Senior Benefits & HR Operations Specialist

The Senior Benefits & HR Operations Specialist, administers and supports the organization’s benefits, wellness, leave of absence, and HR operations programs, ensuring the accurate, compliant, and efficient delivery of services throughout the employee lifecycle. This position serves as the primary administrator of the HR Questions inbox, acting as a trusted resource for employees and managers providing timely guidance and resolution on inquiries. Working collaboratively across the organization and with external partners, the Senior Specialist delivers responsive, high-quality HR operational support. Working closely with the Director, HR Operations, the Senior Specialist leverages data, technology, and continuous improvement practices to strengthen compliance, improve operational efficiency, enhance service delivery, reduce administrative risk, and support an exceptional employee experience. Benefits Administration Administer all employee benefit programs, including health and welfare, retirement, voluntary, ancillary, and wellness benefits. Serve as the primary point of contact for employee benefit inquiries, providing timely, accurate, and high-quality customer service while educating employees on available benefits programs and resources. Coordinate benefit enrollments, life event changes, qualifying status changes, terminations, and benefit eligibility updates while ensuring timely and accurate processing. Partner with insurance carriers, brokers, and third-party vendors to resolve enrollment, eligibility, billing, and claims issues. Partner with the Director, HR Operations, to coordinate the annual Open Enrollment process, including employee communications, education sessions, system testing, vendor coordination, issue resolution, and post-enrollment reconciliation. Conduct recurring audits of benefit elections, payroll deductions, carrier eligibility files, vendor invoices, HRIS records, and benefit enrollment data to ensure data integrity, regulatory compliance, and financial accuracy. Analyze benefits utilization, enrollment, claims activity, vendor performance, and employee feedback to identify trends and recommend enhancements that improve program effectiveness, employee engagement, and operational efficiency. Wellness Programs Coordinate and administer employee wellness initiatives, educational campaigns and events, including the organization's annual Benefits & Wellness Fair. Partner with internal teams and external vendors to promote wellness programs that support employee well-being and organizational objectives. Monitor participation, utilization, employee feedback, and program outcomes to evaluate effectiveness and recommend enhancements that improve engagement and maximize program value. Research emerging wellness trends and best practices and recommend innovative programs that support organizational priorities and employee well-being. Leave of Absence Administration Administer the organization's leave of absence programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, short- and long-term disability, parental leave, military leave, workers' compensation coordination, and other applicable federal and state leave programs. Serve as the internal leave case manager by partnering with employees, managers, payroll, People Operations leadership, and third-party leave administrators throughout the leave lifecycle. Monitor leave timelines, certifications, payroll impacts, benefit continuation, return-to-work documentation, and accommodation requirements to ensure compliance and a positive employee experience. Maintain accurate, confidential leave documentation in accordance with legal requirements and organizational policies. Analyze leave utilization and operational trends to identify opportunities for process improvements, compliance enhancements, and employee education. HRIS, Payroll & HR Operations Maintain the integrity of HRIS data through ongoing audits, validation, data governance, and quality assurance activities to ensure complete and accurate employee records. Ensure employee benefit elections reconcile accurately with payroll deductions and proactively identify and resolve discrepancies. Support payroll processing by validating benefit deductions, leave impacts, eligibility changes, and other payroll-related transactions. Perform HRIS reporting, audits, data validation, and reconciliation to support compliance, operational decision-making, and organizational reporting needs. Serve as the primary administrator of the HR Questions inbox, triaging and responding to employee and manager inquiries related to benefits, leave administration, HRIS, payroll, HR policies, and People Operations processes. Ensure timely, accurate, and customer-focused resolution while identifying trends, recurring issues, and opportunities to improve communication, knowledge resources, and service delivery. Support onboarding, new hire orientation, employee transitions, and offboarding activities related to benefits, HRIS, and HR operations. Assist with HR technology enhancements, system implementations, upgrades, testing, workflow automation, and process improvement initiatives. Partner with Director to develop and maintain standard operating procedures, process documentation, user guides, and training materials that promote consistent and efficient HR operations. Compliance & Continuous Improvement Partner with Director to monitor changes in federal, state, and local employment, payroll, leave, and benefits regulations and recommend policy, process, and system updates to maintain compliance and reduce organizational risk. Analyze HR operational, benefits, wellness, leave, payroll, and HRIS data to identify trends, evaluate program effectiveness, monitor key performance indicators, and develop actionable recommendations. Develop and present recommendations based on benefits, leave, wellness, and HR operational data to improve program effectiveness, employee engagement, operational efficiency, and the overall delivery of Total Rewards programs. Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, automate manual processes, improve system functionality, and enhance operational efficiency. Participate in cross-functional initiatives, audits, system implementations, testing, and continuous improvement projects that support organizational priorities. Perform other duties and special projects as assigned. Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Minimum of five (5) years of progressive Human Resources experience, including at least three (3) years of experience administering employee benefits and HR operations. Prior experience coordinating wellness events and fairs a plus. Demonstrated experience administering employee benefit programs, including health and welfare, retirement, voluntary benefits, and wellness initiatives. Demonstrated experience administering leave programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, short- and long-term disability, workers' compensation coordination, and applicable federal and state leave regulations. Experience working with HRIS and payroll systems; experience with HR reporting, data analytics, and system audits preferred. Experience performing benefits reconciliations, carrier eligibility audits, benefits deduction audits in payroll, and vendor invoice processing, reviews and audits. Strong working knowledge of FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, ERISA, Title VII, and related regulations. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office Suite. Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to data integrity and accuracy. Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. Excellent organizational and project management skills. Strong customer service orientation and relationship-building skills. Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills. Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.