Senior Specialist, Benefit Operations (m/w/d)

Working with Us

Challenging. Meaningful. Life‑changing. Those aren't words that are usually associated with a job. But working at Bristol Myers Squibb is anything but usual. Here, uniquely interesting work happens every day, in every department. From optimizing a production line to the latest breakthroughs in cell therapy, this is work that transforms the lives of patients and the careers of those who do it. You'll get the chance to grow and thrive through opportunities uncommon in scale and scope, alongside high‑achieving teams. Take your career farther than you thought possible.

Position Summary

The Senior Specialist, Benefit Operations plays a critical role in the end‑to‑end administration and coordination of company‑sponsored pension, health, welfare and wellness programs. This role serves as the primary point of operational support for EMEA as Tier 2 support across 24 markets. The position works closely with internal People Services teams—including Payroll, Communications, HR Business Partners, and Workforce Administration—and external partners such as benefit administrators, insurance carriers, vendors, and brokers. Through strong collaboration and subject‑matter expertise, the Senior Specialist ensures the effective, compliant, and efficient delivery of benefit programs. Ultimately, the role is focused on delivering an exceptional employee experience, ensuring that benefit offerings not only operate seamlessly but also meaningfully support the well‑being, engagement, and success of our workforce and the broader communities we serve.

Key Responsibilities

• Utilize the ServiceNow ticketing system to research, manage, and resolve Tier 2 benefits cases, ensuring timely and accurate resolution in line with service standards.
• Lead and support the implementation, enhancement, testing, deployment, execution, administration, and communication of BMS benefit plans and supporting systems.
• Partner closely with Benefit Strategists and Product Design team to assess the operational feasibility of proposed benefit changes or new offerings, ensuring successful and compliant implementation.
• Participate in implementation and project meetings, providing subject‑matter expertise on benefit operations, plan design requirements, vendor deliverables, timelines, and project plans.
• Oversee the day‑to‑day administration of company benefit programs, including pension, medical, dental, vision, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), life insurance, disability, wellness programs, and other ancillary benefit offerings.
• Identify and drive opportunities for process automation, reduction of manual activities, and continuous improvement to enhance operational efficiency and scalability.
• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for benefit administrators, carriers, and vendors, ensuring clear understanding of plan requirements and effective issue resolution.
• Collaborate with the Benefit Operations team to plan and execute Annual Enrollment activities. Partner with Communications to ensure employees receive clear, timely, and accurate information regarding benefit options and key deadlines.
• Oversee benefit administrators to ensure contracted services are delivered accurately, on time, and in accordance with agreed service levels. Analyze enrollment data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities for improvement.
• Compile, analyze, and present supporting documentation and data for second‑level benefit appeals.
• Review, update, and maintain employee‑facing reference materials and Knowledge Articles, ensuring content remains accurate, compliant, and republished prior to expiration.
• Prepare financial and operational reports as required. Audit, reconcile, and validate carrier and vendor invoices, and provide support for purchase order (PO) and financial processes.
• Support internal and external audits, compliance reviews, and benefit‑related surveys as required.
• Coordinate benefits‑related activities for mergers and acquisitions (M&A), including employee data loads, enrollment windows, market‑specific plan design considerations, reporting requirements, and historical data archiving.
• Partner with internal stakeholders, carriers, and vendors to develop and deliver training and educational resources for benefit programs, including webinars, workshops, and reference materials.
• Monitor and analyze benefits utilization, cost trends, and program performance to identify opportunities for cost optimization, risk mitigation, and program enhancements.
• Stay current on industry best practices, emerging trends, and regulatory developments relevant to benefits administration and operations.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Professional certifications such as DGFP preferred.

Experience

• Minimum of 3 years of hands‑on experience in benefits administration.
• Experience with self‑insured benefit plans or large, complex benefits programs required; Medicare and retirement knowledge preferred.
• Experience with benefits administration software and HRIS platforms required; familiarity with Workday and Benifex preferred.
• Knowledge of HR policies, processes, and regional benefits‑related legislation.
• Experience in fast‑paced, complex environments managing multiple priorities.

Skills

• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in Excel (VLOOKUPs, pivot tables) and Microsoft Office, with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to interpret and present complex benefits data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to break down and explain complex benefits information clearly to stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to network and collaborate across a global organization; works in a highly collaborative, multifunctional team environment and delivers on individual goals with minimal supervision.
• Continuous improvement mindset.

Work Environment

• Ability to work in a typical office environment.
• 50% hybrid work schedule.
• Occasional travel may be required, but not part of typical work requirements.

Ideal Candidates Would Also Have

• Experience working with current BMS HR and Total Rewards enabling systems: Workday, ServiceNow, Online Benefits Admin/Darwin/Benifex, ADP.
• Project coordination or project management exposure.
• Familiarity with pension/retirement plan administration.
• Experience with benefits communications and change management.
• Understanding of global benefits structures and multinational programs.

Candidate Rights

BMS will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, pursuant to applicable laws in your area.

Supporting People With Disabilities

BMS is dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities can excel through a transparent recruitment process, reasonable workplace accommodations/adjustments and ongoing support in their roles. Applicants can request a reasonable workplace accommodation/adjustment prior to accepting a job offer. If you require reasonable accommodations/adjustments in completing this application, or in any part of the recruitment process, direct your inquiries to Visit careers.bms.com/eeo-accessibility to access our complete Equal Employment Opportunity statement.

Data Protection

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