Sr. Benefits & Leaves Specialist

About the role

The Sr. Benefits & Leaves Specialist oversees the strategy, administration, and compliance of the organization’s employee benefits and leave programs. This role ensures that all programs are competitive, cost-effective, and aligned with federal, state, and specific program regulations.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate the administration of all employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, wellness, and voluntary benefits.
• Manage the full lifecycle of employee leaves (FMLA, ADA, workers’ compensation, parental leave, Minnesota Paid Leave and Earned Sick and Safe Time, and company-specific programs).
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws, including ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, and Minnesota-specific leave requirements.
• Serve as the primary liaison with benefit brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators.
• Oversee annual open enrollment, vendor renewals, and plan design recommendations.
• Maintain benefit and leave policies, employee communications, training & educational materials.
• Provide guidance to managers and employees on leave eligibility, return-to-work processes, and reasonable accommodations.
• Analyze benefits utilization, cost trends, and employee feedback to recommend improvements.
• Conduct audits, reporting, and filings (e.g., 5500s, ACA reporting, year-end 401(k) testing, premium audits).
• Maintain accurate records and ensure data integrity across HRIS and vendor systems.
• Provide supervision and day to day support to 1 full-time Employee Leaves & Accommodations Specialist.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, or related field (or equivalent experience) preferred.
• 5+ years of experience in benefits and leave administration specifically with ICHRA plans highly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of FMLA, ADA, ERISA, ACA, COBRA, and state leave laws.
• Experience with HRIS and benefits administration platforms.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including ability to use basic formulas (e.g., SUM, AVERAGE, IF, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP) and the ability to format spreadsheets.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Able to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Experience implementing or managing Minnesota Paid Leave (effective 2026).

Compensation

This is an exempt position. Total earnings for this position will range from $65,000.00 - $80,000.00 annually. Actual compensation may be determined by various factors such as licensure, experience, skillset, internal equity, schedule and/or location. Estimates are factored on a 1.0 FTE. Employees in these positions are W2.