Senior Benefits Specialist

Job Description

The Senior Benefits Specialist is responsible for the administration, analysis, and delivery of UofL Health's employee benefits programs, ensuring an exceptional team member experience while maintaining compliance with applicable federal, state, and organizational policies.

Benefits Administration

• Administer and support UofL Health's employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, retirement, voluntary benefits, and wellness initiatives.
• Cook up benefit enrollments, qualifying life event changes, open enrollment activities, and terminations.
• Ensure accurate benefits data within Workday and other benefit administration systems.
• Audit employee and vendor data to ensure enrollment accuracy and compliance.
• Maintain plan documentation, employee communications, and benefits-related policies and procedures.

Workday Case Management & Team Member Support

• Utilize Workday Case Management as the primary tool for managing benefits-related inquiries, requests, and escalations.
• Respond to team member questions regarding benefit eligibility, enrollment, coverage, claims, retirement plans, leave programs, and policy interpretation.
• Monitor case queues to ensure service level agreements (SLAs) and response-time expectations are met.
• Document all interactions, resolutions, and follow-up activities within Workday.
• Identify trends in case volume and recurring issues, recommending process improvements and knowledge resources.
• Develop and maintain knowledge articles and standard responses to enhance team member self-service capabilities.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure compliance with ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, FMLA, and other applicable regulations.
• Support required reporting, audits, and annual compliance activities.
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive employee health and personal information.
• Absorb and analyze trends in case management metrics.
• Recommend solutions to improve operational efficiency and team member satisfaction.

Vendor & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as a liaison between team members, benefit carriers, third-party administrators, and internal stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Payroll, HR Operations, Leave Administration, and Talent teams to resolve complex issues.
• Monitor vendor performance and assist with issue resolution and escalation management.
• Support implementation and ongoing administration of new benefits programs and technology enhancements.

Data Analysis & Reporting

• Prepare recurring and ad hoc reports related to benefits enrollment, utilization, costs, and case management metrics.
• Analyze trends and recommend solutions to improve operational efficiency and team member satisfaction.
• Support annual benefits planning and open enrollment strategy through reporting and data analysis.

Project Support

• Lead or participate in HR and benefits-related projects, including system enhancements, process improvements, and Open Enrollment.
• Support Workday optimization efforts and testing for benefits-related configurations and updates.
• Absorb and communicate organizational change management initiatives related to benefits programs.

Job Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Experience: Minimum of 4-6 years of progressive benefits administration experience.
• Experience administering health and welfare plans, retirement programs, and leave-related benefits.
• Experience utilizing HRIS systems, preferably Workday, including Case Management functionality.
• Preferred Qualifications: Experience working in a large, multi-state healthcare organization, Professional certification such as SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, PHR/SPHR, or equivalent, Strong knowledge of employee benefits regulations and compliance requirements, Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel.