Client Relationship Manager, Employee Benefits - IAS, West

Baldwin Group Colleague, Inc.; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The Baldwin Group, an award-winning insurance brokerage, seeks a Client Relationship Manager (Employee Benefits) to serve as the primary liaison between carriers and clients. You will manage benefit programs, renewals, and inquiries, ensuring plan compliance and guiding coverage decisions while delivering a trusted, Peace of Mind client experience. This role collaborates with carriers, advisors, and internal Baldwin support teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, insurance, finance, or related field; professional designation preferred.
• Current state Life & Health license is required (2‑4+ years of employee benefits/account management).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for presentations to decision-makers and employees.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong client relationships as the primary contact and communicate expectations, updates, and strategic recommendations.
• Assess client needs and develop tailored benefit solutions, evaluating programs and opportunities for additional coverage.
• Lead renewal processes by preparing, analyzing, and presenting benefit options, benchmarking, and plan design alternatives.
• Manage client service calendar, onboarding, renewals, open enrollment prep, compliance updates, and required plan documents.
• Ensure compliance with ERISA, HIPAA, ACA and oversee related filings and plan documents.

Skills

Client relations

Renewals

Benefit analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory compliance

Project management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, insurance, finance, or related field

Life & Health license

Tools

Brokerage Builder

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Zywave

Digital workflow tools

Job description

The Baldwin Group is an award-winning entrepreneur‑led and inspired insurance brokerage firm delivering expertly crafted Commercial Insurance and Risk Management, Private Insurance and Risk Management, Employee Benefits and Benefit Administration, Asset and Income Protection, and Risk Mitigation strategies to clients wherever their passions and businesses take them throughout the U.S. and abroad. The Baldwin Group has award‑winning industry expertise, colleagues, competencies, insurers, and most importantly, a highly differentiated culture that our clients consider an invaluable expansion of their business. The Baldwin Group (NASDAQ: BWIN), takes a holistic and tailored approach to insurance and risk management.

Position Summary The Client Relationship Manager (CRM), Employee Benefits, is the primary liaison between insurance carriers and clients, managing employee benefit programs, renewals, and day‑to‑day service inquiries. They ensure plan compliance, analyze benefit trends, and provide advice and guidance on coverage, with the goal of driving client relationships, satisfaction, and retention. The CRM applies practical benefits knowledge to ensure timely, accurate deliverables and supports the delivery of a consistent “Peace of Mind” client experience. This role collaborates closely with the Client Success Specialist, Advisor, carriers, and internal Baldwin support colleagues to ensure excellent service delivery.

Primary Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong client relationships as the primary point of contact, proactively communicating expectations, updates, and strategic recommendations.
• Assess client needs and develop tailored benefit solutions, including evaluating existing programs and identifying opportunities for additional coverage.
• Lead the renewal process by preparing, analyzing, and effectively presenting benefit options, benchmarking, claim experience, contribution modeling, and plan design alternatives.
• Manage the client service calendar, including onboarding, renewals, open enrollment preparation, compliance updates, and delivery of required plan documentation.
• Ensure benefit programs comply with federal and state regulations (ERISA, HIPAA, ACA) and oversee related compliance activities such as 5500 filings and plan documents.
• Liaise with carriers and vendors to negotiate contracts, resolve issues, solicit proposals, and manage policy activity to ensure timely, accurate service delivery.
• Oversee new client onboarding in alignment with the Peace of Mind process, including timely C‑suite engagement.
• Partner with Client Success Specialists and internal teams to clarify data needs, monitor task progress, and maintain consistent, high‑quality workflows.
• Develop employee facing communication materials, including Benefit Guides, and coordinate or conduct enrollment meetings.
• Maintain high standards of accuracy, timeliness, and completeness in all interactions.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, tools, and workflows, escalating issues to leadership as needed.

Required Knowledge & Experience

• Strong industry knowledge of benefit programs, preferably in a brokerage firm.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities effectively.
• A commitment to providing exceptional client service.
• Ability to evaluate complex information, identify issues within defined parameters, and recommend next steps.
• Strong attention to detail when reviewing materials for completeness and accuracy.
• Proficiency with Agency Management Systems (e.g., Brokerage Builder), Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) Products, Zywave and digital workflow tools.
• Able to prioritize tasks, manage deadlines, and follow structured processes to support client commitments.
• Build strong relationships with clients through responsive, reliable communication and a proactive service‑oriented approach.
• Demonstrates firm’s core values with aligned corporate culture. Including reliability, integrity, and follow-through; communicates clearly about status and next steps.
• Works effectively within cross‑functional teams, contributing to shared objectives and escalating issues constructively.
• Strong presentation skills, both verbal and written communications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, insurance, finance, or related field; professional insurance designation preferred.
• Current state License required (Life & Health) 2-4+ years of employee benefits and account management experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to deliver presentations to decision‑makers and employees.
• Foundational understanding of employee benefits processes, and renewal workflows, including functional knowledge of plan funding types such as self‑funded and level‑funded.
• Experience coordinating with offshore teams or third‑party partners is preferred.

Skills & Behaviors

• Functional/Technical Skills Strategic Execution: Navigating workflows through proactive performance measurement and decisive resolution of complex carrier or compliance escalations.
• Client Advisory: Applies expertise to inform recommendations and provide guidance in Employee Benefits (market strategy, exposure analysis).
• Quality Assurance: Expertise in performing high‑level quality assurance on complex technical deliverables produced by others.
• Systems Agility: High proficiency in Agency Management Systems (e.g., Brokerage Builder), Microsoft Excel, AI‑enabled tools, and digital workflow platforms.
• Behaviors Planning: Strategic prioritization and time management; planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Earns Trust: Confidence in advising clients on complex matters; gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.
• Peer Relationships: can solve problems with teams with a minimum of noise; builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Client Focus: Builds strong client relationships and delivers client‑centric solutions that exceed expectations.

The starting pay is $100,000-$115,000 annual. Salary is negotiable upon time of hire.

We Protect the Possible.

The Baldwin Group is an equal employment opportunity firm and strives to comply with all laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, religion, age, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin or ancestry, disability, military status, marital status, and any other category protected by federal, state, or local laws. All such discrimination is unlawful, and all persons involved in the operations of the firm are prohibited from engaging in this conduct.