Responsible for planning, developing, implementing, administering, and maintaining benefits, health, and wellness programs that support the company’s Total Rewards philosophy, objectives, competitive position, and local practices. Manages implementation, coordination, evaluation, and adaptation of health and wellness programs including medical, dental, prescription drug, life insurance, retirement, and short- and long-term disability. Provides TMS and leadership with ongoing consultation. Develops processes and tools which facilitate the administration and ongoing management of effective, equitable, and legally compliant programs. Negotiates benefits coverage, services, and costs with carriers and brokers. Interacts with internal WFM’s functions such as Legal and Procurement to ensure overall compliance with WFM’s policies.

Responsibilities:

• Provides benefits and related support for a particular employee group, region, or area.
• Performs the full scope of activities associated with the development and administration of competitive and legally compliant benefits programs.
• Acts as liaison between the Benefits Team, other TMS departments, supported Team Leaders, Team Members, and outside providers.
• Advises Team Leaders and Team Members on eligibility for benefits, coverage, claims procedures, etc.
• Manages key-benefits and enrollment events.
• Counsels Team Leaders and Team Members and resolves sensitive benefits-related questions and problems.
• Gathers, synthesizes, and analyzes benefits-related participant coverage, usage and related information.
• Makes recommendations to leadership about benefits trends, patterns, concerns, and potential improvements.
• Works with benefits service providers to ensure consistent and timely application of services.
• Provides support for the Benefits Vote.
• Supports specific programs by:
  • Developing and administering Team Members’ wellness programs and acting as health fair liaison between region and vendors,
  • Administering the Team Members’ health incentives program and coordinating Team Members’ communications with appropriate teams, vendors, and regions,
  • Providing wellness financial analyses and program reports to facilitate understanding of program effectiveness, identify areas of concern, and support organizational decision-making,

• Assisting in legal review and filings for health and wellness plans.

Skills:

• Working knowledge of benefits practices and systems.
• Ability to assess benefits, health, and wellness program effectiveness.
• Working knowledge of benefits practices and systems.
• Ability to assess benefits, health, and wellness program effectiveness.
• Detailed knowledge of HRIS and related information management systems.
• Tailors communication approach to specific situations and audiences.
• Provides first point of contact for Team Leaders’ and/or Team Members’ questions.
• Facilitates the resolution of emerging transactional issues.
• Communicates and demonstrates support for TMS decisions even if not consistent with own point of view.
• Makes sound decisions based on available information.
• Gathers, consolidates, and analytically processes information.
• Demonstrates good knowledge of statistics, research methods, measurement concepts, and metrics.
• Engages in preliminary analysis of collected data and reports findings to senior TMS Team Members / Team Leaders.
• Analyzes data and reports findings and trends.
• Possesses clear understanding of business objectives of WFM and supported region / stores.
• Understands how effective people management systems can differentiate WFM from the competition.
• Understands the WFM product mix, supply base, and retail operations.
• Builds productive internal and external working relationships with others, in groups, in cross-functional settings, and with diverse stakeholders internally and externally.
• Displays strong levels of customer service.

Education & Experience:

• BA/BS degree and 2-4 years’ relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

At Whole Foods Market, we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all Team Members and candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. Whole Foods Market hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.