Director of Employee Benefits

The Carlstar Group; Franklin (TN); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Carlstar Group seeks a Benefits Director to lead strategy, financial stewardship, and employee experience for our benefits programs. You will partner with HR, Finance, Operations, and executive leadership to balance cost management with competitive plans.

You will own governance, vendor management, and education initiatives to ensure compliant, effective, and understandable benefits across sites. This is a senior leadership role in a manufacturing environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, finance or related field.
• 8+ years progressive benefits experience, including leadership responsibility for health and welfare programs.
• Experience managing self-funded health plans and working with brokers, consultants, carriers, and third-party administrators.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own benefits strategy, governance, and financial stewardship.
• Lead vendor, broker, and carrier relationships with a focus on service quality and outcomes.
• Oversee day-to-day benefits operations, ensuring compliance and accurate execution.
• Drive communications to educate employees and improve plan utilization across locations.
• Partner with HR, Finance, and site leadership to align benefits with business priorities.
• Lead open enrollment, plan changes, and major benefits projects.

Skills

Benefits leadership

Financial acumen

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Finance

Advanced degree or benefits certification preferred

Job description

Job SummaryThe Benefits Director is responsible for the strategy, financial stewardship, operational execution, and employee experience of the company’s benefits programs. This role ensures benefit plans are competitive, financially disciplined, compliant, and clearly understood by employees while strengthening accountability across brokers, vendors, internal processes, and cross-functional partners.As the organization’s benefits leader, this position partners closely with HR, Finance, Operations, and executive leadership to align benefits strategy with business priorities, improve plan performance, support employee engagement, and bring greater structure and discipline to the benefits function.Essential ResponsibilitiesBenefits Strategy, Financial Management & GovernanceOwn the financial performance of health and welfare plans, including analysis of cost drivers, utilization, claims experience, market trends, and emerging risk areasPartner with brokers, consultants, and vendors to evaluate plan performance, challenge recommendations, and develop practical cost mitigation strategiesDevelop and execute mid-year and annual strategies that improve plan efficiency, manage risk, and support long-term sustainabilityPrepare clear, business-oriented insights and recommendations for HR, Finance, and executive leadershipEstablish governance routines, reporting discipline, and accountability measures to support informed decision-makingBenefits Design & Market AlignmentEnsure benefits programs remain competitive, financially responsible, and aligned with business needs and workforce expectationsEvaluate plan design opportunities that improve the employee experience while supporting cost management and responsible utilizationPartner with HR leadership to ensure benefits support attraction, retention, engagement, and workforce stability across employee populationsMonitor market practices and recommend appropriate adjustments to maintain a balanced, relevant, and sustainable benefits offeringEmployee Education & CommunicationBuild and execute a comprehensive benefits education and communication strategy across all locationsTranslate complex benefits information into clear, practical messaging that improves employee understanding, decision-making, and appropriate plan utilizationDevelop communication approaches tailored to hourly, salaried, corporate, field, and manufacturing populationsPartner with HR teams and vendors to deliver timely, consistent, and accessible education throughout the year, not only during open enrollmentVendor & Broker ManagementOwn benefits vendor, broker, consultant, and carrier relationships with a clear focus on service quality, financial outcomes, compliance, and issue resolutionEstablish expectations, monitor performance, and hold partners accountable to service levels, deliverables, timelines, and outcomesLead escalations proactively and ensure timely, well-documented resolution of employee, plan, and vendor issuesDrive structure and discipline into vendor management, reporting, renewal preparation, and recurring business reviewsExecution & Operations LeadershipOversee day-to-day benefits operations, ensuring deadlines, deliverables, employee support needs, and compliance requirements are consistently metEstablish processes, timelines, ownership, documentation, and accountability within the benefits functionLead open enrollment, plan changes, audits, vendor transitions, system-related initiatives, and other major benefits projectsPartner with Payroll, HRIS, Finance, Legal, and site HR teams to ensure accurate execution and strong cross-functional coordinationTeam LeadershipProvide leadership, direction, and prioritization for the benefits functionEstablish clear expectations, ownership, accountability, and follow-through within the teamBuild scalable structure, processes, and operating routines to support the organization as it growsQualificationsBachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or related field required; advanced degree or benefits certification preferred8+ years of progressive benefits experience, including leadership responsibility for health and welfare programsDemonstrated experience managing self-funded health plans and working effectively with brokers, consultants, carriers, and third-party administratorsStrong financial, analytical, and business acumen with the ability to translate data into practical recommendationsExperience supporting multi-site, manufacturing, hourly, and salaried workforces preferredWorking knowledge of benefits compliance requirements, including ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, FMLA, and related federal and state requirementsLeadership ProfileStrong business acumen with an ownership mindset and the judgment to balance employee experience, cost management, compliance, and operational executionConfident and constructive in challenging vendors, brokers, and internal assumptions to drive better outcomesHighly organized and disciplined, with strong follow-through and the ability to create structure where it is neededClear, credible communicator who can engage executive leadership, employees, vendors, and field HR teams effectivelyBalances strategic thinking with hands-on execution and demonstrates calm, steady leadership in a complex environment