Senior Specialist, Benefits

Abbott Retiree Health Operations Manager

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Working at Abbott

• At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and family, be your true self and live a full life.
• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor's degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

This position works out of our Abbott Park, IL location. This is not a remote role.

• Own day-to-day retiree health operations, ensuring accurate eligibility, seamless service delivery, and clear, consistent retiree communications.
• Support Open Enrollment (OE) strategy and execution across active and retiree populations.
• Lead case management research and resolution, partnering across HRTS, HRSC, Payroll, and Businessolver (outsourced benefits administration vendor).
• Manage benefit related invoices, driving accuracy, timeliness, and issue resolution.
• Provide communications support for retiree and active benefit programs, including reviewing, coordinating, and maintaining accurate, accessible benefit content across internal and external channels.
• Contribute to special projects including M&A activities.

What You'll Work On

• Manage day-to-day retiree health operations, including post65 Medicare offerings, eligibility updates, and ongoing retiree communications.
• Lead case management research and issue resolution, ensuring timely, accurate responses and strong documentation in partnership with Businessolver, carriers, and other vendor partners.
• Support OE strategy, readiness, testing, and execution for active and retiree populations; document issues, monitor defects, and follow through to resolution.
• Analyze, consolidate, and roll up plan utilization data from ben admin, carriers, and point solution vendors into clear dashboards and insight summaries for leadership, QBRs, and continuous improvement.
• Evaluate vendor performance using a comprehensive, data driven approach (financials, utilization trends, quality indicators, and member feedback) and recommend improvements or corrective actions.
• Coordinate and schedule largescale benefits events and cross functional presentations to enhance program understanding.
• Manage Level 1 administrative appeals in collaboration with Businessolver and internal Legal partners; ensure accurate, compliant recommendations.
• Support survey and benchmarking requests; assist with project plans and coordinate execution of benefits initiatives.
• Review, reconcile, and validate benefit related invoices; investigate variances; coordinate corrections with vendors, HRIS, Payroll, and Businessolver to ensure accurate, timely payment.
• Maintain operational controls, documentation, and reporting to ensure accuracy, compliance, and a seamless employee/retiree experience.
• Oversee data integrity across systems; expedite root cause analysis and coordinate remediation with HRIS, HRSC, Payroll, and Businessolver.
• Lead the review, coordination, and maintenance of retiree and benefit program communications across internal and external platforms, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and alignment with vendor partners.

Key Responsibilities

Retiree Health Operations

• Day-to-day oversight of retiree health programs, including post65 Medicare offerings and eligibility management.
• Coordinate retiree communications and ensure content remains current and accurate.

Case Management & Issue Resolution

• Lead case research and resolution, ensuring comprehensive documentation and coordinated stakeholder alignment (HRIS, HRSC, Payroll, Businessolver, and vendors).
• Track issues/defects, drive root cause remediation, and document corrective actions.

Utilization & Performance Insights

• Aggregate and roll up plan utilization information across Businessolver and point solution vendors (active and retiree).
• Build recurring dashboards/scorecards and prepare insight packs for QBRs, leadership reviews, and continuous improvement.
• Translate utilization trends into actionable recommendations (plan design levers, vendor action plans, member communications).

Open Enrollment (OE) Support

• Support active and retiree OE preparation, testing, documentation review, issue tracking, and hypercare activities.
• Monitor configuration readiness with Businessolver and validate post deployment outcomes.

M&A and Special Projects

• Support due diligence, data gathering, and integration tasks; coordinate vendor actions and timelines.
• Contribute to project plans, status tracking, and risk/issue management.

Communications

• Lead oversight of the vendor communication inventory and ensure all benefit content remains accurate, current, and aligned with program requirements.
• Coordinate communication updates across Businessolver, HRTS, HRSC, Payroll, and benefit vendors to ensure consistency and clarity.
• Manage periodic team reviews of benefit information across internal and external websites, retiree portals, and vendor platforms.
• Support creation, refinement, and delivery of benefit communications for retiree notifications, OE periods, plan updates, and special projects.

Operational Excellence & Controls

• Maintain dashboards and reporting for eligibility, utilization, and service metrics.
• Oversee data integrity controls and issue remediation SLAs across vendors.
• Manage invoice reconciliation and validation processes, ensuring accurate billing, timely resolution of discrepancies, and alignment with Finance, Payroll, HRIS, and vendors.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required.
• 46 years of experience in benefits operations with exposure to retiree programs, Medicare, and benefits vendor management
• Knowledge of and hands-on experience with Medicare and Medicare Advantage programs.
• Experience in supporting Open Enrollment delivery and M&A activities.
• Proficiency with advanced Excel functions and analytical tools.
• Strong expertise in health & welfare plans, vendor administration, and project coordination.
• Experience working with providers and/or vendors, including account and contract support.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, changing environment.
• Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and professional speaking skills.

The base pay for this position is $78,000.00 $156,000.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.