Senior Benefits Specialist

Appvion; Wisconsin; On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Appvion is seeking a Benefits Administration & Compliance lead in Wisconsin to manage benefit enrollments, filings, and 401(k) activities. The role requires 5+ years in benefits with leadership experience and strong knowledge of regulatory requirements.

You will coordinate with plan partners, automate communications, and drive improvements in accuracy and efficiency while supporting open enrollment and employee education efforts.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business administration, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of progressive benefits administration experience, with at least 2 years in a senior or lead role.
• Strong knowledge of benefits regulations, compliance requirements, and best practices.
• Experience with 401(k) plan administration and compliance.
• Prior experience with UKG (UltiPro) and Bswift platforms preferred.
• Proficiency in HRIS and benefits systems; advanced Excel skills preferred.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication abilities; experience in employee education.

Responsibilities

• Maintain 98%+ accuracy in benefit enrollments, deductions, eligibility, and HRIS/vendor data.
• Complete 100% of required benefits compliance activities and filings by applicable deadlines.
• Maintain zero material compliance findings attributable to benefits administration errors.
• Complete scheduled 401(k) plan administration and compliance activities on time, including coordination with plan partners.
• Respond to employee benefits inquiries within 1 business day and resolve or elevate 90%+ within 3 business days.
• Develop and maintain an annual benefits and wellness communications plan and calendar.
• Review communication effectiveness quarterly and adjust the plan to improve understanding.
• Deliver all planned benefits communications on or before established dates.

Skills

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Problem-solving

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Admin, or related field

Tools

UKG UltiPro

Bswift

HRIS

Excel

Job description

• Maintain 98%+ accuracy in benefit enrollments, deductions, eligibility, and HRIS/vendor data.
• Complete 100% of required benefits compliance activities and filings by applicable deadlines.
• Maintain zero material compliance findings attributable to benefits administration errors.
• Complete scheduled 401(k) plan administration and compliance activities on time, including required coordination with plan partners.

Benefits Administration & Compliance

• Maintain 98%+ accuracy in benefit enrollments, deductions, eligibility, and HRIS/vendor data.
• Complete 100% of required benefits compliance activities and filings by applicable deadlines.
• Maintain zero material compliance findings attributable to benefits administration errors.
• Complete scheduled 401(k) plan administration and compliance activities on time, including required coordination with plan partners.

Employee Experience & Communication

• Respond to employee benefits inquiries within 1 business day and resolve or appropriately elevate 90%+ within 3 business days.
• Achieve 90%+ completion of required employee benefit elections by established open enrollment deadlines.
• Develop and maintain an annual benefits and wellness communications plan and calendar, outlining key messages, target audiences, communication channels, owners, and delivery dates for open enrollment, year-round benefits education, and wellness initiatives.
• Review communication effectiveness at least quarterly using available engagement, participation, and employee feedback data, and adjust the annual plan to improve benefits understanding and wellness program awareness.
• Deliver all planned benefits communications on or before established communication dates.
• Target 85%+ employee satisfaction with benefits support, where survey or case-management data is available.

Open Enrollment

• Execute annual open enrollment on schedule and within established project milestones.
• Achieve 98%+ enrollment accuracy following final audit.
• Resolve identified enrollment discrepancies before carrier/vendor deadlines.
• Complete a post-enrollment reconciliation and lessons-learned review with documented improvement actions.
• Create clear campaign materials, educational content, and reminders; coordinate with internal communications to have a consistent messaging and timely delivery across company.

Vendor & Partner Management

• Conduct formal performance reviews for 100% of key benefits vendors at least annually.
• Track vendor service issues and achieve 90%+ resolution within agreed service-level expectations.
• Identify and document cost, service, or process improvement opportunities annually during renewals and vendor reviews.

Benefits Strategy & Analytics

• Provide benefits utilization, cost, and trend reporting to HR leadership at least quarterly.
• Develop 2–3 actionable recommendations annually based on benefits data, employee experience, market practices, or utilization trends.
• Support annual renewal planning with documented analysis of cost, utilization, employee impact, and vendor performance.

Wellness

• Establish annual wellness program goals and execute 90%+ of planned initiatives.
• Measure employee participation and utilization for major wellness initiatives.
• Provide an annual assessment of program participation, effectiveness, and recommended changes.

Continuous Improvement

• Implement at least 2 meaningful benefits process improvements annually that improve accuracy, efficiency, employee experience, or cost management.
• Maintain current process documentation for 100% of critical benefits processes.
• Identify recurring issues and establish corrective actions designed to reduce repeat errors.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of progressive experience in corporate benefits administration, with at least 2 years in a senior or lead role.
• Strong knowledge of benefits regulations, compliance requirements, and best practices.
• Strong experience with and knowledge of 401(k) plan administration, and compliance requirements.
• Previous experience working with UKG (UltiPro) and Bswift benefits administration platforms strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in HRIS and benefits systems; advanced Excel skills preferred.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication abilities, with experience in employee-facing education.

Core Competencies

• Detail-oriented with a high degree of accuracy.
• Ability to manage confidential information with discretion.
• Strong vendor and stakeholder relationship management.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to balance cost control and employee needs.
• Adaptable, proactive, and solutions-driven.
• Up to 10% travel.