Sr Benefits Specialist

Citizens Bank; Johnston (RI); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Citizens Bank seeks a Senior Benefits Specialist to govern, optimize, and ensure compliance of our health and well-being programs. You will interpret plan provisions, regulatory requirements, and leverage analytics to influence program administration and employee experience.

You will partner with HR, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and vendors to implement improvements, manage governance, and ensure program effectiveness, while supporting audits and regulatory reporting demands across ERISA, ACA,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, finance or related field.
• Experience in health and welfare benefits administration.
• Experience with outsourced benefits vendors and HRIS like Oracle/UKG.
• Strong knowledge of COBRA, ERISA, HIPAA, and ACA.
• Proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Excellent problem solving and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate health, welfare, retirement, and well-being programs using data and metrics.
• Interpret plan provisions, policies, and regulatory requirements for compliance.
• Partner with HR, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and vendors on program changes.
• Lead initiatives to improve benefits operations and governance.
• Interpret federal and state benefits regulations (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, IRS, DOL).
• Assess compliance risks and implement controls to mitigate exposure.
• Support audits, regulatory reporting, and governance activities.
• Evaluate vendor performance and drive improvements in service delivery.
• Participate in vendor governance and strategic reviews.
• Build relationships with partners and vendors to address needs.
• Analyze benefits utilization, financials, and benchmarks to identify trends.
• Lead or contribute to projects improving operations and performance.
• Provide guidance on complex benefits matters and program provisions.
• Develop educational materials and communications to improve utilization.
• Assess feedback to improve employee experience.
• Support benefits education and engagement strategies with HR Communications.

Skills

Excellent communication

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical mindset

AI tools

Data visualization tools

Education

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

Tools

Oracle

UKG

Job description

Description

At Citizens, we put our colleagues at the center of everything we do. As a Senior Benefits Specialist, you will play a key role in the governance, optimization, compliance, and effectiveness of our health and well-being programs.

The ideal candidate is an experienced benefits professional who applies specialized knowledge to assess program effectiveness, interpret regulatory requirements, identify opportunities for improvement, and provide recommendations that influence program administration, colleague experience, and business outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate the effectiveness of health, welfare, retirement, and well-being programs using colleague feedback, participation trends, and program performance metrics, and recommend enhancements that improve the employee experience and support organziational objectives.
• Analyze complex benefits issues and determine appropriate resolutions through interpretation of plan provisions, policies, regulatory requirements, and operational considerations.
• Partner with stakeholders across Human Resources, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and external vendors to assess impacts of program changes and support implementation strategies.
• Lead initiatives and projects that improve benefits operations, governance, service delivery, operational effectiveness and program performance through process optimization, enhanced controls, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Interpret and apply federal and state benefits regulations, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, IRS, DOL, and related requirements to ensure ongoing program compliance.
• Evaluate compliance risks and recommend actions, controls, and process enhancements to mitigate regulatory and operational exposure.
• Support audits, regulatory reporting, plan documentation reviews, and governance activities through analysis and subject matter expertise.
• Evaluate vendor performance, service quality, operational results, and participant experience, and recommend opportunities for improvement.
• Participate in vendor governance activities, implementation initiatives, and strategic reviews to support effective program delivery.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with business partners and vendors to address emerging needs, resolve complex issues, and support organizational priorities.
• Analyze benefits utilization, financial performance, colleague feedback, and industry benchmarks to identify risks, trends, and opportunities.
• Lead or contribute to projects that improve benefits operations, governance, and program performance.
• Provide guidance and consultation on complex benefits matters, helping stakeholders understand program provisions, requirements, and available options.
• Develop and review educational materials, communications, and engagement strategies that improve colleague understanding and utilization of benefits programs.
• Assess colleague feedback and participation trends to recommend enhancements that improve the overall employee experience.
• Partner with HR Communications, Shared Services, and program stakeholders to support effective benefits education and engagement strategies. Support initiatives that promote the physical, emotional, and financial well-being of colleagues.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Deep passion for colleague health and well-being with a strong understanding of how benefits support holistic outcomes
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of the organization
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to interpret complex benefits and wellness data
• Demonstrated experience leveraging AI tools and intelligent platforms to improve efficiency and employee experience
• Proficiency with benefits administration platforms, HRIS systems, and data visualization tools

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field required
• Proven experience in health and welfare benefits administration
• Experience working with outsourced benefits vendors and HRIS platforms such as Oracle and UKG
• Strong technical knowledge of COBRA, ERISA, HIPAA, and ACA regulations
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint
• Excellent problem solving, organizational, and communication skills

Hours and Schedule

• 40+ hours
• 4 days a week in office, 1 day remote

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Equal Employment Opportunity

Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and capability.