Benefits & Retirement Specialist

EXPRESS; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

PHOENIX is seeking a Benefits & Retirement Specialist to own the day-to-day administration of health, welfare, and retirement plans. You will ensure compliance, provide vendor support, and deliver a high-quality experience for associates across the enterprise.

You will manage inquiries via Salesforce, coordinate with Finance for billing, and drive continuous improvement in internal processes to maintain accurate plan reporting and data integrity.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years hands-on benefits administration experience.
• Knowledge of ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and retirement plan operations.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate day-to-day administration of health, welfare, and retirement plans with structured processes and accurate records.
• Serve as primary contact for benefits inquiries via email and Salesforce queue, delivering high-touch support to associates and HR colleagues.
• Act as administrative point of contact for external vendors and third-party administrators, supporting vendor management initiatives.

Skills

Benefits administration

ERISA knowledge

HIPAA knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

About PHOENIX

PHOENIX Retail, LLC is a retail platform operating the Express and Bonobos brands worldwide.

Overview

PHOENIX Retail, LLC is a retail platform operating the Express and Bonobos brands worldwide.

About Express

Express is a multichannel apparel brand dedicated to a design philosophy rooted in modern, confident and effortless style whether dressing for work, everyday or special occasions. Since its launch in 1980, the brand has embraced a design philosophy rooted in modern, confident and effortless style. Express ensures you look and feel your best, wherever life takes you. The Company operates over 400 retail and outlet stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, the express.com online store and the Express mobile app.

About Bonobos

Our Bonobos menswear brand is known for being a style instigator and offering perfect-fit risks through our innovative retail model and personalized experience. Launched online in 2007 with its signature line of chinos, Bonobos now offers a variety of styles available to order online and to try on at any one of our 50 Guideshop locations and at www.bonobos.com. Our Guideshops are in-real-life stores that deliver one-on-one service and expert fit advice. Don't think traditional retail, Bonobos is something you haven't seen before.

Responsibilities

POSITION OVERVIEW

As our Benefits & Retirement Specialist, you will serve as the dedicated steward of our benefits, retirement, and wellness programs. Whether you are already experienced across all benefit types or a strong Health & Welfare specialist eager to expand into retirement plan administration, this role is ideal for a benefits professional who thrives on operational excellence, enjoys the precision of complex plan administration, and is looking to make an impact. Working with a high degree of autonomy, you will take full ownership of our day-to-day administrative lifecycle, ensuring compliance, responsive vendor support, and a stellar experience for our associates.

Key Responsibilities

• Program Stewardship: Coordinate the day-to-day administration of health, welfare, and retirement plans, upholding operational standards through structured processes and accurate recordkeeping.
• Associate & Stakeholder Advisory: Serve as a primary point of contact for benefits and leave of absence inquiries through email and our Salesforce queue, delivering responsive, high-touch support to associates, leaders, and HR colleagues.
• Vendor Operations Liaison: Serve as the primary administrative point of contact for external vendors and third-party administrators, supporting the Benefits Lead with vendor management initiatives and daily inquiry resolution.
• Financial Accuracy: Oversee monthly premium billing processes and fee payments across all group plans, partnering closely with Finance and Payroll to ensure clean, audit-ready plan reporting.
• Data Integrity & Audits: Manage the generation, integrity, and delivery of scheduled and ad-hoc data reporting; organize and review data sets to ensure thorough, compliant plan audits.
• Continuous Improvement: Document and regularly refine internal administrative procedures, identifying opportunities to streamline workflows, improve accuracy, and maintain seamless operational continuity.

Required Experience & Critical Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources (or equivalent years of practical experience in lieu of a degree).
• 3+ years of hands-on experience in benefits administration.
• Working knowledge of ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and the operational mechanics of health and welfare plans. Direct experience with retirement plans (e.g., 401(k)) is a plus, but we are fully open to training a strong benefits specialist ready to expand their skill set.
• Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy, and strong time-management and prioritization skills.
• Superior judgment when handling highly sensitive, confidential employee data.
• Demonstrated ability to independently troubleshoot friction points, reconcile data discrepancies, and resolve employee or vendor inquiries with sound judgment and minimal oversight.

Closing

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Applicants must be currently authorized to work full-time in the United States. PHOENIX does not sponsor applicants for work visas (e.g., H-1B or TN status) for this position.

An equal opportunity employer, PHOENIX does not discriminate in recruiting, hiring or any other terms and conditions of employment hiring on the basis of any federal, state, or locally protected characteristic. PHOENIX only hires individuals authorized for employment in the United States. PHOENIX is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you need an accommodation to search and apply for a job position due to a disability, please call 1-800-964-9793 and say 'Associate Relations' or send an e-mail to [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

Notification to Agencies

Please note that PHOENIX does not accept unsolicited resumes or calls from third-party recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Master Service Agreement and approval from HR to submit resumes for a specific requisition, PHOENIX will not consider or approve payment to any third-parties for hires made.