Sr Manager Benefit Plans & Programs

Exelon•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Sr Manager Benefit Plans & Programs is a key manager for a team responsible for employee benefits strategy, plan design, communications, and compliance for retirement and health and welfare plans, as well as paid time-off programs. The role supports labor relations on negotiated employee benefit issues and consults with senior leadership, management, human resources, and legal partners to deliver timely benefit plan and program updates. It also supports finance with multi-year budgets, audits, cost monitoring, and special projects, including business transactions, and assists benefits administration with complex questions, benefit or vendor change implementations, and vendor management. The position monitors benefit costs and plan performance, evaluates the financial and operational effects of proposed changes, tracks market trends and regulations, develops bargaining proposals and analyzes union proposals, and shapes benefit plans and programs to meet company and employee goals. It oversees vendor relationships and marketplace evaluations and supports benefit communications and change management. The position reports to the Director, Benefit Strategy & Administration and works independently, applying judgment about when to seek supervisor or leadership input.

Requirements

Four-year degree.
10 to 12 years of benefits experience.
Three years of supervisor experience, project management lead experience, or cross-functional experience.
Strong experience in financial and strategic consulting for health and welfare or retirement plans, preferably both.
Leadership ability to motivate others toward a shared business vision.
Strong communication skills to ensure information is delivered to key stakeholders and employees, understood, and acted upon when required.
Proven ability in complex project management and to move difficult projects forward without direction.
Understanding of general benefits regulations, such as ERISA and HIPAA, and ability to research and navigate regulations when addressing compliance issues.
Ability to learn and apply knowledge about complex plan design variations for different employee groups.

Nice To Haves

Master of Business Administration, an advanced degree or credentials in a related field, or an employee benefits certification.

Responsibilities

Analyze benefit costs and support development of company multi-year budgets and pension and retiree medical valuations; monitor plan performance against budget and assess financial and operational impacts of proposed changes to benefits.
Monitor the benefits market, employee needs, trends, regulations, and best practices; compare company benefits with other employers and participate in industry surveys.
Review potential new regulations for impacts on company plans and take action when a benefit plan or program is not achieving strategic results or is not compliant.
Develop company bargaining proposals for employee benefits, analyze union benefit proposals, and prepare cost data for company and union proposals and final settlements.
Conduct benefit planning and strategy development, developing proposed plan and program adjustments that address competitiveness and varied employee and company goals while reviewing risks, employee impacts, and costs.
Oversee vendor relationships and marketplace evaluations with the benefits administration team; review vendor and consultant contracts, statements of work, and change orders for negotiated terms and appropriate pricing.
Support communications colleagues with benefit communications and change management plans.
Support labor relations on negotiated benefit issues and consult with senior leadership, management, human resources, legal, finance, and benefits administration partners.
Support audits, cost monitoring, special projects including business transactions, complex benefits questions, and benefit or vendor change implementations.

Benefits

Annual salary of $136,000 to $187,000, varying based on skills, qualifications, experience, and other factors.
Additional $25,000 in annual Long Term Incentive Plan.
Annual bonus of 25% for eligible positions.
401(k) match and annual company contribution.
Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
Life and disability insurance.
Paid time off options, including vacation, sick time, floating and fixed holidays, maternity leave, and bonding/primary caregiver or parental leave.
Employee Assistance Program and mental and emotional support resources.
Wellbeing programs, including tuition reimbursement, adoption and surrogacy assistance, and fitness reimbursement.
Referral bonus program.