirements for the relevant region.
- Proficiency in Excel, particularly vlookups and pivot tables, and other Microsoft Office applications.
- Experience working in a rapid, fast-moving environment which is both complex and changing, together with the ability to successfully manage multiple competing tasks and priorities.
- Ability to use business judgment when assessing requirements and performance, in order to identify the right solution to meet business needs.
- Experience working in a multi-cultural/multi-country work environment.
- Ability to network across a global organization in order to align with organization objectives and strategy.
- Ability to present complex technical information in a clear and understandable way to staff, callers, and functional business and technical groups.
- Demonstrated continuous improvement mindset.
Ideal Candidates would have:
- Practical operational experience of other HR processes, e.g., talent acquisition, payroll, performance.
- Experience working within an HR Shared Services delivery model.
- Experience working with current HR and Benefits enabling systems: Workday, ServiceNow, Darwin, Morneau Shepell's Ariel.
- Experience in coaching others to build capabilities or enhance functional depth.