Job Title: HR Benefits Specialist I

Job Location: Toronto, ON M5J 2T8

Job Duration: 11 Months (Contract to hire)

Pay Rate: $24.50/hr to $25.50/hr

Job Description:

• A Benefits Manager provides support for benefit programs offered to Client's employees.
• They partner extensively with internal stakeholders and external partners to develop and execute a global multi-year roadmap for benefit administration support.
• Benefits Managers define a continuous improvement strategy, are responsible for standard process design and documentation, policy and compliance.
• They serve as day-to-day support, driving team progress toward established goals and effectively solving problems.
• In this role, you will be responsible for helping design and implement tools, processes, and/or data collection mechanisms used for reporting.
• The ideal candidate will be comfortable working independently in a dynamic environment with rapidly changing priorities.
• To be successful in this role, you will need to be an innovative change agent with a strong bias for action, and have the ability to communicate effectively with internal partners and external vendors and benefit providers.
• Strong candidates will have a demonstrated history of successfully managing large, complex initiatives, with experience in engaging with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to deliver results through leadership and influence.

 Key job responsibilities:

• Benefits Manager will be responsible for managing Canada benefits
• Develop and execute change management strategies for benefits delivery and operational activities, including launching and integrating new or modified benefits plans, processes and vendors.
• Develop standard processes that align with IT solutions and facilitate stakeholder approval.
• Support cyclical benefits events and activities, such as annual enrollment and plan renewals.
• Provide subject matter expertise to internal stakeholders and outside vendors through HR and culture training delivery.
• Work with benefit vendors to ensure existing and new administrative processes provide a consistent, frustration-free employee experience, in accordance with compliance standards and integrated with other vendors when applicable.
• Support administrative processes performed by vendors, such as leading pre and post-implementation audits, troubleshooting issues, performing root cause analyses, and correcting errors identified.
• Identify and help resolve issues, including providing support and guidance to employee escalations on benefit-related topics, and working with internal employee support teams to manage appeals and exceptions intake, review, and determination.
• Business travel will be required.

 Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, HR or related field.
• Fluency in English (French if possible)
• 3+ years of relevant project and program management experience.
• Demonstrated ability to achieve program success through influence and partnership from design to delivery of initiatives.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with demonstrated ability to address all levels of the organization in a clear and concise manner and influence decision-makers.
• Basic proficiency of MS Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio.
• Demonstrated experience in delivering excellent customer service.
• Proven ability to be highly organized, prioritize effectively, and work under pressure on a number of projects/initiatives at the same time in a rapidly growing environment.
• Strong data analysis skills, with the ability to extract and synthesize information in order to make data-backed business decisions.
• Ability to develop ad-hoc reporting to meet specific business needs and inquiries.
• Successful record of building operational processes and procedures, continuously improving programs and delivering efficiencies.

 Preferred Qualifications:

• 6+ years of experience managing large-scale employee benefit or pension administration programs, associated vendor management, and program development and delivery.
• Exceptional analytical skills, including proven abilities in process development and data management, financial accounting, reporting, auditing and reconciliations, and strengths in reporting and communicating data and trends to business leaders.
• Advanced proficiency of MS Office: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio.
• Experience in a shared services environment is a plus.