Health & Welfare Consultant

sylvamo•Memphis, TN

About The Position

The Health & Welfare Consultant is responsible for the operational administration and execution of Sylvamo’s U.S. Health & Welfare benefit programs, including medical, dental, reimbursement accounts, life, disability, and related benefit offerings. This role ensures accurate plan administration, strong vendor performance, compliance with applicable regulations, and operational readiness for annual benefit cycles. The Consultant partners closely with Benefits leadership, HR Operations, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and external vendors to deliver a high-quality employee experience and disciplined execution of benefit programs. Plan Administration & Operational Ownership: Own day-to-day administration of U.S. Health & Welfare plans, working with the appropriate administrators and vendor partners (e.g., Dayforce Managed Benefits, carriers, COBRA/FSA/HSA vendors) to ensure accurate eligibility, enrollments, life event processing, data integrity, vendor feeds, and billing reconciliation. Maintain and enhance standard operating procedures, process documentation, and internal controls to reduce risk and ensure compliance. Ensure alignment between plan documents, system configuration, payroll deductions, and vendor administration. Serve as primary escalation point for complex benefit administration issues; drive timely resolution and root-cause analysis. Vendor Management & Governance: Manage relationships with multiple benefit vendors to ensure service delivery meets established performance standards and service level agreements. Lead regular vendor performance reviews, monitor SLA adherence, maintain issue logs, and drive operational improvement discussions. Assist contract administration activities by tracking deliverables, renewal timelines, and required documentation; proactively escalate risks and performance concerns to Benefits leadership. Implementation & Project Execution: Lead operational implementation of approved benefit changes and new programs, translating strategic direction into detailed project plans and execution milestones. Coordinate vendor configuration, testing, file feed validation, communications inputs, and go-live readiness. Identify risks, dependencies, and operational impacts; escalate appropriately to Benefits leadership. Data Analysis & Operational Insights: Analyze enrollment, claims, and vendor reporting data to identify trends, operational risks, and improvement opportunities. Provide operational impact analysis, including administrative, compliance, financial, and employee experience considerations, to inform benefit strategy decisions. Assist in the preparation of clear and concise materials for leadership review as needed. Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure plans are administered in accordance with plan documents and applicable regulations (e.g., ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, Section 125). Support preparation and review of required notices and documentation in partnership with Legal and vendors. Assist with internal and external audits and documentation requests. Annual Cycle Readiness: Ensure operational readiness for recurring annual cycles, including Open Enrollment, vendor renewals, required notices, and system updates. Maintain an annual benefits administration calendar outlining key milestones, compliance deadlines, testing timelines, and vendor deliverables. Partner with Benefits leadership and Communications to ensure accurate plan information and administrative readiness. Conduct post-cycle review following Open Enrollment and major annual updates to identify issues, root causes, and process improvements for future cycles.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
7+ years of progressive experience in U.S. Health & Welfare benefits administration, including medical, dental, reimbursement accounts, life, and disability plans.
Demonstrated experience in vendor management, eligibility administration, file feed oversight, billing reconciliation, and operational execution.
Strong working knowledge of U.S. benefits compliance requirements.
Experience partnering with HR Operations and Payroll teams.
Advanced proficiency in Excel and comfort working with data and vendor reporting.
Execution, Prioritization & Follow-Through
Manages multiple priorities and deadlines effectively, especially during peak periods (e.g., Open Enrollment, vendor changes, escalations).
Demonstrates strong operational discipline, attention to detail, and follow-through; builds repeatable processes and documentation.
Analytical Thinking & Problem Solving
Uses data to identify trends, diagnose issues, and recommend practical solutions (enrollment, vendor reporting, feed errors, billing discrepancies).
Applies structured problem-solving and root-cause analysis to prevent repeat issues.
Judgment, Integrity & Risk Awareness
Exercises sound judgment and discretion with confidential employee information.
Identifies risks early, escalates appropriately, and provides clear options and recommended next steps.
Communication & Stakeholder Influence
Communicates clearly and professionally across diverse groups (employees, HR partners, leaders, vendors), adapting style and level of detail as needed.
Translates complex benefit information into clear, actionable guidance.
Comfortable using multiple channels (written communications, virtual meetings, documentation/knowledge articles, vendor calls) to drive understanding and action.
Builds strong cross-functional partnerships and influences without authority to drive timely resolution and vendor accountability.
Strong alignment with Sylvamo’ s competencies including but not limited to trustworthy, inclusive and collaborative, agile, and customer focused.

Nice To Haves

Experience with well-being programs and resources is a plus.
Experience partnering with retirement plan vendors and supporting 401(k) administration/compliance is a plus.
Experience with Dayforce (HRIS) and/or Dayforce Managed Benefits is a plus.

Responsibilities

Own day-to-day administration of U.S. Health & Welfare plans, working with the appropriate administrators and vendor partners (e.g., Dayforce Managed Benefits, carriers, COBRA/FSA/HSA vendors) to ensure accurate eligibility, enrollments, life event processing, data integrity, vendor feeds, and billing reconciliation.
Maintain and enhance standard operating procedures, process documentation, and internal controls to reduce risk and ensure compliance.
Ensure alignment between plan documents, system configuration, payroll deductions, and vendor administration.
Serve as primary escalation point for complex benefit administration issues; drive timely resolution and root-cause analysis.
Manage relationships with multiple benefit vendors to ensure service delivery meets established performance standards and service level agreements.
Lead regular vendor performance reviews, monitor SLA adherence, maintain issue logs, and drive operational improvement discussions.
Assist contract administration activities by tracking deliverables, renewal timelines, and required documentation; proactively escalate risks and performance concerns to Benefits leadership.
Lead operational implementation of approved benefit changes and new programs, translating strategic direction into detailed project plans and execution milestones.
Coordinate vendor configuration, testing, file feed validation, communications inputs, and go-live readiness.
Identify risks, dependencies, and operational impacts; escalate appropriately to Benefits leadership.
Analyze enrollment, claims, and vendor reporting data to identify trends, operational risks, and improvement opportunities.
Provide operational impact analysis, including administrative, compliance, financial, and employee experience considerations, to inform benefit strategy decisions.
Assist in the preparation of clear and concise materials for leadership review as needed.
Ensure plans are administered in accordance with plan documents and applicable regulations (e.g., ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, Section 125).
Support preparation and review of required notices and documentation in partnership with Legal and vendors.
Assist with internal and external audits and documentation requests.
Ensure operational readiness for recurring annual cycles, including Open Enrollment, vendor renewals, required notices, and system updates.
Maintain an annual benefits administration calendar outlining key milestones, compliance deadlines, testing timelines, and vendor deliverables.
Partner with Benefits leadership and Communications to ensure accurate plan information and administrative readiness.
Conduct post-cycle review following Open Enrollment and major annual updates to identify issues, root causes, and process improvements for future cycles.