Employee Benefits - Account Manager, Middle… at Kapnick… · Ann Arbor

Description

Make an Impact Beyond the Transaction!

Are you an experienced Employee Benefits professional who takes pride in being the person clients can count on?

We’re looking for a high-performing Employee Benefits Account Manager who brings more than technical knowledge and years of experience. We’re looking for someone who takes ownership, thinks ahead, builds strong client relationships, and sees opportunities to solve problems before they become problems.

In this role, you’ll play an important part in managing the day-to-day client relationship and supporting the full annual client lifecycle—from renewals and plan changes to ongoing service, communication, and problem-solving.

If you’re someone who naturally asks, “What’s next?”, anticipates what a client will need, and follows through until the job is done, you may be exactly who we’re looking for.

Why This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to be more than an account manager—you’ll be a trusted partner to clients and an important part of a collaborative Employee Benefits team.

You’ll have the opportunity to use your experience, judgment, and relationship-building skills to make a meaningful difference for clients while continuing to grow professionally.

Why Join Us?

• Impact: Be a vital part of a team that helps organizations create meaningful benefits solutions for their employees.
• Growth: Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
• Culture: Work in an environment that values collaboration, innovation, and service excellence.

What's in it for you?

• A team-based approach to client management
• Full benefits package
• 11 paid holidays including your birthday!
• Competitive Salary
• Profit sharing (after a year of service)
• Bonus potential
• A caring workplace culture that has something for everyone

If you’re ready to bring your expertise and passion to a team that values your dedication and talents, we’d love to hear from you!

Apply now and take the next step in your career as an Employee Benefit Account Manager.

Requirements

Position Summary

The Account Manager is a key member of the Middle Market Employee Benefits client team and serves as the operational owner of the day-to-day client experience for an assigned book of business. This individual proactively manages the annual service lifecycle, including ongoing client service, post-open-enrollment follow-up and stewardship, pre-renewal planning, renewal execution, open enrollment, implementation, and follow-through.

Working collaboratively with the Client Executive, Account Executive when assigned, Benefit Analyst, Associate Account Manager, carriers, vendors, and internal specialists, the Account Manager ensures client commitments are completed accurately, professionally, and on time. The successful candidate anticipates client needs, identifies and resolves issues, maintains strong command of priorities and deadlines, and continuously looks for ways to improve quality, efficiency, and value while representing Kapnick in a manner consistent with our Core Values.

What Success Looks Like

• Clients experience proactive, consultative, responsive, and consistent service.

• Client deliverables are accurate, decision-ready, professionally presented, and completed on time.

• Timelines, responsibilities, decisions, and outstanding items are clearly documented and actively managed.

• Potential service, renewal, implementation, or relationship risks are identified early, with recommended next steps.

• Internal client teams operate with clear ownership, strong communication, and no avoidable surprises.

Client Relationship and Account Ownership

• Serve as a primary day-to-day contact for assigned clients, building long-term, trusting relationships that support client satisfaction and retention.

• Maintain a current understanding of each client's business priorities, benefit plans, funding arrangements, carrier and vendor relationships, service commitments, deadlines, and outstanding issues.

• Proactively manage client requests from intake through resolution, establish clear expectations, coordinate the appropriate resources, and close the loop with the client.

• Anticipate client needs and identify potential service, renewal, implementation, or relationship risks; develop a proposed course of action and escalate appropriately.

• Maintain accurate and complete client records, activities, decisions, and documentation in Kapnick's agency management system in accordance with established standards.

• Maintain the confidentiality and security of client information in accordance with company policy and applicable HIPAA privacy and security requirements.

Annual Client Lifecycle, Renewal, and Open Enrollment

• Own and proactively manage the annual service calendar for assigned clients, including post-open-enrollment follow-up, stewardship, pre-renewal planning, renewal execution, open enrollment, implementation, and ongoing service deliverables.

• Collaborate with the Client Executive and Account Executive when assigned to establish renewal and open enrollment strategies, timelines, responsibilities, decision points, and client expectations.

• Gather, organize, and validate the client, plan, census, claims, carrier, and vendor information required to support analysis, recommendations, and timely decision-making.

• Coordinate effectively with the Benefit Analyst and other specialists to ensure renewal analysis and client materials are complete, accurate, and aligned with the agreed-upon strategy.

• Coordinate the preparation and quality review of client-ready renewal, stewardship, and open enrollment materials, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and adherence to Kapnick's service and presentation standards.

• Document renewal decisions, benefit plans, final rates, client approvals, and implementation requirements in the agency management system and other designated workflows.

• Manage open enrollment execution using internal and external resources, including Kapnick's digital-first enrollment and communication solutions, such as Pasito, when appropriate; use printed materials by exception.

• Coordinate all activities required to implement plan changes or transition coverage or administrative services to a new carrier or vendor, and confirm final changes in writing.

• Delegate appropriate activities to the Associate Account Manager while remaining accountable for timely completion, quality, and follow-through.

Client-Facing Communication and Meetings

• Prepare for and actively participate in internal and client meetings by contributing relevant updates, insights, questions, and recommended next actions.

• Independently lead appropriate service, implementation, and open enrollment discussions within the scope of the role and level of expertise.

• Translate benefit plan provisions, carrier requirements, and technical information into clear, practical communication for clients and employees.

• Document and communicate decisions, action items, owners, and deadlines following meetings, and drive open items through completion.

• Maintain an advanced level of employee benefits product knowledge and confidently explain coverage terms to clients and employees.

Service Resolution, Technical Coordination, and Compliance

• Promptly identify, investigate, and resolve client service issues involving eligibility, enrollment, billing, claims, administration, carriers, or vendors; maintain ownership until resolution.

• Notify the Client Executive and Account Executive when assigned of significant service problems or potential client-at-risk concerns, including the actions underway and recommended next steps.

• Recognize questions that require specialized compliance, legal, tax, payroll, or technical expertise; engage the appropriate internal or external resource and coordinate the response.

• Oversee Form 5500 reporting activities and facilitate plan document creation or amendments for assigned clients using the Associate Account Manager and appropriate internal or external resources.

• Confirm material plan, carrier, and vendor changes in writing and ensure related records and client communications are updated accurately.

Team Collaboration, Technology, and Continuous Improvement

• Serve as the operational hub of the client team, coordinating responsibilities and timelines among the Client Executive, Account Executive when assigned, Benefit Analyst, Associate Account Manager, carriers, vendors, and internal specialists.

• Communicate capacity concerns, competing priorities, missed dependencies, and timeline risks early so the team can make informed decisions and protect the client experience.

• Follow standardized workflows, service standards, documentation requirements, and quality-control practices while applying sound judgment to each client's needs.

• Effectively use EPIC and other agency-management, benefits-administration, communication, workflow, and AI-enabled productivity tools to improve quality, consistency, and efficiency.

• Identify and recommend practical process improvements that strengthen client service, reduce rework, and create scalable, repeatable ways of working.

• Participate in department and team meetings, training, professional development, and knowledge-sharing activities.

• Maintain regular and timely attendance consistent with the responsibilities of the role and Kapnick's workplace expectations.

• Contribute to a collaborative, accountable, respectful, and solutions-oriented team environment.

• Promote Kapnick within the insurance industry and community, and perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Three or more years of progressively responsible employee benefits account management or client service

experience; equivalent depth of relevant experience will be considered.

• Demonstrated experience managing an assigned book of business and coordinating multiple concurrent

renewals, open enrollments, implementations, and ongoing service priorities.

• Strong working knowledge of employee benefits products, plan designs, carrier and vendor practices, plan

administration, and applicable compliance fundamentals.

• Ability to communicate confidently and professionally with clients, employees, carriers, vendors, and internal

partners in writing, by phone, virtually, and in person.

• Strong planning, organization, prioritization, and follow-through skills, with the ability to manage competing

deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Consistent attention to detail and demonstrated commitment to accuracy, documentation, and quality

control.

• Sound judgment and problem-solving skills, including the ability to work independently, develop a proposed

solution, recognize when specialized expertise is needed, and escalate appropriately.

• Ability to collaborate effectively across a cross-functional client team and accept accountability for assigned

responsibilities and outcomes.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and the ability to learn and effectively use

agency-management, benefits-administration, communication, workflow, and AI-enabled productivity tools.

• Active state Accident and Health insurance license preferred; ability to obtain and maintain any licensing

required for the position.

• Associate or bachelor's degree preferred; equivalent industry experience will be considered.

Preferred Experience

• Five or more years of employee benefits account management experience and readiness to operate with a high degree of independence and client-facing responsibility.

• Experience supporting Middle Market clients and working with fully insured, level-funded, self-funded, or other alternative funding arrangements.

• Experience with EPIC or a comparable agency-management system.

• Experience with benefits-administration platforms, digital enrollment, and employee benefit communications.

• Relevant professional designation or demonstrated commitment to continuing employee benefits education.

Professional Attributes

• Proactive ownership: anticipates what is needed, acts with appropriate urgency, and closes the loop.

• Client presence: builds credibility, communicates with confidence, and makes complex information easier to understand.

• Operational discipline: maintains command of details, timelines, documentation, and quality across the assigned book.

• Solutions orientation: investigates issues, uses available resources, and brings forward thoughtful recommendations.

• Collaboration and accountability: works effectively across roles, communicates early, and follows through on commitments.

• Adaptability and continuous improvement: embraces technology, feedback, standardization, and new ways of working.