Benefits and Risk Manager Summary Uncle Giuseppe's Marketplace is seeking an experienced Benefits and Risk Manager to oversee the financial performance, administration, and ongoing improvement of our employee benefit and corporate insurance programs. This position will manage our self-insured health plan, self-funded workers' compensation program, and corporate insurance portfolio. The Benefits and Risk Manager will analyze claims and costs, lead annual renewals, manage broker and carrier relationships, oversee complex claims, ensure regulatory compliance, and identify opportunities to reduce risk and control expenses. The ideal candidate is highly analytical, comfortable challenging vendors and insurance partners, and experienced in supporting a multi-location, hourly workforce. Responsibilities Employee Benefits and Health Plan Management Oversee the financial and administrative performance of the company's self-insured health plan. Analyze monthly claims activity, budget performance, utilization trends, high-cost claims using de-identified reporting, and incurred-but-not-reported reserve changes. Prepare a concise monthly report for senior leadership outlining plan performance, emerging trends, financial risks, and recommended actions. Lead the annual benefits renewal process, including plan design modeling, contribution strategies, network alternatives, vendor evaluations, and long-term planning. Develop benefits recommendations supported by claims data, cost projections, market benchmarks, and operational considerations. Manage the benefits broker relationship and maintain a written annual plan outlining expected services, responsibilities, and deliverables. Periodically evaluate and market brokerage services to ensure the company receives competitive pricing and appropriate support. Negotiate specific and aggregate stop-loss coverage and monitor policy terms, exclusions, and individual claim limitations. Ensure all eligible stop-loss claims are submitted accurately and reimbursements are collected promptly. Review pharmacy benefit manager agreements, including rebates, pricing arrangements, specialty-drug management, and opportunities for alternative or transparent pricing models. Coordinate open enrollment with the broker and People Operations, including timelines, rates, employee contributions, vendor setup, system testing, and issue resolution. Reconcile employee elections, payroll deductions, and carrier invoices following open enrollment. Attend and help facilitate enrollment meetings at store locations, serving as a knowledgeable resource for employees. Ensure compliance with applicable benefit requirements, including ACA reporting, Form 5500 filings, Summary Plan Descriptions, and nondiscrimination testing, in partnership with brokers and legal counsel. Workers' Compensation Management Maintain an accurate inventory of all open workers' compensation claims, including reserves, current status, outstanding issues, and documented action plans. Conduct monthly claim reviews with carrier adjusters and ensure every open claim has a clearly defined next step and target date. Review and challenge outdated or unsupported claim reserves when appropriate. Identify opportunities for early resolution and work with adjusters, brokers, and defense counsel to develop settlement strategies. Recognize potentially questionable claim patterns and coordinate appropriate referrals to carrier investigative resources and the company's Loss Prevention team. Approach each claim objectively and respectfully while protecting the interests of both injured employees and the company. Partner with the Leave and Compliance Administrator and store management to support timely return-to-work and light-duty assignments. Prepare quarterly claim-pattern reports by store, injury type, and contributing cause. Share findings with Operations, Facilities, Food Safety, and other business partners to strengthen injury-prevention efforts. Corporate Insurance and Risk Management Manage the annual renewal calendar and marketing process for the company's corporate insurance portfolio. Oversee policies that may include property, general liability, umbrella, automobile, cyber liability, employment practices liability, and directors and officers liability. Coordinate general liability and property claims with insurance carriers, Loss Prevention, store leadership, and other internal partners. Monitor open claims, supporting documentation, investigations, and carrier follow-up through resolution. Review certificate-of-insurance requirements for vendors and contractors in partnership with Finance. Maintain accurate policy, renewal, claim, and coverage records. Identify coverage gaps, emerging risks, and opportunities to improve the company's overall insurance program. Employee and Department Support Serve as the primary escalation contact for complex benefit claims, coverage issues, and vendor-related concerns. Communicate directly with employees when specialized assistance is required and ensure resolutions are documented through the appropriate support channel. Partner closely with Finance, People Operations, Loss Prevention, Facilities, Food Safety, store leadership, insurance carriers, brokers, and outside counsel. Travel to store locations as needed to support open enrollment, operational initiatives, investigations, and risk-management activities. Perform additional duties and special projects as assigned. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business Administration, Human Resources, Risk Management, or a related field preferred. Five to eight years of experience in self-insured employee benefits, workers' compensation claims management, corporate risk management, or a related field. Experience may come from a corporate benefits department, insurance carrier, third-party administrator, or brokerage environment. Strong knowledge of self-insured health plans, stop-loss insurance, workers' compensation claims, and corporate insurance programs. Demonstrated experience working with adjusters, brokers, carriers, vendors, and legal counsel. Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret claims data, identify trends, challenge assumptions, and present actionable recommendations. Experience supporting a multi-location, hourly workforce strongly preferred. Working knowledge of benefit-plan compliance requirements and reporting obligations. Excellent judgment, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills. Ability to handle confidential employee and claims information with discretion. Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple renewals, claims, deadlines, and projects simultaneously. Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and related reporting and benefits administration systems. Measures of Success Success in this position will include: Health-plan cost trends that meet or outperform established targets and market benchmarks. Accurate and timely monthly reporting to senior leadership. Current action plans for every open workers' compensation claim. Measurable reductions in aging claims and unnecessary reserves. Timely submission and collection of eligible stop-loss reimbursements. Well-managed renewals supported by clear financial analysis. Completion of scheduled eligibility, pharmacy, and insurance-program audits. Responsive and effective resolution of escalated employee benefit concerns. Strong accountability and service from brokers, carriers, and other outside partners.

Compensation:

Competitive salary, with eligibility for a performance-based incentive bonus of 10%-15%. Final compensation will be based on experience, qualifications, and internal approval. Benefits Include Medical, dental, and vision coverage Life Insurance, AD&D, STD, LTD 401(k) retirement plan 50% discount on employee lunches 25% discount on in-store shopping Opportunities for professional growth and advancement

Pay:

$115,000.00 per year