Manager - Benefits & Wellness

Support Center - Irving

Manager - Benefits & Wellness will report to the Vice President - Total Rewards. This role is responsible for the development, implementation, and administration of the company’s benefits programs including medical/dental/vision plans, flexible spending accounts, all time-off and leave of absence policies, disability and life insurance policies, wellness and health education initiatives, and vendor management.

Benchmarks all programs to ensure market competitiveness. Partners with consultants to develop benefits education materials and communication initiatives for Team Members to increase awareness of company benefit plans and enhance engagement. Negotiates coverage, services, and costs with carriers and brokers.

Collaborates internally with others such as risk management, legal departments, and IT to investigate innovative programs to determine feasibility in terms of cost, risk to the company, and legal implications. Selects, develops, and evaluates personnel to ensure the efficient operation of the function. Provides benefits consultation and guidance to HR business partners, management and Team Members.

• Leads Benefits team members, ensures teamwork and cohesion between teams and business units, manages performance, and strong developer or talent.
• Establishes, coordinates, administers, and oversees benefits processes to deliver health and welfare programs.  Manages annual health and welfare benefits open enrollment for the US and Canada.  Respond to and resolve escalated Team Member concerns regarding benefit programs.
• Directs co-sourcing partner in administering benefits and absence processes.  Includes oversight of scheduled processes, ongoing review of process documents to identify opportunities for efficiency and consistency in administration, and audit of completed work and records to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations.
• Responsible for ensuring Workday configuration is accurate and fully tested prior to the beginning of the Plan year to provide flawless execution of administration.
• Manages health and welfare vendors to ensure best in class customer service in administering Michaels benefits plans as set out in our plan documents.  Ensures vendor support systems and integrations are operating properly mitigating errors and service issues.
• Ensures data integrity related to the health and welfare including accuracy of vendor files and payroll deductions, collection of premiums, and integration between systems both internal and external through establishing, coordinating, and conducting ongoing audits.
• Ensures compliance with provisions of ERISA.  Supervises preparation of reports and applications required by law to be filed with federal and state agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, insurance commissioners, and other regulatory agencies. Reviews and analyzes changes to state and federal laws pertaining to benefits and reports necessary or suggested changes to management. Coordinates company benefits, with federal and state-sponsored programs.
• Manages billing for all health and welfare vendors.
• Provides support for special projects, including research, benchmarking, and data analysis.
• Leverages Employer Branding and proactively looks for innovative and industry best practices regarding benefit plan offerings.

Other duties as assigned

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Preferred Education/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
• 8+ years of benefits and wellness experience
• 3+ years of leadership experience
• Advanced Excel skills. Intermediate proficiency in MS Word and Access
• Workday or other similar HRIS system

Minimum Type of Experience Required

• Corporate experience managing US Health & Welfare benefit plans, vendors and brokers.
• Experience managing absence and leave plans in a retail environment.
• Knowledge of ERISA, DOL, 125, ACA, Form 5500, and other laws and legislative requirements.
• Comfortable in a high-volume environment with agility to handle a fast-paced workload; flexibility with working hours based upon projects and established deadlines.
• Ability to influence across the business and build strong relationships with cross-functional partners in areas such as finance, payroll, store operations, HR business partners, and others.

Other

• Must come from a fast-paced, high-volume environment with the ability to handle a busy workload, flexibility with working hours based upon projects and established deadlines.
• Excellent attention to details, with speed and accuracy.
• Ability to influence across the business and build strong relationships with cross-functional partners in areas such as finance, payroll, store operations, HR business partners, and others.
• Completing surveys and providing plan benchmarking analysis.
• Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) or PHR/SPHR a plus.
• Knowledge of legislative requirements for HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, and similar programs.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, oral and written communication, strong business focus.
• Experience managing to optimal productivity and performance.
• Ability to analyze facts and exercise sound judgment in arriving at conclusions; ability to make decisions.
• Results, solution-oriented individual with demonstrated follow-through.
• Strong project management skills with critical thinking process orientation.
• Strong problem solving and troubleshooting abilities; strong data analysis acumen and focus on accuracy and attention to detail.

Applicants in the U.S. must satisfy federal, state, and local legal requirements of the job.

At The Michaels Companies Inc, our purpose is to fuel the joy of creativity. As the leading creative destination in North America, we operate over 1,300 stores in 49 states and Canada and online at

and . The Michaels Companies, Inc. also owns Artistree, a manufacturer of custom and specialty framing merchandise, and , a dedicated handmade goods marketplace. Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Irving, Texas, Michaels is the best place for all things creative. For more information, please visit 

At Michaels, we prioritize the wellbeing of our teams by providing robust benefits for both full-time and part-time Team Members. Our benefits include health insurance (medical, dental, and vision), paid time off, tuition assistance, generous employee discounts, and much more. For more information, visit

.

Michaels is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are here for all Team Members and all Makers to create, innovate and be better together.

Michaels is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with this commitment, Michaels will assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if a reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the job, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Customer Care at

(1800-MICHAEL).

Federal FMLA Poster

Federal EPPAC Poster