Senior Benefits & Leave Specialist

Job Summary

The Sr. Benefits & Leave Specialist supports UFCU’s comprehensive benefits programs by managing vendor relationships, performing detailed internal audits, and ensuring data accuracy across systems. This role provides internal oversight, handles employee inquiries, supports open enrollment, leave and 401(k) management, and ensures compliance with regulatory requirements. The position requires strong analytical skills, accuracy, and the ability to multi‑task while delivering an exceptional, employee‑centric experience.

The Sr. Benefits & Leave Specialist reports to the Director, Rewards & People Operations.

About UFCU

Our Credit Union was founded in 1936 and has grown to serve members throughout Texas and beyond. At UFCU, we are more than just a financial institution, and our people are more than just employees. We are dedicated to our purpose of empowering our Members to achieve financial success and build brighter futures.

In pursuit of our aspiration that UFCU is loved by millions of Members and built to thrive for generations, we are guided by our values:

Purposefully Member-Obsessed

We are driven by a profound sense of empathy to deeply understand our Members’ needs and preferences, what brighter futures means to them, and the obstacles in their way. We act in our Members’ best interests, forever seeking to empower their financial success.

Possibilities Reimagined

We are inspired to courageously experiment, learn, and iterate in pursuit of positive impact for our Members, UFCU, and coworkers. We challenge assumptions, embrace diverse perspectives, and make use of data and insights.

Performance Excellence Rooted in Unwavering Integrity

We do the right thing, always. We champion teamwork, accountability, continuous improvement, and celebrate successful outcomes of others, fostering an inclusive environment of excellence and collaboration.

Essential Functions

Benefits Administration

• Serve as the primary liaison between UFCU and benefits vendors, carriers, and retirement plan providers to ensure accurate and timely service delivery.
• Provide expert guidance to employees regarding benefit plans, eligibility, enrollment, life events, and retirement programs.
• Investigate and resolve complex benefits-related issues in partnership with vendors, payroll, HR, and employees.
• Administer annual Open Enrollment activities, including system testing, employee communications, and enrollment support.
• Monitor vendor performance, review service levels, and escalate issues to ensure quality and compliance.

Leave Administration

• Administer leave of absence programs including FMLA, ADA accommodations, workers’ compensation, disability, parental leave, and personal leaves.
• Coordinate leave cases with employees, managers, HR Business Partners, payroll, and third-party administrators to ensure timely and accurate case management. 
• Track leave status and ensure appropriate communications, payroll actions, and system updates are completed.
• Provide guidance to employees and leaders regarding leave policies, processes, and return-to-work requirements.

Auditing & Compliance

• Conduct regular audits and reconciliations of benefits enrollment, payroll deductions, eligibility records, and demographic data to ensure accuracy across systems.
• Validate vendor data files, identify discrepancies, and resolve issues affecting data integrity between HRIS, payroll, benefits, and leave platforms.
• Prepare compliance reports, audit documentation, and supporting materials related to ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, COBRA, FMLA, and other regulatory requirements.
• Analyze benefits and leave utilization data, identify trends, and provide recommendations to improve processes and employee experience.

Other Duties

• Develop and maintain benefits and leave procedures, process documentation, and employee education materials.
• Recommend and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, accuracy, compliance, and service quality.
• Partner with HR, Payroll, Finance, and external vendors on benefits-related projects, system enhancements, and issue resolution.

• Monitor vendor performance against SLAs, identify service gaps, and escalate issues as needed to maintain quality standards.

• Coordinate 401(k) Committee meetings, prepare materials, record meeting minutes, track action items, and maintain documentation to support fiduciary responsibilities and compliance requirements.
• Manage multiple priorities and sensitive employee matters while maintaining confidentiality, accuracy, and a high level of customer service.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned in support of organizational and departmental objectives.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Knowledge

• Strong working knowledge of benefits plans, eligibility rules, plan design features, and cross‑system impacts.
• Solid understanding of leave programs (FMLA, ADA‑related workflow, disability) and how they intersect with benefits and payroll.
• Good familiarity with compliance requirements (ERISA, HIPAA, ACA) and the ability to apply them in day‑to‑day scenarios.
• Knowledge of data integrations and vendor file processes, including how to identify and correct recurring errors.
• Understanding of audit controls, reconciliation steps, and root‑cause identification for benefits‑related issues.

Skills

• Skilled at analyzing data, spotting patterns or recurring issues, and recommending practical improvements.
• Strong communication skills, able to explain benefits and leave processes clearly to employees and partners.
• Comfortable navigating multiple systems and resolving issues that cross HRIS, payroll, and vendor platforms.

Abilities

• Ability to independently resolve most benefits or leave issues and identify when specialized escalation is required.
• Ability to interpret policies and apply judgment in nuanced or uncommon employee situations.
• Ability to maintain accuracy while juggling multiple deadlines and shifting priorities.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across teams and influence vendors to ensure timely resolution.
• Ability to contribute to process improvements, system cleanup, and benefits cycle enhancements (OE, audits, file updates).

Core Competencies

• Demonstrating Member Obsession

• Puts themselves in the Member’s shoes
• Looks for friction points
• Makes it personalized and easy

• Demonstrating Performance Excellence

• Sets standards for elevating excellence
• Ensures elevated quality
• Takes responsibility
• Conducts continuous improvement

• Demonstrating Innovation

• Challenges current thinking
• Approaches change with a positive mindset

Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or related field or equivalent work experience.
• 5+ years of experience in HR, benefits administration, leave administration or a related field.
• Experience leading an open enrollment cycle
• Ability to identify trends, discrepancies, and process improvements.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Must be bondable

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and ability to adjust focus.
• Employee will make extensive use of the telephone and virtual communications requiring the ability to explain complex information effectively and accurately.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. 

• This position requires working onsite 2 days a week at the UFCU Plaza in Austin, Texas.
• This position may involve periodic stressful conditions.
• Frequent computer use at a workstation of up to two hours at a time.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

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