Benefits Manager
About Community Initiatives
Community Initiatives is a nonprofit service organization with offices in Oakland and Los Angeles, providing comprehensive fiscal sponsorship services to more than 160 nonprofit projects. Our services include tax-exemption administration, accounting and financial oversight, risk management and insurance, legal compliance, grants management, payroll, and human resources support.
Our fiscally sponsored projects represent a wide range of nonprofit sectors—including arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, and public affairs—and operate both locally in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles County, as well as across the United States.
Community Initiatives is committed to strengthening the nonprofit sector by providing operational excellence, trusted partnership, and mission-driven support to organizations creating meaningful social impact.
Position Summary
Community Initiatives is seeking an experienced, strategic, and service-oriented Benefits Manager to lead the design, administration, and continuous improvement of our employee benefits programs including the 401k plan. This role is responsible for overseeing all aspects of benefits administration, ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations, supporting employee understanding and access to benefits, and partnering with vendors and internal stakeholders to deliver high-quality, cost-effective benefits solutions.
This role also oversees leave of absence administration, including managing employee leave requests, coordinating with third-party administrators, ensuring compliance with federal and state leave laws, and supporting employees and managers through the leave and return-to-work process.
The ideal candidate is a knowledgeable and collaborative HR professional with deep expertise in benefits administration and Leave of Absence administration, exceptional attention to detail, strong analytical skills, and a commitment to delivering positive employee experience.
This is currently a hybrid position based in Oakland or Los Angeles, California, requiring regular in-office presence of at least one day per week.
Key Responsibilities
Benefits Strategy & Program Management
• Manage and administer Community Initiatives’ employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, retirement (401k plan), LOA benefits, and wellness offerings
• Evaluate current benefit offerings and recommend cost effective enhancements aligned with employee needs, organizational goals, and market trends
• Partner with leadership, brokers, and vendors during annual renewal and open enrollment planning
• Manage employee leave of absence requests, including leave coordination, compliance with federal and state leave laws, communication with employees and managers, and partnership with third-party administrators to support a smooth leave and return-to-work process.
• Analyze utilization trends, costs, and program effectiveness to support strategic decision-making
Administration & Employee Support
• Oversee day-to-day benefits administration, including enrollments, qualifying life events, terminations, billing reconciliation, and vendor file management
• Monitor employee eligibility and ensure timely enrollment and coverage changes in accordance with organizational policy
• Respond to employee questions regarding benefits plans, eligibility, enrollment, and claims resolution with professionalism and empathy
• Develop clear and engaging employee communications related to benefits offerings, changes, and educational opportunities
• Support onboarding and offboarding processes as they relate to employee benefits
• Manage the annual open enrollment process and changes
Compliance & Vendor Management
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations governing employee benefits, including ACA, COBRA, ERISA, HIPAA, FMLA/CFRA, Section 125, and retirement plan requirements
• Maintain accurate plan documentation, notices, filings, and required disclosures
• Manage relationships with brokers, carriers, third-party administrators, and external partners to ensure high-quality service delivery and cost efficiency
• Partner with payroll and HR teams to ensure accurate deductions, reporting, and reconciliation of benefits-related data
Reporting & Process Improvement
• Prepare reports and analysis on benefits utilization, participation, and cost trends for senior leadership
• Identify opportunities to streamline administration, improve employee experience, and enhance operational efficiency
• Maintain accurate records and ensure integrity of benefits data within HRIS and related systems