Benefits Specialist

Hilltop Residential is a world-class real estate investment company that provides unparalleled excellence to our customers and investors. Founded in 2017, Hilltop currently owns and operates $3 billion of multifamily properties throughout major markets in Texas and the southeastern United States. Hilltop is a certified Great Place to Work five years in a row and has been named a Top Workplace by the Houston Chronicle.

About the role

This position reports directly to the Human Resources Manager and will be based in person at our Corporate Office in Houston, TX. The Benefits Specialist will work closely with the Human Resources team to administer benefits and leave programs, supporting all Hilltop employees across a five-state footprint. The ideal candidate is highly detail-oriented with a genuine commitment to employee care, focusing on benefits accuracy, compliance, and the employee experience.

Responsibilities

• Administer benefits enrollment for new hires and process qualifying life event changes across all Hilltop markets
• Support the HR Manager with the annual open enrollment process, including employee communications, enrollment processing, and post-open enrollment auditing
• Serve as the day-to-day liaison between employees and carriers for benefits and leave-related questions and issues
• Reconcile monthly benefits billing across carriers and flag discrepancies for the HR Manager's resolution
• Assist employees with 401(k) enrollment, contribution changes, and general questions, and serve as liaison with the 401(k) vendor and other partners
• Assist with managing the Hilltop Strive tuition reimbursement program, including eligibility review, application processing, and payroll coordination
• Administer leave of absence programs, including FMLA, state-specific leave, short-term disability coordination, and personal leave, ensuring consistent tracking and documentation across Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee
• Support Paid Time Off policy administration and respond to employee PTO-related questions
• Assist with ADA accommodation requests and the interactive process, including documentation, tracking, and follow-up
• Assist with workers' compensation claims, including tracking, submittal, and follow-up
• Support compliance with federal, state, and local benefits and leave laws and regulations across Hilltop's multi-state footprint
• Respond to employee inquiries related to benefits, leave, and other related HR matters in a timely and confidential manner
• Update employee records in HRIS with benefits and leave-related changes
• Partner with Human Resources Assistant to process employee lease addendums in accordance with the Employee Rent Discount Program
• Assist with employee recognition programs, including planning Hilltop's annual award ceremony and other employee recognitions throughout the year
• Provide a variety of administrative support to the Human Resources and Recruiting teams as needed

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree preferred
• One to two years of experience in benefits administration and/or Human Resources required
• Experience with open enrollment and leave of absence administration strongly preferred
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Excellent time management skills with a proven ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software
• Proficiency with or the ability to quickly learn the organization's HRIS system, Paylocity

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• 401k with company match
• Comprehensive medical and dental plans
• Paid vision plan
• Paid life insurance
• Employee referral program
• Short and long-term disability
• Paid time off
• Employee rent discount program
• Opportunities for growth in a rapidly expanding company

Pay

$55,000 - $60,000 per year