Senior Benefits & Leave Specialist

Responsibilities:

• Benefits Administration [50% time dedicated]
• Oversee all employee benefits transactions and administration including new hire enrollments, and employee changes and terminations. Partner with Payroll for auditing and effectively managing these transactions within the HRIS and Benefits systems, and the reconciliation of statements. Subject matter expert about all tools and systems designed to support benefits programs.
• Partner with benefits consultants, brokers, third-party administrators, and other providers. Support annual contract negotiations and open enrollment activities. Ensure all programs comply with the regulatory requirements of both state and federal law. Conduct internal research comprised of employee feedback, external market research, and business needs to analyze the effectiveness and competitiveness of existing benefit and perks programs; recommend changes to ensure the competitiveness of our benefits offering.
• Seek to ensure that all employee benefit packages and service protocols are conducted with a focus on the organization’s commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; escalate any policy or process that seems to undermine or limit the team’s ability to provide access to a world-class employee experience for all.


• Leaves of Absence & Accommodation Administration [30% time dedicated]
• Responsible for managing and overseeing employees' leave of absence process, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and company policies.
• Main point of contact for all employee inquiries regarding Leaves of Absence and Employee Accommodation policies, programs, compliance, processing, and resources, including (but not limited to) Worker's Compensation, FMLA, Parental Leave, Professional Leave, and Disability.
• Coordinate internal and external processing of all requests and inquiries, including the completion of all documentation related to FMLA, Leaves of Absence and/or ADA/Accommodation requests; Includes partnership with People Partners, Employment Counsel, Senior Leadership, as well as applicable Short- and Long-term Disability Vendor, and applicable governmental bodies, as needed.
• Establish, track, and manage all FMLA and ADA claims to ensure compliance with all statutory regulations and requirements; oversee internal workflow processes including impact on Benefits and/or Payroll.


• Operational Support [20% time dedicated]
• Assist in supporting the tactical and transactional backbone of the People Team. Engage with People team members, employees, managers, and other internal stakeholders to enable smooth execution of onboarding, offboarding, mobility, and any related impact to benefits enrollment or eligibility.
• Support external relationships with vendors for employment verification, and local/state unemployment bureau(s); conduct audits of HRIS, payroll, and benefits data, updating information or recommending corrective action to Benefits or Finance functions when necessary. Ensure regulatory compliance and reporting for benefit-related plans and programs on a global basis.
• Educate employees on benefits offerings; answer employee requests and questions via email, phone, and ticketing system, escalating or referring to other People team members or external benefits providers as needed.
• Basic payroll processing responsibilities.

What You Bring to the Party:

• 5+ years of professional work experience in a benefits & leave role as part of a broader People team.
• Workday HCM, specifically in the benefits, and absence management.
• Multistate leave of absence experience.
• Knowledge and a general understanding of federal and state laws relating to benefit plans including ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, and FMLA.
• Familiarity with HRIS/People Technology (Workday experience is mandatory).
• Strong knowledge and understanding of rewards and perks benchmarking in tech and eCommerce industries.
• Comprehensive understanding of Benefits Administration processes and enabling systems.
• Highly attuned discretion about employee data, queries, transactions, and general support.

Preferred Skills and Qualities:

• Experience working with benefit brokers and administering competitive benefit packages.
• Team-oriented, collaborative nature; enjoys and ready to wear many hats. As a member of a small team, you need to be willing to pull for your colleagues, share best practices, and take on work that will make our entire organization successful
• Proactive and solutions-oriented; hands-on approach and willingness to be involved with both strategic development and tactical implementation
• Strong project management skills; proven ability to manage multiple projects and ad-hoc requests.