HR Shared Services Senior Specialist | Hybrid NY

About the role

The Senior HR Shared Services Specialist resolves complex, high-impact inquiries and transactions across multiple tiers within the HR Shared Services (HRSS) organization. Serving as a subject matter expert (SME), this role governs and continuously improves the HRSS Service Catalog, Knowledge Base, and Communications Calendar, ensuring accurate and consistent administration of HR processes while delivering an exceptional employee experience throughout the entire employee lifecycle from hire to retire. As the primary escalation point for sensitive cases, this position provides expert guidance and timely resolution of employee and business requests, leads root cause analysis (RCA), identifies trends, and drives process standardization to reduce recurring demand, unnecessary escalations, and improve operational efficiency, self-service, automation, and service quality.

This role also handles benefits billing processes and partners closely with HR Centers of Excellence, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Acquisition, L&D, Employee Relations, and other cross-functional stakeholders to ensure regulatory and company compliance and support seamless service delivery.

Responsibilities

• Employee Lifecycle Management
  • Manage end-to-end employee lifecycle processes, including new hire pre-boarding, onboarding, and offboarding transactions.
  • Provide support and guidance to employees, managers, and HR Business Partners across Tiers.
  • Resolve complex employee inquiries including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, FMLA, COBRA, 401(k), and related programs while meeting service-level agreements (SLAs).
  • Maintain ownership of employee cases throughout escalation, serving as the primary point of contact until resolution.
  • Lead HR Shared Services projects from planning through implementation, ensuring milestones, timelines, and deliverables are achieved.
• Governance, Compliance & COE Partnership
  • Ensure adherence to federal and state laws, company policies, and data privacy requirements.
  • Prepare structured escalation summaries for different COEs when policy interpretation, compliance determinations, plan design decisions, exception, and approvals are required.
  • Conduct hands-on follow-up and communication during case escalation using all available channels.
  • Own internal and external audits while maintaining confidentiality of sensitive employee information.
• Employee Experience & Case Management
  • Deliver timely, professional, and empathetic service to employees and managers to ensure an exceptional employee experience.
  • Identify root causes, trends, and system behavior to recommend process and knowledge improvements.
  • Support a consistent enablement-based service philosophy aligned with internal values, mission, and vision.
• Knowledge Management & Team Enablement
  • Act as a Knowledge Base Administrator and subject matter resource for processes within the HR Operations Team; own articles, QRGs, and SOPs documentation.
  • Train and guide Analysts, Specialists, and Sr. Specialists on employee lifecycle inquiries and documentation standards.
  • Prepare and maintain BCP plans, backup reports, HRSS Service Catalog, and cross-training strategy to reduce single-point dependency within the team.
• HR Systems, Data Management & Reporting
  • Maintain and audit employee data within Workday, ServiceNow, eGain, and other HRIS and benefits platforms.
  • Perform data validation and quality reviews to ensure accuracy and compliance.
  • Support system testing, upgrades, and process enhancements including testing of benefits-related system and enhancements (e.g., Workday updates, configuration changes, process improvements).
  • Handle periodic reporting requirements related to HR Operations and benefits billing.
  • Identify system enhancement opportunities to improve workflow efficiency and case deflection.

Requirements

• High School Diploma from an accredited institution.
• 4+ years of experience in HR operations, employee lifecycle, and HR Shared Services with significant exposure to health and welfare programs preferred.
• Strong knowledge of HR processes, employment regulations, and data management.
• Experience handling complex cross-functional cases, employee benefits inquiries, and escalations.
• HRIS systems knowledge (Workday preferred).
• Excellent problem-solving, written and verbal communication skills, customer support, and creative issue resolution.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Ability to work at 100 Church Street every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• Experience supporting HR transformation execution projects, process optimization, and service center environments.
• Background in benefits administration, healthcare, or similarly regulated environment.
• Knowledge supporting open enrollment cycles, including planning, execution, vendor coordination, and employee support.
• Experience implementing and improving CRM, case routing, demand reduction, and knowledge base documentation.

Pay

Greater New York City Area (NY, NJ, CT residents): $83,100 - $120,360

All Other Locations (within approved locations): $73,400 - $109,225

Salary and related compensation elements will be contingent upon work experience, education, licenses, certifications, and other factors deemed pertinent to the hiring decision.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Incentive and recognition programs.
• Life insurance.
• 401k contributions.

All benefits are subject to eligibility requirements.