Benefits Service Specialist

Job DescriptionJob Description About this role At Patterson-Bryant, we believe candidates deserve a clear and honest picture of what a role truly involves before they join a team. This job description is intentionally detailed because we want you to understand both the opportunities and expectations associated with this position. This is a fast-paced, high-accountability role for an experienced employee benefits professional who thrives in a busy environment, enjoys solving problems, and takes pride in delivering accurate, high-quality work. The person in this role will play an important part in supporting our clients, strengthening relationships with carrier partners, and helping Patterson-Bryant continue to deliver the exceptional service we are known for. This role is busy, challenging, and important to our organization, but for the right person, it can also be incredibly rewarding. About Patterson-Bryant Service is one of the foundational principles of our company. At Patterson-Bryant, we are known for delivering world-class service and going above and beyond for our clients every day. We take pride in our work, value strong relationships, and believe that exceptional results are built through teamwork, accountability, and a commitment to excellence. We believe in working hard, supporting one another, maintaining high standards, and creating an environment where team members can contribute ideas, grow, and succeed. We value people who bring dedication, professionalism, initiative, and a genuine desire to make a positive impact. We maintain high standards, and we value the people who help make our success possible. For the right person, this is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact on a service-driven team. Key Responsibilities Provide benefits administration support to clients and their employees. Obtain quotes from carriers for new employee benefit plans and alternative plan options. Prepare, draft, and submit requests for proposal (RFPs) for health and welfare plans. Review carrier proposals and RFP responses for accuracy, competitiveness, reasonableness, and alignment with client needs. Negotiate with carriers on behalf of clients to secure competitive pricing for renewals and new business. Contact clients to complete pre-renewal questionnaires and gather needed information. Prepare and maintain benefit renewal spreadsheets, proposals, presentations, and supporting materials. Create open enrollment materials for client groups and employee communications. Process customer policy change requests and new business paperwork. Perform invoice audits and census audits. Research and review benchmarking data to create client benchmarking reports. Respond promptly to client inquiries, service requests, and cancellation requests. Handle incoming calls with professionalism and care. Produce work that is accurate, clear, and organized Support the team in delivering a consistently high level of service by exceeding client expectations. What This Role Requires This is a busy and challenging position that involves a wide variety of responsibilities. The successful candidate will be comfortable wearing many hats and shifting between detailed analytical work, client service, renewal support, and carrier communication throughout the day. This role is especially well-suited for someone who: Enjoys working in a fast-paced environment Has strong attention to detail and takes pride in accuracy Can identify and correct errors before finalizing work Is confident working with numbers, spreadsheets, and benefit-related data Can manage multiple tasks and deadlines without sacrificing quality Communicates professionally and effectively with clients, carriers, and team members Handles stressful or difficult situations with tact and professionalism Is self-motivated, dependable, and committed to excellence Qualifications and Skills Bachelor's Degree, associate's degree, or equivalent experience 5+ years of employee benefits administration experience Strong working knowledge of employee benefits, including medical and ancillary lines of coverage Experience with fully insured and self-insured plans Advanced to expert-level Microsoft Excel skills, including formulas, tables, VLOOKUPs, and pivot tables Strong Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat Pro skills Experience preparing and reviewing benefit spreadsheets, proposals, and presentations Knowledge of benefits contract language Knowledge of applicable state and federal regulations related to Health Care Reform Excellent communication, organizational, and time management skills Strong work ethic and the ability to work independently Ability to prioritize, multi-task, and complete work accurately Ability to perform well under pressure in a deadline-driven environment Employee Navigator experience preferred Leadership ability and a proactive, solution-oriented mindset Experience working directly with carrier quoting, renewals, and benchmarking processes Benefits and Perks...working at Patterson-Bryant has its privileges! Medical Insurance Dental Insurance Life Insurance Retirement Benefits Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Paid Time Off Vacation Days Performance Bonuses Yearly Holiday Season Refresher Period Competitive Pay Important Note This description is intended to provide an overview of the primary responsibilities and qualifications associated with this role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Employees may be asked to perform other job-related duties as assigned based on business needs.