Benefits Specialist - Health and Welfare

About the role

As the Professional, Benefit Specialist - Health and Welfare, you will perform moderately complex human resources services spanning data administration, learning administration, service delivery enablement, vendor management, benefits administration, and other transactions to ensure the successful operations of human resources administrative services. Under limited supervision, this role provides information to employees, managers, and vendors, integrating information flow within a service delivery model. You will support benefit service administration activities, including open enrollment, system administration, new hire enrollment, leave management back-up support, and other day-to-day and project-related work, which may include complex benefit analysis.

Responsibilities

• Employee Support: Provide information to employees and managers to address questions and perform moderately complex transactions on employee benefits programs and policies, including medical, dental, vision, flexible spending, disability, life benefits, leave programs, and paid time off.
• Leave Management: Back up the Leave team as needed, involving complex payroll calculations, employee escalations, and basic knowledge of U.S. leave administration (additional training will be provided).
• HR Research: Assess the organization's benefits processes and standards, identify impacts to benefits administrative services, and propose improvements to leadership.
• Compliance Support: Monitor employee-related legislation compliance, provide guidance on regulatory updates, and contribute to developing guidelines and procedures to ensure compliance with regulations. Stay continuously updated on legislative changes.
• Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement: Lead moderately complex projects related to process optimization and standardization, implement accountability measures, conduct analyses of HR administrative services performance metrics, and identify areas for service enhancement.
• Benefit Services Administration: Maintain and reconcile employee-related data and benefits records, verify and administer HR records, and resolve exceptions and errors in a timely manner.
• Process Implementation: Monitor and ensure consistent implementation of new hire, termination, open enrollment, qualified life events, and other employee benefit lifecycle-related processes.
• Vendor Management: Support partnerships with key vendors and stakeholders to hold vendors accountable for service delivery standards and metrics, ensuring they stay updated on the latest technologies, tools, and methodologies.

Requirements

• Minimum of 2 years of relevant work experience.
• Intermediate-level experience in Microsoft Office Excel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Communication skills using AI tools.
• Previous benefits experience in a highly complex union/non-union environment.
• Previous leave administration experience in a multi-state environment.
• Previous payroll experience.

Pay

The expected salary for this position is $73,000 - $79,000. Compensation varies depending on factors including location, certifications, education, and level of experience.

Schedule

This is a hybrid position located in Wayzata, MN.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit program including medical and/or other benefits, dependent on position and hours worked. Learn more (subject to certain collective bargaining agreements for union positions).
• Minnesota Sick and Safe Leave: Accrual of one hour for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per calendar year unless otherwise provided by law.