Benefits Manager

Job Description:
**BENEFITS MANAGER**

**_ Amica Senior Lifestyles_**

At Amica we are united in our purpose to provide the best care in Senior Living in a supportive environment. We are setting a new standard for senior living in Canada by combining unparalleled premium hospitality and amenities with expert care and support to deliver a personalized senior living experience. We are committed to enriching the lives of seniors now and as their needs change, and offer Independent Living (IL), Assisted Living (AL) and Memory Care (MC) lifestyle options. Established in 1996, we own and operate over 30 residences in British Columbia, and Ontario, and continue to grow in select markets. Find out how you can become part of a team where you belong and make a real impact every day.

**Job Overview**

In this role, you will lead Amica’s benefits portfolio. As a growing organization that deeply cares for its team members, providing a compelling mix of benefits has never been more important. This role combines hands on benefits administration along with strategic planning and execution that includes new vendor selection, annual contract negotiations review and creating benefit programs that help Amica attract and retain the best talent.

**What you will do**:

- Lead the Benefits, Retirement Savings, Disability, and Service Recognition programs with key ownership of the development, implementation and enhancement of new and existing programs.
- Monitors trends and provides recommendations to management on benefit plan design and enhancements, to ensure the organization’s offerings are innovative, competitive and contributes to ensuring plan sustainability.
- Create and manage simplified communication that allows Amica to be seen as competitive and marketable.
- Manage vendor relationships including benefits and retirement savings consultants, third-party benefit administration team, insurance providers and benefit partners.
- Oversee ongoing automation of benefit system platform in partnership with the Payroll team and system integration including monthly deduction auditing for accuracy.
- Provide budgeting and forecasting support for the annual program renewals.
- Quarterly reconciliation of billing to payroll, in coordination with payroll.
- Conducts cost sensitivity analysis for plan modifications during negotiations and recommends solutions.
- Manage the non-occupational disability process for all team members including advisement of forms & process, premium payment continuation; liaise with Residence Management and Insurance Company and communicate claim outcomes.
- Where necessary lead new vendor selection process and contract negotiation.
- Drive high standard of customer service to plan members in resolving queries and concerns and continuously working towards improving the plan member experience.
- Periodically market benefit vendors and services, to ensure that organisation is contracted with best -in-class and optimizing its investment and value to plan members.
- Develops educational and communication material to support the benefit program offerings.
- Prepare regular reporting and analysis of team member benefits and retirement program.
- Provide guidance to management, team members, and HR partners on a variety of benefit requests, including interpretation of benefit and retirement plan and alignment with collective agreements.
- Responsible for process configuration and seamless transition during HCM implementation. Collaborate with other Centres of Excellence such as Compensation, Talent Acquisition, Payroll on HCM implementation.
- May be asked to participate in other team projects or initiatives as required.

**How you will succeed**:

- Managing various 3rd party benefit vendor relationships, performance and service expectations and standards, efficiencies, and costs/ROI.
- Leading the remarketing of our program to find the best providers, pricing and options for the participants and organization
- Leading a redesign of all benefits programs and offerings.
- Leveraging system and process automation to reduce internal administration.
- Communicating benefit programs to team members, resulting in high adoption, participation, and engagement rates.
- Proven organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize and juggle competing demands.
- Demonstrating strong interpersonal, communication (written and verbal), collaborative and influencing skills.
- Demonstrating problem solving skills, coupled with strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
- The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, rapidly evolving environment with resiliency, ease and flexibility.
- Display a strong work ethic and sense of commitment.
- Ability to work independently while also understanding the value of a diverse team and working collaboratively to ensure success.

**What you bring**:

- Minimum of 5+ years’ progressive experience in benefits and retirement management.
- Experience managing “Reques