MANAGER BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION

Gerdau•Tampa, FL

About The Position

The Manager Benefits Administration is responsible for developing, implementing, and administering North American employee benefit programs, including health and welfare, retirement, work-life programs, and benefits compliance. The role provides strategic vision and analysis for benefit offerings that support the employee total rewards package, with a focus on employee experience, wellness, and strategic alignment. It oversees critical projects, plan design, vendor selection and management, escalated issues, collective bargaining agreement support, legal decision support, Benefits Advisory Committee agenda input, data analytics, mergers and acquisitions activities, and U.S. and Canadian benefit plans. The position presents periodically to executive management and the Corporate Brazil process owner, leads continuous process improvement, and collaborates with leaders using best practices and benchmarking to support sustainability, attraction, retention, and HR roadmap initiatives. It ensures regulatory compliance, advances benefits compliance efforts, and implements cost-control measures in health care, retirement, disability, work-life modernization, and compliance. It may also assist with global benefits initiatives. This Tampa Office Center of Excellence resource supports North American operations and reports to the Director, Total Rewards. The role leads a team of 6–7 employees and oversees substantial U.S. and Canadian health and welfare, defined contribution, and pension programs, with multiple suppliers and thousands of supported employees, former employees, and family members.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university; Business Administration, Finance, Human Resources, or a related field is preferred.
Minimum 10 years of experience in U.S. and Canadian benefits and retirement programs, or equivalent experience comprising 5–6 years in Total Rewards and an additional 5–6 years in related accounting, finance, or compliance matters with close support of Total Rewards programs and significant Total Rewards projects or implementations.
Extensive knowledge of employee benefits administration best practices and regulations, including ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, ARRA, DOL, and PBGC.
Experience in compliance, outsourcing, legal matters, technology, and consultant management.
Strong financial acumen and understanding of benefit financial practices to assess decision impacts and prioritize initiatives.
Advanced analytical skills, including analyzing large cross-functional data sets, identifying trends and patterns, and making strategic recommendations using quantitative and qualitative factors.
Exceptional project and process management skills, including managing multiple priorities under pressure in a dynamic environment.
Strong collaboration and problem-solving skills, with a teamwork, execution-excellence, and customer-centric approach.
Ability to work cross-functionally with company and vendor IT teams to design, modify, interpret, and test functional and vendor specifications for benefits systems.
Proficiency in collective bargaining concepts and strategies, including explaining complex benefits information to negotiating teams and stakeholders.
Deep expertise in benefits legislation, historical regulatory changes, and HR system integrations, with demonstrated ability to design and implement new programs.
Ability to manage the benefits impact of HR program changes and corporate actions, including mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, CBA changes, divestitures, and plant closures.
Ability to adapt to varied situations, circumstances, and personalities at all organizational levels, internally and externally.
Technology-forward approach and ability to collaborate with IT and technology partners on digital roadmaps, evaluate and integrate technologies, and ensure legal, security, and best-practice standards.

Nice To Haves

PHR, GBA, or RPA equivalent certification is highly preferred.
Experience with union and non-union facilities is a plus.

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, and administer North American health and welfare, retirement, work-life, and benefits compliance programs.
Provide strategic vision and analysis for benefit offerings as part of the employee total rewards package.
Oversee critical benefits projects, plan design, vendor selection and management, escalated issues, CBA support, legal decision support, Benefits Advisory Committee agenda input, data analytics, M&A activities, and U.S. and Canadian plan design and administration.
Present periodically to executive management and the Corporate Brazil process owner.
Lead continuous process improvement and collaborate with leaders using best practices and benchmarking to support sustainability, attraction, retention, and HR roadmap initiatives.
Ensure regulatory compliance and monitor ongoing benefits compliance efforts within the benefits department.
Implement measures to control employee benefits costs, particularly in health care, retirement, disability, work-life modernization, and compliance.
Lead a team of 6–7 employees, typically including three in Health & Welfare and three in Retirement.
Serve as a subject matter expert on Total Rewards strategies, contract negotiations, labor relations, grievances, and employee relations issues related to benefits.
Oversee internal and external audits with consultants and auditors to support compliance and operational efficiency.
Drive process improvements supporting North American integration, SAP deployment, Shared Services, and other operational enhancements.
Manage benefits integration for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, layoffs, workforce reductions, and new location openings.
Ensure compliant and efficient administration of qualified and non-qualified retirement and health and welfare plans in alignment with applicable regulations and company policies.
Supervise benefits administration for active union and non-union employees and retirees, emphasizing customer service.
Develop and track performance metrics for retirement and health and welfare programs and use them to drive improvement.
Lead planning and execution of benefits changes, including consolidation, integration, and redesign, following restructuring or acquisitions.
Assess and implement technology solutions to improve cost efficiency, streamline administration, and enhance employee self-service.
Supervise daily retirement and health and welfare team operations and ensure performance and accountability.
Provide internal expertise on retirement plans, including plan provisions, compliance requirements, and plan document interpretations.
Manage relationships with plan providers, attorneys, auditors, consultants, and actuaries, and lead contract negotiations to optimize service quality and cost-effectiveness.
Ensure compliance with nondiscrimination testing, government-mandated limits, and evolving legislative requirements.
Support strategic direction of retirement and health and welfare programs through vendor evaluations, benchmarking, and cost-containment strategies.
Monitor industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices to support improvement and innovation in benefits management.
Assist with global benefits initiatives and perform additional responsibilities as needed to support corporate objectives.