Tammi King
Summary
High-performing, strategic-thinking professional with nearly 25 years of experience. Benefits Manager with experience includes overseeing and wide range of plans, including retirement, medical, dental, vision, life and disability. Handles company-wide maintenance needs as well as new hire and open enrollment processes. Develop cost-saving initiatives in pension administration. Highly skilled at relationship building with both internal and external clients. Known for remarkable customer service. Thorough knowledge IRS/DOL regulations. I want to effectively use it to empower people and create a working atmosphere that benefits the company, its employees, and vendors.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Benefits & Wellness Manager
Grand Valley State University
09.2022 - Current
- Managed RFP processes to ensure cost efficiency while evaluating various services, coverages, and plan options, ultimately selecting the optimal solution that met both budgetary and operational needs
- Educated staff on the value of their benefits package through training sessions and informational materials.
- Audited benefit programs and agreements to optimize service delivery.
- Conducted regular audits of benefit plans to identify discrepancies and maintain accuracy in records.
- Coordinated disability claims management, working closely with insurance providers to facilitate prompt resolutions for affected employees.
- Managed relationships with external vendors such as insurers and brokers, fostering strong partnerships in support of company objectives.
- Reduced overall company healthcare costs with strategic negotiations and vendor partnerships.
- Educated new hires about different benefit plans.
- Ensured compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations governing employee benefits programs.
- Fostered a culture of continuous improvement by regularly reviewing processes and policies surrounding employee benefits management.
- Streamlined benefits enrollment process for smoother onboarding of new employees.
- Organized retirement planning workshops, empowering employees to make informed decisions about their financial futures.
- Improved benefits communication, resulting in increased employee understanding and participation.
- Implemented wellness programs to encourage healthy lifestyles among employees and lower insurance premiums.
- Developed and executed annual open enrollment events, ensuring timely updates to employee benefits elections.
- Optimized benefit plan administration by implementing efficient record-keeping systems and processes.
- Collaborated with HR colleagues to integrate benefits processes into broader human resources strategy.
- Analyzed market trends to ensure competitiveness of company''s benefits offerings in recruitment efforts.
- Enhanced employee satisfaction by implementing comprehensive benefits packages.
- Developed customized reports for senior leadership detailing key metrics related to employee benefit program performance.
- Performed evaluations of competitor actions, legislative changes and collective bargaining results in order to make sound decisions about future company benefits and compensation.
- Developed strategic partnerships with local gyms, nutritionists, and other wellness providers to offer discounted services for employees.
HUMAN RESOURCES & CULTURE MANAGER
Virtual Pangea AG
08.2020 - 09.2022
- Company Overview: Enhances the organization's human resources by planning, implementing, and evaluating employee/freelancer relations and human resources policies, programs, and practices
- Enhances the organization's human resources by planning, implementing, and evaluating employee/freelancer relations and human resources policies, programs, and practices
- Maintains work structure by updating job requirements and job descriptions for all positions
- Supports organization staff by establishing recruiting, testing, and interviewing programs; counseling managers on candidate selection; conducting and analyzing exit interviews and recommending changes
- Prepares employees/freelancers for assignments by establishing and conducting orientation and training programs initially together with Team Leaders
- Manages pay plan by conducting periodic analysis of the market for various positions within the hold in the company; scheduling and conducting job evaluations; preparing pay budgets for the multiple positions monitoring and scheduling individual pay actions; and recommending, planning, and implementing pay structure revisions for existing team members to be discussed with other Management Team
- Ensures planning, monitoring, and appraisal of employee / freelance work results by training managers to coach and discipline employees; scheduling management conferences with employees; hearing and resolving employee grievances; and counseling employees and supervisors
- Implements employee / freelance benefits programs and informs employees of benefits by studying and assessing benefit needs and trends; recommending benefit programs to other management members of the team; directing the processing of benefit claims; obtaining and evaluating benefit contract bids; awarding benefit contracts and designing and conducting educational programs on benefit programs
- Ensures legal compliance by monitoring and implementing applicable human resources requirements, conducting internal investigations when needed, maintaining records, and representing the organization at hearings internal and external if needed
- Enforces management guidelines by preparing, updating, and recommending human resource policies and procedures
- Retains historical human resource records by designing a filing and retrieval system and keeping past and current documents in well-structured order
- Completes human resource operational requirements by scheduling and assigning employees/freelancers and following up on work results
- Manages human resource staff by recruiting, selecting, orienting, and training employees/ freelancers
- Advances human resource staff job results by counseling employees/freelancers; and planning, monitoring, and appraising job results
- Enhances the organization's human resources by planning, implementing, and evaluating employee/freelancer relations and human resources policies, programs, and practices
PENSION ADMINISTRATOR TEAM LEAD
Spectrum Health
04.2014 - 01.2022
- Company Overview: Team Lead for the Pension & 403(B) plan for the Workday Implementation
- Team Lead for the Pension & 403(B) plan for the Workday Implementation Team Lead for, as it related to retirement plans
- Team Lead for Deconversion as it relates to the retirement plans
- Directed the daily activities in the retirement departments workflow
- Ensured that deadlines were met and that all plan changes were communicated to the team as it relates to retirement plans
- Member of the finance board (benefits), where we discussed our retirement benefits funds and any changes that would be made based on the prior year's performance
- Worked directly with the benefits teams to discuss open enrollment and plan changes for the current year's benefits
- Discussed benefits and qualifications and assisted in providing information to all employees who wanted to change or drop benefit coverages
- Responsible for the Spectrum Health Pension Plan
- 10,000.00 retirees receiving benefits and 15,000.00 active employees with a future benefit
- Process all monthly payments as well as lump-sum payments
- Act as the liaison between the actuary, auditors, and Mellon bank for all pension calculations, estimates, and payments
- Responsible for the integrity of the data that is sent to the actuaries to provide an accurate retirement benefit
- Responsible for the annual audits of our pension and 403(b) plans
- Responsible for maintaining Document changes and sending out of the SMM when required
- Responsible for files for our annual mailings as it relates to pension plans and 403(b)
- Meet with all retirees and communicate their pension benefits and retiree medical benefits
- Walk retirees through registering for Medicare Part A & B for their spouses or dependents
- Discussed COBRA benefits
- Document all processes and ensure that the methods are up to date for the team to work efficiently and effectively
- Responsible for the annual inactive data
- Manage the Service Now calls for active employees, retirees, and other duties
- Responsible for trainer new team members
- Team Lead for the Pension & 403(B) plan for the Workday Implementation
PENSION ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATOR
Watkins Ross & CO
12.1999 - 09.2014
- Company Overview: Responsible for the review and interpretation of the plan document and current government regulations pertaining to the respective plan type
- Responsible for the review and interpretation of the plan document and current government regulations pertaining to the respective plan type, reconciliation, and allocation of plan assets and deposits in accordance with plan formulas to identify the adequacy of funding
- Communicate variances directly with clients
- Responsible for the reallocation of forfeitures if required by the plan document and the communication/completion of corrections if required to allocations/deposits
- Completion of plan reconciliation requires full knowledge of accounting principles, full knowledge of IRS/DOL regulations pertaining to assigned qualified plan types, and extensive knowledge of the administrative and financial systems
- Responsible for the allocation of contributions in accordance with the plan formula and allocation rules as requested by the client
- Responsible for the preparation of Asset Statements, Income and Expense Statements, Deposit summaries, and Variance reports for communicating results to the client
- Responsible for the completion, review, analysis, and communication of all required IRS/DOL testing
- Responsible for the preparation of the annual audit package as required and all IRS/DOL forms including IRS Form 5500 for large pension plans and small pension plans
- Proficient in plan document review, responsible for walking plans through required amendments with the Document Specialist
- Manage 14 accounts with varying amounts ranging from $5 to $25 million
- Informal leader for quarter-end and annual reporting for the department
- Responsible for the review and interpretation of the plan document and current government regulations pertaining to the respective plan type
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Organizational Management
Spring Arbor University
Grand Rapids, MI07.2022
Associate of Science -
Spring Arbor University
Spring Arbor, MI06.2016
Skills
- Workday Benefits Implimentation Lead
- Service Now
- Lawson
- Microsoft Office 2007/2010
- ERISA Compliance (Testing)
- Client Presentations
- Enrollment Meetings
- Excellent Communication Skills
- Internal/External Customer Service
- Onboarding/Offboarding
- Process Improvement Initiatives
- Work-life balance
- Employee engagement
- Time management
- Active listening
Cover Letter
07/04/22, Grand Valley State University, Benefits Manager, Upon learning about the Benefits Manager posting with Grand Valley State University, I was eager to contact you with my interest. When reviewing the job description, I was excited to see how well my experience aligns with your company's needs and position requirements. From reading your company's website, I feel your core mission and culture suit what I offer as a professional. As a Human Resources & Culture Manager with over 25 years of experience in Retirement Benefits, I have a well-rounded skill set in compliance and honed talents in organization and collaboration, making me an ideal fit for the Benefits Manager position. Further, I am a recognized expert in retirement benefits and a communicative collaborator. My previous roles have strengthened my capabilities in management and teamwork, including keen attention to detail and accuracy. I am excited at the prospect of bringing my talents to Grand Valley State University. I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience to discuss how my experience and qualifications will prove valuable in the Benefits Manager role. When reviewing my resume, you might notice a gap in employment. My absence is due to me taking time to care for my children. My child-rearing experience has enhanced my talents in leadership, teamwork, determination, and prioritization as I managed multiple schedules, trained others, enforced rules and provided around-the-clock care. I am now settled and prepared to get back into the workforce. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Timeline
Benefits & Wellness Manager
Grand Valley State University
09.2022 - Current
HUMAN RESOURCES & CULTURE MANAGER
Virtual Pangea AG
08.2020 - 09.2022
PENSION ADMINISTRATOR TEAM LEAD
Spectrum Health
04.2014 - 01.2022
PENSION ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATOR
Watkins Ross & CO
12.1999 - 09.2014
Associate of Science -
Spring Arbor University
Bachelor of Arts - Organizational Management
Spring Arbor University
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