Employee Benefits Relationship Manager

Why join ALKEME?:

At ALKEME, we do things a little bit differently. In an industry saturated with conventional approaches, we stand out as the disruptors, the innovators and the architects of change. Our company provides a wide variety of policies, digital services, and risk management tools to benefit a diverse customer base.

We offer a dynamic work environment, competitive compensation, and opportunities for professional growth. As part of our team, you’ll play a crucial role in shaping the success of our broker partnerships and contributing to our overall mission.

Summary/Objective: Benefits Relationship Manager (Wholesale)

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Relationship Manager to join our team. This role focuses on building and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with employee benefits brokers to drive business growth, improve client satisfaction, and ensure alignment with company objectives.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the insurance industry, exceptional communication skills, and a proactive approach to relationship management. The person in role will become a subject matter expert in the employee benefit and cost utilization programs that brokers and clients utilize This role works in a busy team environment, is detail oriented, organized and enjoys assisting others.

Responsibilities & Essential Functions: Benefits Relationship Manager (Wholesale)

• Responsible for handling a specific block of mid to large sized corporate clients for wholesale brokers.
• Develop and maintain strong, ongoing relationships with brokers and clients within the wholesale book of business; Act as the subject matter expert on self funded clients and stop loss coverage coverage, contracts, etc.
• Anticipate brokers and/or clients' needs and identify the strategies to solve any arising issues.
• Proactively inform both brokers and clients of appropriate industry trends and various cost containment strategies available to them.
• Work with Account management team to develop and execute strong broker and/or client Strategy Plans as defined.
• Participate in routine broker and/or client conference calls and meetings for customer and ensure achieved internally, and ensure all internal group members are proactively advised of client needs, open issues or concerns and utilize a pre-set agenda for all calls and/or meetings.
• Daily coordination, management and quarterbacking between client, broker, and/or operations teams involving client implementations, progress and status, service issue awareness, timely solution/resolution updates on critical service issues, and follow up to ensure sufficient and complete communication with all individuals involved, customer requirements are met, and operational processes are strictly followed
• Act as the primary contact and work closely with underwriting teams address and resolve broker inquiries.

Essential Knowledge Requirements:

• Ability to effectively and accurately interface with multiple levels within a customer’s organization (C-suite, leaders and team members).
• Exceptional presentation skills, including superior verbal and written communication.
• Solid, thorough understanding of complex customer specific requirements.
• General knowledge of the insurance industry – Medical, Dental, Disability, Life etc.
• Experience successfully working with large organizations.
• Experience using a Customer Relationship Management (“CRM”) system.
• Ability to dissect complex issues and identify potential solutions.
• Ability to work collaboratively across a variety of stakeholder groups (e.g., IT, Finance, Operations, etc.) to ensure customer needs are met and the customer experience is maximized.
• Project management experience, detail-orientation, organizational ability, including ability to manage multiple, sometimes conflicting priorities within specific timelines with ease.
• Exceptional customer service skills, including aptitude for using diplomacy and persuasion techniques to enable effective solution-based partnership approaches.
• Prior experience working independently and virtually via home office, using email, conference and web-based solutions with large, decentralized teams and customers nationally.
• Expert MS Office suite proficiency.
• Ability to work with success in a cross-functional team environment.
• Highly motivated and able to consistently achieve requirements.
• Demonstrated presentation skills.
• Good working knowledge of financial arrangements and products available to clients.

Qualifications:

Required and/or Preferred Education and Experience:

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree -or- the equivalent experience and or work experience
• Minimum 3-5 years experience in the employee benefits insurance industry, specifically in the self funded area is preferred
• Minimum 3 years’ experience with fully insured and self-funded plans preferred
• Minimum 3 years Account Management experience
• Required Life & Health / Disability insurance licenses after 6 months of hire

Classification:

Non-exempt, full-time

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities

Reports to:

Director of Client Services

Travel:

The position will require travel periodically

Work Environment / Work Schedule:

• Some flexibility in hours is allowed, but the employee must be available during the “core” work hours of 8:00am to 5:00pm and must work 37.5 hours each week to maintain full-time status. Evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.
• This is a hybrid work schedule with Monday thru Thursday in the office and work from home (WFH)/remotely on Friday's.
• This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and all forms of technology.

Pay range and compensation package:

Total comp range is $87,000 - $111,000 (e.g., annual base salary of $75,000 and an included incentive structure will put the compensation between $87,000 - $111,000 annually)