Benefits & Leave Specialist

Position Summary

The Benefits & Leave Specialist is responsible for the administration of the organization's health and welfare benefit programs and leave of absence processes, serving as a trusted resource for employees, managers, and internal stakeholders. This role delivers a seamless, compliant, and employee-centered experience by managing benefits administration, coordinating leave and workplace accommodations, and ensuring employees receive timely guidance and support throughout the employee lifecycle.

As the organization's subject matter expert for leave administration and workplace accommodations, this position independently manages complex leave and accommodation cases from initial request through return to work, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, company policies, and internal service standards. Working closely with the organization's third-party leave administrator (Voya), People Experience Business Partners, Payroll, managers, and employees, the Benefits & Leave Specialist balances regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and compassionate employee support while identifying opportunities to improve processes and enhance the employee experience.

In addition to leave administration, this role administers day-to-day health and welfare benefits, including life event changes, responding to employee inquiries, partnering with vendors, and supporting annual Open Enrollment. The ideal candidate is a collaborative HR professional who enjoys solving complex issues, building trusted relationships, and delivering exceptional service in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

Leave Administration

• Serve as the organization's subject matter expert for leave of absence programs and workplace accommodations, including FMLA, ADA, PWFA, USERRA, statutory leave programs, and company leave policies.

• Independently manage a caseload of leave and accommodation requests from initial intake through return to work, ensuring timely communication, documentation, and resolution.

• Partner with the Company's third-party leave administrator (Voya) to ensure accurate and timely administration of leave requests while serving as the primary internal resource for employees and managers.

• Coordinate all aspects of the leave process, including eligibility determinations, required notices, medical certifications, leave extensions, benefit continuation, return-to-work planning, and case closure.

• Lead and facilitate the ADA interactive process by partnering with employees, managers, and People Experience Business Partners to evaluate accommodation requests, identify reasonable accommodations, and document outcomes.

• Monitor leave activity for compliance, trends, and potential misuse, escalating concerns appropriately while maintaining confidentiality and professionalism.

Benefits Administration

• Serve as a primary point of contact for employee benefit inquiries, providing timely, accurate, and customer-focused guidance on eligibility, enrollment, life events, plan provisions, and claims escalation.

• Process qualifying life events, job changes, and dependent verifications in Workday.

• Partner with benefit vendors, carriers, Payroll, HR Operations, and internal stakeholders to resolve eligibility, billing, and enrollment issues.

• Support the planning, testing, communication, and administration of the annual Open Enrollment process.

• Facilitate benefits education during new hire orientation, support employee education initiatives, and contribute to ongoing process improvements.

Employee & Manager Support

• Provide expert guidance to employees and managers regarding benefits, leave options, workplace accommodations, eligibility, pay impacts, benefit continuation, and return-to-work expectations.

• Deliver responsive, high-quality customer service by resolving inquiries through the HR ticketing system while meeting established service levels.

• Build trusted relationships by navigating sensitive and confidential situations with professionalism, empathy, and sound judgment.

Compliance & Administration

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations governing employee benefits, leave administration, and workplace accommodations.

• Maintain accurate records and employee transactions in Workday and related systems while protecting confidential information.

• Partner with Payroll, HR Operations, Finance, Benefits vendors, and People Experience Business Partners to ensure accurate benefit deductions, employee records, and leave administration.

• Stay current on legislative and regulatory changes impacting employee benefits and leave programs and recommend policy or process updates as needed.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• 3+ years of progressive experience administering leave of absence programs, including ownership of the full lifecycle from intake through return to work.

• Experience managing health and welfare benefits with a strong focus on customer service and regulatory compliance.

• Working knowledge of employee benefits, FMLA, ADA, PWFA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other applicable federal and state regulations.

• Experience using an HRIS such as Workday or a comparable Human Capital Management (HCM) system.

Preferred Experience

• Experience supporting a multi-state workforce.

• Experience working with third-party administrators or benefit vendors, including leave administrators such as Voya, Sedgwick, Matrix, Lincoln Financial, or similar providers.

• Experience with benefits administration, HR shared services, or a centralized HR operations environment.

• CEBS, CBP, PHR, SHRM-CP, or other related professional certification.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong knowledge of employee benefits administration and leave laws, including FMLA, ADA, PWFA, COBRA, HIPAA, USERRA, and applicable state leave regulations.

• Ability to independently manage multiple priorities, balancing operational efficiency with a positive employee experience.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with sound judgment and attention to detail.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to explain complex benefit and leave information clearly and compassionately.

• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships with employees, managers, Payroll, vendors, and HR partners.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• High level of integrity and discretion when handling confidential employee and medical information.

• Continuous improvement mindset with the ability to identify opportunities to streamline processes and enhance service delivery.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means:

• Delivering an exceptional employee experience by providing responsive, accurate, and compassionate support for benefits and leave inquiries.

• Administering leave of absence processes accurately, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable regulations.

• Building trusted partnerships with employees, managers, vendors, Payroll, and People Experience Business Partners to resolve issues and improve service delivery.

• Maintaining accurate benefit and leave records while ensuring timely communications, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence.

• Contributing to continuous improvement initiatives that simplify administration, enhance data integrity, and improve the overall employee experience.

• Administer employee benefit programs accurately and efficiently while delivering responsive, high-quality service throughout the year and during Open Enrollment.

Note: This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Responsibilities may change as business needs evolve.