BENEFITS MANAGER

City Of Douglasville•Douglasville, GA

About The Position

The Benefits Manager is responsible for the strategic leadership, administration, and continuous improvement of the City of Douglasville’s employee benefits programs. This position serves as the subject matter expert for all benefits-related functions and provides oversight of benefit plan design, compliance, vendor management, and employee communications. Additionally, this role requires hands-on system ownership in ADP, including audits, troubleshooting, and carrier feeds. Reporting directly to the Human Resources Director, the Benefits Manager manages the City’s benefits operations to ensure regulatory compliance, fiscal responsibility, and high-quality service delivery. The position supervises the Benefits Specialist and works closely with Finance, Payroll, retirement systems, and external vendors to support active employees, retirees, and COBRA participants to ensure regulatory compliance, fiscal responsibility, risk mitigation, and high-quality service delivery aligned with the City’s workforce strategy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, or a related field.
Five (5) or more years of progressively responsible experience in employee benefits administration, including experience with complex benefits programs.
Experience administering employee benefits programs within a self-insured municipal or public sector environment.
Experience working with HRIS platforms (ADP preferred) and benefits vendors.
Thorough knowledge of employee benefits laws and regulations.
Strong analytical skills related to benefits costs, utilization, and compliance.
Ability to lead change initiatives related to benefits design and delivery.
Ability to interpret plan documents and communicate complex benefits information clearly.
Strong vendor management and negotiation skills.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external partners.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Human Resources, Public Administration, or related field.
Experience operating in a public sector or similarly regulated environment is strongly preferred.
Professional certification such as CEBS, PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP.
Experience supporting retiree populations and public-sector retirement systems.

Responsibilities

Provides strategic oversight and day-to-day management of the City’s employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, voluntary benefits, retirement plans, and COBRA administration.
Serves as the City’s primary subject matter expert on benefits-related matters, including plan interpretation, eligibility, enrollment, and compliance.
Leads annual open enrollment planning and execution, including vendor coordination, system configuration, employee communications, and enrollment validation.
Oversees benefits compliance activities to ensure adherence to applicable federal, state, and local regulations (including ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA coordination, ERISA, and applicable state retirement requirements), coordinating with legal counsel, brokers, and third-party administrators as needed.
Manages strategic relationships with benefits brokers, carriers, third-party administrators, and consultants; evaluates vendor performance, service delivery, and contract effectiveness, and recommends changes as appropriate.
Supports budget forecasting related to employee benefits and total rewards planning.
Partners with Finance to reconcile benefits invoices, monitor costs, resolve discrepancies, and support budget forecasting related to employee benefits.
Coordinates benefits data exchange and integration with HRIS (ADP), payroll, and vendor systems to ensure accuracy and data integrity.
Supervises and provides guidance to the Benefits Specialist, ensuring timely processing of enrollments, changes, billing, and employee inquiries.
Provides performance feedback and supports professional development of the Benefits Specialist.
Develops and delivers employee benefits education, communications, and resources to support employee understanding and engagement.
Supports retirement-related processes, including onboarding, retiree transitions, and coordination with pension and retirement systems.
Serves as a key contributor to benefits-related audits, Open Records requests, and reporting requirements.
Evaluates benefits programs and recommends plan design changes, enhancements, or cost-containment strategies based on utilization data, market trends, and organizational needs.
Collaborates with the Human Resources Director and Human Resources Manager to align benefits strategy with overall HR operations and organizational goals.
Participates in cross-functional initiatives and committees as assigned.
Performs related duties as required.