Health & Welfare Benefits Manager

Summary

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) seeks a Health & Welfare Benefits Manager to lead the design, administration, and optimization of our health and welfare programs for a highly technical, mission-driven workforce. In this role, you will manage medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and wellness plans; oversee vendors; and ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, and HIPAA. Partnering closely with HR, finance, and lab leadership, you'll use data and benchmarking to shape competitive, employee-centered benefits that support innovation and impact. You will also drive benefits communications and open enrollment, helping staff understand and maximize their coverage while advancing APL's culture of inclusion, wellbeing, and continuous learning.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy, design, and administration of health and welfare benefit plans (medical, dental, vision, life, disability, wellness).
• Ensure regulatory compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other applicable laws and internal policies.
• Manage vendor relationships, contracts, and performance, including benefits brokers and carriers.
• Analyze utilization, costs, and employee feedback to recommend plan changes and program enhancements.
• Collaborate with HR, finance, and leadership to align benefits strategy with APL's mission and talent goals.
• Oversee annual open enrollment, communications, and education to drive understanding and engagement.
• Develop clear benefits communications, tools, and resources for a diverse, highly technical workforce.
• Support complex employee benefits issues and escalations with a high level of service and confidentiality.
• Use data and benchmarking to ensure competitiveness in the professional, scientific, and technical labor market.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives in total rewards, wellness, and employee experience.

Required Skills

• Health and welfare benefits plan design
• Benefits administration
• Benefits compliance (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA)
• Vendor and broker management
• Data analysis and reporting
• HRIS and benefits systems
• Project management
• Benefits communications
• Budgeting and cost management
• Stakeholder collaboration

Job Description

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) seeks a Health & Welfare Benefits Manager to lead the design, administration, and optimization of our health and welfare programs for a highly technical, mission-driven workforce. In this role, you will manage medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and wellness plans; oversee vendors; and ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, and HIPAA. Partnering closely with HR, finance, and lab leadership, you'll use data and benchmarking to shape competitive, employee-centered benefits that support innovation and impact. You will also drive benefits communications and open enrollment, helping staff understand and maximize their coverage while advancing APL's culture of inclusion, wellbeing, and continuous learning.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy, design, and administration of health and welfare benefit plans (medical, dental, vision, life, disability, wellness).
• Ensure regulatory compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other applicable laws and internal policies.
• Manage vendor relationships, contracts, and performance, including benefits brokers and carriers.
• Analyze utilization, costs, and employee feedback to recommend plan changes and program enhancements.
• Collaborate with HR, finance, and leadership to align benefits strategy with APL's mission and talent goals.
• Oversee annual open enrollment, communications, and education to drive understanding and engagement.
• Develop clear benefits communications, tools, and resources for a diverse, highly technical workforce.
• Support complex employee benefits issues and escalations with a high level of service and confidentiality.
• Use data and benchmarking to ensure competitiveness in the professional, scientific, and technical labor market.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives in total rewards, wellness, and employee experience.

Required Skills

• Health and welfare benefits plan design
• Benefits administration
• Benefits compliance (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA)
• Vendor and broker management
• Data analysis and reporting
• HRIS and benefits systems
• Project management
• Benefits communications
• Budgeting and cost management
• Stakeholder collaboration