Senior Manager, Benefits

gategroup; Reston (VA); Hybrid; USD 125,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

401k with company match

Company sponsored life insurance

Medical, dental, vision plans

Disability insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Commuter benefits

Employee discounts

Job summary

gategroup is seeking a senior Benefits Administrator to lead and optimize benefits programs across the US and Canada. You will report to the Director, Total Rewards for North America and manage outsourced administration, vendor relationships, and compliance.

Responsibilities include communication strategy, leave management, and collaboration with payroll/HRIS teams to ensure accurate benefits data and reporting. The role requires strategic thinking and strong regulatory knowledge.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree is required; master's degree preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in Benefits Administration or HR Shared Services.
• Experience with outsourced benefits administration and multi-state/federal regulations (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA).

Responsibilities

• Manage fully outsourced benefits administration and vendor relationships.
• Oversee leave policies (vacation, sick leave, family medical leave) and regulatory compliance.
• Develop and execute benefits communication strategies for new hires and annual enrollment.
• Collaborate with HRIS, Compensation & Payroll to ensure data integrity and reporting.
• Support audits and regulatory filings as needed.

Skills

Benefits administration

Vendor management

ERISA/ ACA knowledge

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Workday HRIS

Excel

3rd party benefits systems

CEBS certification

Job description

We’re looking for motivated, engaged people to help make everyone’s journeys better. This role report to the Director, Total Rewards for North America and will manage and administer benefits & wellness programs to include: medical, dental, life, disability, voluntary, leave, sick, executive benefit plans and others in the US and Canada.

Annual Hiring Range: $125,000 - $130,000/Per Year

This position is eligible for incentive pay of 10% of the annual base salary, dependent upon successful attainment of company, team, and individual goals.

Benefits

• Paid time off 401k, with company match
• Company sponsored life insurance
• Medical, dental, vision plans
• Voluntary short-term/long-term disability insurance
• Voluntary life, accident, and hospital plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Commuter benefits
• Employee Discounts

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Manages fully outsourced model of benefits administration including management of external vendors and collaboration with internal departments (i.e. payroll, finance, legal and human resources). Responsible for overseeing and administering leave policies like vacation, sick, and family medical leave, ensuring compliance with multi-state and provincial legal regulations while managing the day-to-day operations of these benefit offerings. Evaluates, compares and recommends improvements/changes to existing company benefits by utilizing market data from various consultants, surveys, and other sources of information. Ensures consistency across all regions while complying with union agreements. Develops overall benefits communication strategy including new hire orientation materials, on-going employee communications, exit materials, and annual enrollment communications. Provides regular communication updates to field human resources team and advises and counsels management and employees on existing benefits. Prepares and executes, with legal consultation, benefit plan documentation and amendments including summary plan descriptions, summary annual reports and manages audits as necessary. Assures company compliance with provisions of Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). Supervises preparation of reports and applications required by law to be filed with Federal and State agencies. Monitors, reviews and analyzes changes to federal, state, city and port authority laws and regulations pertaining to benefits and reports necessary or suggested changes to management and human resources. Collaborates with HRIS, Compensation & Payroll teams, ensures integrity of all benefits related employee data. Works on special projects and other duties as assigned by management.

Qualifications

Education: A bachelor's degree is required, master's degree preferred.

Work Experience: At least seven (7) years of progressively responsible professional experience in employer Benefits Administration, Human Resources, and/or HR Shared Services. Experience should include outsourced benefits administration, working with fully insured and self-funded medical plans, and working with a large, geographically dispersed employee population of varying backgrounds. Working knowledge of wellness programs a plus. Experience in vendor relationship management is required. Strong understanding of ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, Section 125, and other applicable federal and state benefits regulations.

Technical Skills: Ability to construct financial models and budgets. Project management skills. Experience with Workday HRIS and 3rd Party Benefits Administration Systems is required. Experience with Microsoft Office suite, with expertise in Excel CEBS certification a plus.

Job Dimensions Geographic Responsibility: US and Canada

Type of Employment: Full-time

Travel %: Minimal travel

Exemption Classification: Exempt

Internal Relationships: field human resources team, HRIS, legal

External Relationships: benefits consultants, vendors

Work Environment / Requirements of the Job: Hybrid (2x in office required, subject to change) gategroup

Competencies Required to be Successful in the Job

• Thinking – Information Search and analysis & problem resolution skills
• Engaging – Understanding others, Team Leadership and Developing People
• Inspiring – Influencing and building relationships, Motivating and Inspiring, Communicating effectively
• Achieving – Delivering business results under pressure, Championing Performance Improvement and Customer Focus

Demonstrated Values to be Successful in the Position

Excellence

We put the customer at the forefront of everything we do, taking time to understand their needs, wishes and desires. We constantly learn by giving and receiving feedback, improving from our mistakes and bettering ourselves.

Passion

Hospitality, in its purest form, comes down to a single, core principle: care. We do everything with thoughtfulness, attention, and care. We have a growth mindset, a resilience that makes us determined to bounce back from failures and setbacks.

Responsibility

We care about what we do, and we understand the impact we have on others and the planet. We always look out for each other –creating a safe workplace environment is everyone’s responsibility.

Respect

Every job matters. We each do our part to ensure our colleagues and our customers succeed in their goals. We respect each other’s voices and foster a workplace that supports inclusion and belonging. We are all one gategroup.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the individual(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required.

Management reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as necessary.

In addition, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.

gategroup is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status or other category under applicable law.

For further information regarding Equal Employment Opportunity, copy and paste the following URL into your web browser: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

We anticipate that this job will close on: 09/20/2026

For California Residents, please click here to view our California privacy notice.

gategroup is the global leader in airline catering, retail-on-board and hospitality products and services. gategroup provides passengers with superior culinary and retail experiences, leveraging innovation and advanced technology solutions.

Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, gategroup delivers operational excellence through the most extensive catering network in the aviation industry, serving passengers from over 200 operating units in over 60 countries/territories across all continents.

We work in an exciting industry – fast-paced and ever-changing. Industry trends and customer expectations are constantly evolving and it is critical that we are agile, innovative and ready for change – and our people are our driving force.

We offer attractive opportunities to be part of this fast-paced and truly international working environment.

For further information, please visit www.gategroup.com.