Benefits Program Manager

Fluidstack•Austin, TX

2d•$139,000 - $178,000

About The Position

Fluidstack is seeking a Benefits Program Manager to own its U.S. employee benefits program end to end as the company scales. The program includes medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D, disability, EAP, FSA, HSA, HRA, commuter and voluntary benefits, and the 401(k) with Fidelity. The role will also evaluate potential new benefits, including fertility and family-building support and mental health benefits. The manager will lead annual renewals and open enrollment, working with Finance to model claims, cost trends, and contribution options; benchmarking against AI and technology peers; presenting recommendations to leadership; and auditing elections across HRIS, payroll, and carrier systems after enrollment. The role is responsible for maintaining plan compliance as Fluidstack expands into new states and entities, and for accurate benefits administration through HRIS operations and carrier feeds. The role also oversees leave and accommodations in partnership with carriers, Payroll, HR Business Partners, and Legal, and serves as an expert resource for employees with complex, urgent, or personal benefits questions. This position sits within Fluidstack’s People Team, which is building people programs and operations to support rapid growth and a multi-site workforce.

Requirements

Experience owning a U.S. benefits program end to end, including broker and carrier renewals, open enrollment, and post-enrollment audits of elections.
Hands-on experience with benefits compliance, including ERISA, ACA reporting and affordability testing, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, and Section 125, and the ability to identify when benefits counsel is needed.
Experience administering leave and accommodations across multiple states and maintaining compliance as state laws change.
Experience as the primary administrator of an HRIS and benefits platform, specifically Rippling, including eligibility rules and carrier EDI feeds.
Ability to reconcile HRIS, payroll, and carrier data using spreadsheets.
Experience developing benefits cost and utilization reporting, modeling renewal and contribution scenarios with Finance, and supporting leadership decisions about cost and coverage.
Ability to write benefits guides and deliver employee education sessions, with evidence of impact such as reduced support tickets or enrollment errors.
Discretion in handling confidential health and personal data, and ability to establish controls that prevent repeated enrollment or payroll errors.

Nice To Haves

Benefits certifications such as CEBS or CBP.
Experience building benefits programs in a hypergrowth environment, including headcount doubling or more within a year and expansion into new states and entities.
International benefits experience, including UK benefits or employer-of-record arrangements.
Experience with benefits diligence and integration for acquisitions.
Experience using AI tools for benefits administration and employee support, such as chat-based benefits assistants.

Responsibilities

Own and operate the benefits program, including medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D, disability, EAP, FSA, HSA, HRA, commuter, voluntary benefits, and the 401(k) with Fidelity.
Evaluate and recommend new benefits, such as fertility and family-building benefits and mental health support.
Lead annual benefits renewal and open enrollment from start to finish.
Model claims, cost trends, and contribution options with Finance; benchmark plans against AI and technology peers; and bring recommendations to leadership before enrollment.
Audit employee elections across HRIS, payroll, and carrier systems after enrollment.
Maintain benefits compliance as the company expands into new states and entities, including ERISA, ACA reporting, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, Section 125, plan documents and required notices, state paid leave laws, and audit readiness.
Manage benefits operations in the HRIS and carrier feeds, ensuring eligibility, deductions, and life events remain accurate each pay cycle.
Manage brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators, including their service levels through renewals, RFPs, and implementations.
Administer leave and accommodations, including FMLA, state paid leave, disability, parental, and military leave, in coordination with carriers, Payroll, HR Business Partners, and Legal.
Provide expert support for employees with complex, urgent, or personal benefits questions.
Build benefits cost and utilization reporting, model renewal and contribution scenarios with Finance, and support leadership decisions about cost versus coverage.
Write benefits guides and lead employee education sessions; monitor results such as benefits questions and enrollment errors.
Handle confidential health and personal data discreetly and establish checks to prevent recurring enrollment or payroll errors.