Benefits Administrator

At Alcon, we are inspired by the meaningful work we do to help people see brilliantly. As the global leader in eye care, we boldly innovate, champion progress, and act with speed. We recognize and celebrate the contributions of our people, offering career opportunities that empower growth and fulfillment. Together, we go above and beyond to make a lasting impact on the lives of our patients and customers. We cultivate an inclusive culture and invite diverse, talented individuals to join us in shaping the future of eye care. Benefits Associate is responsible for providing Tier-1 support for employee benefits administration and benefits-related inquiries through the HR Service Center. The role supports day-to-day benefits operations across assigned countries and employee populations by ensuring accurate processing of enrollments, life event changes, terminations, payroll-related benefits updates, and vendor coordination activities. The position serves as the first point of contact for routine employee inquiries and benefits transactions, while collaborating closely with Payroll, Global Benefits COE, external vendors, and other HR stakeholders to ensure timely service delivery and issue resolution. The role also performs reconciliation and reporting activities to maintain data accuracy and support compliance with benefits program requirements. Additionally, the Benefits Associate contributes to process documentation, operational excellence, and continuous improvement initiatives while ensuring adherence to standard operating procedures, service-level agreements, data privacy requirements, and company policies. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Service Delivery & Employee Support • Serve as the primary Tier-1 contact for employee benefits inquiries and service requests. • Respond to routine questions related to benefits programs, eligibility, enrollments, deductions, beneficiaries, and claims support. • Create, update, and manage cases within the HR Service Center while ensuring timely resolution and quality service delivery. • Escalate complex inquiries, plan interpretation questions, exceptions, and unresolved issues to senior team members, vendors, Payroll, or the Global Benefits COE. • Support employees, beneficiaries, and vendors by collecting and validating required documentation for benefits-related transactions. Benefits Administration • Process benefit enrollments, life events, status changes, terminations, and other employee transactions in accordance with established procedures. • Support annual enrollment activities and country-specific benefits administration processes. • Maintain employee benefit records and ensure complete and accurate documentation. • Assist with flexible benefits programs and other assigned benefits offerings. • Support claims administration processes and coordinate follow-up activities with employees and vendors as required. Payroll, Vendor & Stakeholder Coordination • Coordinate benefits-related data exchanges between HR, Payroll, vendors, and internal stakeholders. • Support payroll deductions, employer contributions, and benefits-related payroll updates. • Follow up on payroll discrepancies and assist in resolving benefits-related payroll issues. • Facilitate communication and coordination with external benefits providers to ensure accurate administration and issue resolution. • Support administration of benefits programs not fully outsourced to third-party vendors. Reconciliation, Reporting & Financial Administration • Perform employee census, eligibility, enrollment, pension contribution, invoice, and premium reconciliations. • Investigate and resolve routine discrepancies by collaborating with Payroll, Finance, vendors, and internal stakeholders. • Process and validate benefit invoices, premium payments, allowances, reimbursements, and other assigned transactions. • Prepare recurring reports supporting benefits administration, vendor management, and operational controls. • Assist in maintaining data integrity across HR, payroll, and vendor systems. Retirement & Pension Administration • Support retirement and pension plan administration activities for designated countries or employee populations. • Coordinate contribution updates, employee changes, and communications with plan providers. • Ensure required documentation and records are maintained accurately and timely. • Support pension-related reconciliation and ongoing administrative activities. Compliance • Ensure all benefits processes, policies, and procedures are clearly documented, consistently followed, and aligned with company standards and global operating requirements. • Maintain compliance with applicable regulations, data privacy requirements, and internal controls. • Ensure accurate, complete, and auditable records are maintained for benefits administration activities. • Support internal audits, compliance reviews, and governance requirements. • Complete all required compliance, quality, and regulatory training within established timelines. • Identify control gaps and support implementation of corrective and preventive actions. People Management • Actively support organizational values and ways of working by demonstrating collaboration, inclusiveness, accountability, customer focus, and continuous improvement. • Foster positive working relationships with employees, vendors, Payroll, HR teams, and business stakeholders. • Share knowledge, best practices, and process expertise with team members and stakeholders. • Support change initiatives, system implementations, process transitions, and knowledge-transfer activities as required. • Contribute to a high-performing service organization focused on delivering exceptional employee experiences and operational excellence. WHAT YOU'LL BRING Education (minimum/desirable) • High School Diploma, Associate Degree, or equivalent required. • Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a re…