Benefits Manager

Level is a learning technology company dedicated to helping students build real academic and life skills with confidence and joy. We combine proven curriculum principles with world-class interactive design to make meaningful practice something students want to come back to, not something they struggle through. We support what teachers, schools, and parents are already doing by increasing student engagement with high-quality, standards-aligned practice that reinforces classroom learning. That’s why we’re building: For students: Rewarding and motivating learning experiences that meet students where they are to build real academic proficiency. For educators: Tools that fit naturally into instruction and help students stay engaged while reducing teacher workload. For parents: Activities that help kids catch up or get ahead, build confidence, and minimize homework battles, whether learning at school or at home. We are committed to helping every person maximize their potential and live a life of meaning. It’s a difficult problem that requires brilliant people and tremendous effort over time. As our Benefits Manager, you will own the design, administration, and day-to-day experience of Level’s benefits programs across the U.S. and internationally. You will make sure our people understand their benefits, can use them easily, and feel well supported through every stage of life and work, wherever they are based. This is a build role: you will create the benefits playbook, processes, and vendor structure for a growing, globally distributed company, rather than inherit an established one. What You Will Do: - Build and document Level’s benefits playbook, including processes, vendor management, compliance calendars, and employee communications - Manage Level’s health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, and wellness programs from end to end, for U.S. and international employees - Design and administer competitive, compliant benefits for employees in multiple countries, adapting to local statutory requirements, market norms, and cultural expectations - Lead annual open enrollment, including plan renewals, vendor negotiations, employee communications, and enrollment support - Serve as the main point of contact for employees on benefits questions, claims issues, and life events, with a high standard of responsiveness and care - Manage relationships with brokers, carriers, third-party administrators, and global benefits partners, and hold them accountable for service levels - Coordinate with employer-of-record providers and local partners to deliver consistent benefits for international hires - Administer leave programs (FMLA, parental, state and local leave, and statutory leave in other countries) and coordinate accommodations with the People team - Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, state requirements, and international requirements, and manage required filings and nondiscrimination testing - Partner with Finance on benefits budgeting, forecasting, invoice reconciliation, payroll deductions, and multi-currency considerations - Benchmark our offerings against market in each region and recommend improvements that support attraction and retention - Maintain accurate benefits data in our HRIS and build reporting on enrollment, utilization, and cost - Create clear benefits materials, guides, and onboarding content that help employees make informed choices - Identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve the employee experience as the company grows Qualifications Need to Have: - 7+ years of experience managing employee benefits programs - Hands-on experience administering benefits for employees across multiple countries - A mix of experience at both larger, established companies and smaller, growth-stage companies - Experience building benefits processes, programs, or playbooks from the ground up, not only administering an existing structure - Working knowledge of U.S. benefits regulations and familiarity with international benefits and statutory requirements - Experience running open enrollment and managing broker and vendor relationships - Strong attention to detail and comfort handling confidential employee information with discretion - Clear, warm communication skills and a service-oriented approach to supporting employees - Proficiency with HRIS and benefits administration platforms, and comfort working with data in spreadsheets - Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-moving environment Nice to Have: - Experience with self-funded plans - Experience with employer-of-record models or launching benefits programs in new countries - Experience with multi-state benefits administration - Experience supporting a company through rapid headcount growth - Professional certification such as CEBS, GBA, SHRM-CP/SCP, or PHR/SPHR - Experience in ed tech or mission-driven organizations