Benefits Manager

Reset your expectations of a health and wellness agency. From our inception, Fingerpaint has been driven by an unstoppable collective spirit of possibility. It’s that curiosity that’s at the heart of everything we do. From our legendary people-first culture to the hundreds of Fingerpainters who define us, we’ve reimagined what it means to be a healthcare and wellness advertising agency. Here, creativity happens naturally—we attract top talent and give them a space to grow and collaborate. 

In this role, you will be responsible for leading the design, implementation, governance, and administration of all employee benefits and leave of absence programs. This role ensures that our programs are market-competitive, compliant, and aligned with our company's strategy and culture, helping to drive employee engagement and overall business success.

Key Responsibilities

Benefits Strategy & Management

• Program Management: Oversee the management and delivery of all employee benefits, including medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA, life, disability, 401(k) plan, and other voluntary benefits. Supports the integration of benefits programs during acquisitions, or organizational changes.
• 401k: Oversees 401(k) administration and compliance activities, including non-discrimination testing and Form 5500 filings. Manages the annual 401(k) audit process, including census preparation and coordinating with recordkeepers, independent auditors, and other relevant parties.
• Open Enrollment: Lead the annual open enrollment process, including vendor negotiation, plan design, system configuration, communication strategy, and employee education around benefit offerings. Administer new hire benefits enrollment, life event changes, and offboarding processes, ensuring timely and accurate updates.
• Benefits Strategy: Continue to develop and refine a benefits strategy that carefully weighs the factors of cost, market competitiveness, value, and overall employee experience.
• Employee Experience & Communication: Act as a subject matter expert and develop and execute clear, engaging communication plans to ensure employees understand their benefits options or planned changes.
• Data Driven Decision Making: Analyze and synthesize employee feedback, market trends, utilization, and other data sources to continuously improve our benefits programs as well as the employee experience.
• Relationship Management: Own the relationship with our benefit brokers/partners and be the liaison with employees
• Compliance: Ensure all benefit plans comply with federal and state regulations (e.g., ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, COBRA). Follows ACA compliance regulations and leads the annual filing of 1094c and 1095c.
• Wellness Initiatives: Develop and promote employee wellness programs that encourage healthy lifestyles and control benefit costs.

Leave of Absence (LOA) Management

• Leave Management: Supported by the P&C Coordinator, oversee the administration for all employee leaves, parental, caregiver, FMLA, state-specific leaves, short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD), military leave, as well as any other leaves. Coordinate with payroll, managers, and external vendors to ensure seamless processing and return-to-work procedures. Administer of other leave policies such as flexible time off, holidays, bereavement, etc.
• Compliance & Communication: Ensure timely and accurate compliance with all federal and state leave regulations and provide clear communication to employees regarding their rights and responsibilities.

HRIS & Vendor Management

• Data Integrity: Ensure the accuracy of all Benefits data within ADP (e.g., plan eligibility, compensation changes, benefit elections, etc.).
• Relationship Management: Manage relationships with benefits brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators, holding them accountable for service levels and costs.

Required Qualifications

• Experience: 7+ years of progressive experience in Total Rewards/Benefits, with at least 2 years in a leadership or senior role. Must have experience overseeing employer sponsored medical benefits and managing the relationships with brokers and external partners.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUPs) and experience working with a major HRIS (e.g., Workday, ADP, SAP, UKG).
• Compliance Knowledge: Strong understanding of federal and state laws related to compensation (FLSA), benefits (ERISA, ACA), and leaves of absence (FMLA).

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within the Healthcare, Marketing, or Agency environment.
• Relevant professional certification (e.g., CCP, CEBS, PHR/SHRM-SCP/CP).

Competencies

• Analytical Thinking: Ability to synthesize complex data and translate it into actionable strategies.
• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, capable of explaining complex programs to a diverse employee population.
• Project Management: Proven ability to manage large-scale projects (e.g., Open Enrollment) from start to finish.
• Integrity: High degree of professionalism and ability to handle confidential information with discretion.