Client Relationship Manager, Employee Benefits

The Hartford•Hartford, CT

1d•$88,560 - $132,840•Hybrid

About The Position

The Hartford's Employee Benefits Group is seeking a customer-focused and strategic Client Relationship Manager (CRM) to serve as the primary relationship leader for a diverse portfolio of Regional and National Account clients. In this highly visible role, you will partner with customers, brokers, Account Executives, Underwriters, and internal business teams to deliver exceptional service, drive customer satisfaction, support retention and growth objectives, and ensure the successful execution of employee benefits programs. This role manages a defined book of business from implementation through ongoing account management, serving as a key partner in customer satisfaction, persistency, growth, profitability, and pre-sale/finalist activities. The CRM acts as a trusted advisor to clients and brokers while coordinating resources across the organization to deliver exceptional customer experience.

Requirements

3+ years of experience of Group Employee Benefits, supporting and managing client relationships in account management, customer success, client service; exposure to account management, sales, or underwriting is preferred.
Experience supporting Regional and/or National Account customers of varying sizes and complexity levels preferred.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, build strong client relationships, and resolve complex service issues.
Strong presentation, communication, negotiation, and consultative relationship management skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively across internal and external stakeholder groups.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience preferred.
Group Life & Health License required based on assigned book of business; ongoing continuing education requirements must be maintained.
Group Benefits Disability Specialist designation required within one year of hire.
Willingness and ability to travel approximately 20% of the time.

Responsibilities

Manage a defined book of business consisting of Regional and National Account customers, including virtual and in-person client meetings based on customer needs.
Partner with Client Consultants and internal service teams to support ongoing service-related matters and issue resolution.
Serve as the primary customer advocate by coordinating solutions across underwriting, claims, billing, implementation, enrollment, tax services, and other business partners.
Establish clear expectations with customers and brokers regarding contract provisions, administrative processes, and service standards.
Conduct annual reviews of Tax Services and coordinate updates to tax service agreements as needed.
Drive proactive customer and broker engagement through strategic account planning, scheduled business reviews, and client consultations.
Promote value-added services, product enhancements, and cross-sell opportunities that support customer needs and business growth objectives.
Maintain awareness of customer business changes, workforce trends, acquisitions, organizational changes, and benefits strategies that may impact service delivery.
Coordinate annual enrollment activities, communication strategies, and administrative requirements.
Support growth and retention objectives by identifying opportunities for expanded coverage and collaborating with Account Executives and Voluntary Account Executives.
Build and strengthen broker relationships while serving as a trusted benefits consultant.
Develop and execute book of business strategies aligned to profitability, retention, customer satisfaction, and organizational goals.
Lead the renewal process in partnership with Account Executives and Underwriters.
Serve as the primary liaison between customers, brokers, voluntary sales teams, underwriting, and internal business partners.
Maintain accurate customer records and documentation in accordance with enterprise document management standards.
Identify process improvement opportunities that enhance customer experience and operational efficiency.
Communicate underwriting concepts, claims experience, pricing rationale, and benefit plan considerations effectively to customers and brokers.
Conduct Plan Administration reviews with customers and new HR/Benefits contacts to ensure understanding of policy provisions and administrative requirements.
Consult with customers regarding reporting needs and facilitate implementation and maintenance of eligibility file feeds.
Participate in special projects and organizational initiatives as assigned.
Partner with the Implementation Team and Account Executive throughout the onboarding process.
Attend implementation meetings and customer calls as needed.
Establish clear customer and broker expectations regarding implementation timelines, administrative processes, and contract provisions.
Coordinate voluntary benefit implementation and enrollment support activities.
Conduct Employer Portal onboarding and training.
Lead customer welcome calls and support successful transition to ongoing account management.
Partner with Account Executives and Underwriters on plan design discussions and add-issue opportunities.
Support finalist meetings, prospect presentations, and pre-sale activities.
Collaborate with internal partners to develop and present tailored customer solutions.
Participate in customer and broker meetings to demonstrate service capabilities and ongoing account management support.