Benefits and Leave Specialist
About the role
Dogwood Industries designs and manufactures pre‑engineered panelized relocatable metal buildings, delivering industry‑leading solutions for mission‑critical projects across industrial and DoD markets. Through a precise blend of manufacturing and construction, the company enables high‑performance, rapidly deployable structures that keep critical missions moving forward.
Dogwood Industries is seeking a highly organized Benefits and Leave Specialist to join the team in Sedro‑Woolley, WA. This role provides direct support to the HR Department with a focus on benefits administration, leave management, and compliance. The successful candidate will thrive at multitasking, pay close attention to detail, and take ownership of their tasks while being reliable, dependable, and determined when facing challenging projects.
Responsibilities
Benefit Administration
- Administer employee benefit programs, including health, dental, vision, life insurance, voluntary benefits, retirement plans, etc.
- Coordinate new hire enrollments, qualifying life event changes, annual open enrollment, and benefit terminations.
- Coordinate with benefit vendors, brokers, and insurance carriers to resolve employee issues and maintain accurate records.
- Collaborate with employees regarding benefit deductions and ensure data accuracy within the HRIS and benefits systems, timely and reported by each payroll deadline.
- Educate employees on available benefits and provide guidance on plan options and enrollment procedures.
- Prepare and distribute benefit communication, materials, and resources.
- Assist with benefit audits, reconciliations, and reporting requirements.
- Monitor benefit costs and support benefit program evaluations and renewals.
- Support offboarding tasks including coordination of benefit termination and COBRA notification.
Leave Administration
- Administer employee leave programs, including FMLA (federal and state), ADA accommodations, parental leave, military leave, workers’ compensation, etc.
- Review leave requests and determine eligibility in accordance with applicable laws and company policies.
- Coordinate leave documentation, certifications, approvals, extensions, and return‑to‑work processes.
- Maintain communication with employees, managers, healthcare providers, and third‑party leave administrators.
- Maintain accurate and up‑to‑date leave records and absence tracking.
- Support accommodation requests and engage in the interactive process as appropriate.
- Coordinate return‑to‑work plans and transitional work arrangements when applicable.
- Work closely with safety site leads and management to ensure proper tracking and documentation for workplace injuries associated with leaves of absence.
Compliance & Recordkeeping
- Ensure compliance with applicable employment laws and regulations related to benefits and leave administration.
- Maintain confidential employee records in accordance with company policies and privacy requirements.
- Prepare reports, metrics, and documentation for internal and external audits.
- Stay informed about changes in benefits and leave legislation and recommend policy updates as needed.
- Assist in developing and maintaining HR policies, procedures, and employee communication.
- Assist employees in accordance with plan rules and applicable regulations, including ACA, HIPAA, and COBRA.
Employee Support
- Serve as the primary point of contact for employee questions regarding benefits and leave programs.
- Provide excellent customer service while handling sensitive and confidential information.
- Conduct employee orientations and benefits information sessions.
- Communicate with employees and brokers, maintaining timelines, and ensuring all elections and leave notifications are complete on schedule.
Other
- Support HR initiatives and special projects as assigned.
- Other duties as assigned.
Requirements
- High School Diploma, general education degree, or vocational degree
- 3+ years of previous HR experience, including direct experience with benefits and leaves
- Professional, motivated, and energetic demeanor
- Strong organizational skills
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, Outlook)
- Proficiency with Adobe Acrobat
- Excellent verbal and writing skills in U.S. English; fluency in Spanish is a plus
- Valid driver’s license with clean driving