Principal Benefits Analyst

It started with a simple idea: what if surgery could be less invasive and recovery less painful? Nearly 30 years later, that question still fuels everything we do at Intuitive . As a global leader in robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive care , our technologies—like the da Vinci surgical system and Ion —have transformed how care is delivered for millions of patients worldwide. We’re a team of engineers, clinicians, and innovators united by one purpose: to make surgery smarter, safer, and more human. Every day, our work helps care teams perform with greater precision and patients recover faster, improving outcomes around the world. The problems we solve demand creativity, rigor, and collaboration. The work is challenging, but deeply meaningful—because every improvement we make has the potential to change a life. If you’re ready to contribute to something bigger than yourself and help transform the future of healthcare , you’ll find your purpose here. Primary Function of Position We are looking for an experienced and innovative Principal Benefits Analyst to join our Total Rewards team, reporting to the Sr. Manager, Benefits & Global Mobility. This individual will serve as a subject matter expert in our U.S. health programs as well as play a key role in planning, implementing, administering, and continuously improving our benefits programs that support our company’s Total Rewards strategy. The role partners closely with our external vendors, consultants, and point solution partners to deliver a seamless end-to-end employee experience and optimize program costs. This position also advises internal stakeholders - including HR leadership, Finance, People Services, Payroll, and other cross-functional teams - on benefits policies, legal requirements, and best practices. Essential Job Duties Primarily oversee the end-to-end program management and administration of U.S. health programs (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy and point solutions), serving as a trusted advisor and navigator in partnership with internal and external providers. Evaluate current benefits programs and recommend enhancements to improve employee experience, compliance, cost trend, and alignment with market practices. Support vendor relationships and service delivery (carriers, administrators, and consultants) to ensure performance standards are met. Triage and resolve escalated vendor/provider issues, partnering with HR People Services as needed. Partner with the benefits broker to support renewals, including gathering requirements, preparing analysis, and assisting with negotiations. Manage projects to improve benefits systems, processes, controls, and communications. Partner with Finance on annual and ongoing budget processes (e.g., forecasting, invoices, and vendor spend tracking). Develops communications and presentations for program rollouts, trainings, leadership approvals into actionable audience appropriate messaging. Leads and collaborate effectively in cross-functional settings with stakeholders internally and externally to deliver program updates and solutions. Builds important internal/external relationships through advanced communication skills; knows how to influence and negotiate effectively through communications. Lead and contribute to special projects and provide insights and recommendations to our benefits programs based on need. Introduce strategies and document processes, always seeking continued streamlining, improvement, and transformation. Keep appraised of current benefits trends and critical compliance updates. Provide training to HR/People Services on benefit programs and education for upskilling. Coordinate and participate in quarterly and annual business reviews with vendor partners. Provide data analysis and summary of trends via reports from our data warehouse in partnership with Aon, delivering actional insights and communications that improve program efficiency and employee experience. Required Skills and Experience Bachelor's Degree in HR, Business Administration, or related field. 8+ years of experience working in the field of benefits (or equivalent combination of education and experience). Leads initiatives and mid-to-large program changes. Independently manages vendor performance, negotiates improvements, and benchmarks plans. Translates complex benefits topics into clear communications for employees, managers, and senior leaders. Robust knowledge of ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, with the ability to learn and apply emerging trends and state/federal regulatory requirements. Self-starter who identified process challenges and suggests improvements proactively. Strong written and oral communication skills with the ability to navigate and explain complex cases. Strong organizational, problem solving and project management skills. Proficient in MS Office suite applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint. Demonstrated ability to work on multiple projects and tasks as a productive and resilient collaborator in a fast-paced working environment. Desire to learn new areas and skills based on rapidly changing business environment and global growth. Preferred Skills and Experience   Experience with ServiceNow ticketing. Experience with Workday. Due to the nature of our business and the role, please note that Intuitive and/or your customer(s) may require that you show current proof of vaccination against certain diseases including COVID-19.  Details can vary by role. Intuitive is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees, and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type, without regard to race, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, genetic information or any other status protected under federal, state, or local applicable laws. Mandatory Notices U.S. Export Controls Disclaimer:  In a