Senior Benefits Specialist

M2S Group • Appleton, WI

6d

About The Position

The Senior Benefits Specialist oversees benefits administration and compliance, employee benefits communications and support, annual open enrollment, vendor relationships, benefits strategy and analytics, wellness initiatives, and continuous process improvement. The role maintains accurate benefit enrollments, deductions, eligibility, and HRIS/vendor data; completes required compliance activities and 401(k) administration; and supports employees with timely, effective benefits guidance.

The specialist plans and executes open enrollment, coordinates communications, evaluates vendor performance, and provides HR leadership with regular reporting and recommendations. The role also establishes wellness goals, measures program participation and effectiveness, and documents improvements to benefits processes. Up to 10% travel is required.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• At least five years of progressive experience in corporate benefits administration, including at least two years in a senior or lead role.
• Strong knowledge of benefits regulations, compliance requirements, and best practices.
• Strong experience and knowledge of 401(k) plan administration and compliance requirements.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication abilities, including experience with employee-facing education.
• Detail-oriented, with a high degree of accuracy.
• Ability to manage confidential information with discretion.
• Strong vendor and stakeholder relationship management skills.
• Strategic mindset and ability to balance cost control with employee needs.
• Adaptable, proactive, and solutions-driven.
• Willingness to travel up to 10%.

Nice To Haves

• Previous experience with UKG (UltiPro) and Bswift benefits administration platforms.
• Proficiency in HRIS and benefits systems.
• Advanced Excel skills.

Responsibilities

• Maintain 98% or higher accuracy in benefit enrollments, deductions, eligibility, and HRIS/vendor data.
• Complete all required benefits compliance activities and filings by applicable deadlines, with no material compliance findings attributable to benefits administration errors.
• Complete scheduled 401(k) plan administration and compliance activities on time, coordinating with plan partners.
• Respond to employee benefits inquiries within one business day and resolve or appropriately escalate at least 90% within three business days.
• Support completion of at least 90% of required employee benefit elections by open enrollment deadlines.
• Develop and maintain an annual benefits and wellness communications plan and calendar covering messages, audiences, channels, owners, and delivery dates.
• Review communication effectiveness at least quarterly using available engagement, participation, and employee feedback data, and adjust communications accordingly.
• Deliver planned benefits communications on or before established dates and target at least 85% employee satisfaction with benefits support where data is available.
• Execute annual open enrollment according to schedule and project milestones; achieve at least 98% enrollment accuracy following final audit and resolve discrepancies before carrier/vendor deadlines.
• Complete a post-enrollment reconciliation and lessons-learned review, documenting improvement actions.
• Create enrollment campaign materials, educational content, and reminders, coordinating with internal communications for consistent and timely messaging.
• Conduct annual formal performance reviews for all key benefits vendors, track service issues, and achieve at least 90% resolution within agreed service-level expectations.
• Identify and document annual cost, service, or process improvement opportunities during renewals and vendor reviews.
• Provide HR leadership with benefits utilization, cost, and trend reporting at least quarterly, and develop two to three actionable recommendations annually based on data, employee experience, market practices, or utilization trends.
• Support annual renewal planning with documented analysis of cost, utilization, employee impact, and vendor performance.
• Establish annual wellness program goals, execute at least 90% of planned initiatives, measure participation and utilization for major initiatives, and provide an annual assessment with recommended changes.
• Implement at least two meaningful benefits process improvements annually and maintain current documentation for all critical benefits processes.
• Identify recurring issues and establish corrective actions intended to reduce repeat errors.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior