Sr. Benefits Specialist

Responsibilities

• Plan Management & Administration: Oversee the day-to-day administration of iSpot's comprehensive benefits portfolio, including medical, dental, vision, retirement (401k), wellness initiatives, and supplemental plans.
• Leave of Absence (LOA) Management: End-to-end management of all leave programs (FMLA, short-term/long-term disability, parental leave, state-mandated leaves, and ADA accommodations) from initial request and compliance tracking to successful return-to-work.
• Onboarding & New Hire Experience: Lead the benefits onboarding experience for all new hires, ensuring a welcoming, clear, and comprehensive introduction to iSpot's total rewards from day one.
• Employee Benefits Support: Serve as the primary, empathetic point of contact for daily employee inquiries, providing high-touch support for claims resolution, coverage details, and life event changes.
• Benefit & Payroll Reconciliation: Partner closely with the Payroll team to perform monthly premium reconciliations, ensure accurate benefit deductions, resolve billing discrepancies, and maintain clean data between HRIS and carriers.
• Compensation Planning Support: Provide analytical support during annual compensation review cycles, assisting with market data benchmarking, internal equity reviews, and salary band analysis.
• Vendor Relations & Negotiation: Partner with brokers, insurance carriers, and third-party leave administrators to manage, review, and negotiate annual plan renewals and service agreements.
• Compliance & Auditing: Lead annual benefit audits, non-discrimination testing, and the preparation/filing of Form 5500s to ensure strict compliance with ERISA, ACA, DOL, IRS, and state leave regulations.
• Multi-State Operations: Manage benefits compliance and varied leave-of-absence laws tailored to a diverse, multi-state workforce.
• HRIS Management: Utilize ADP Workforce Now to manage benefit enrollments, life events, deductions, leave tracking, and accurate data synchronization with carriers.
• Open Enrollment & Education: Lead the strategy, communication, and execution of the annual Open Enrollment process, creating clear, educational materials regarding benefits and leave policies.
• Equity administration: Process new hire and termination equity in Carta to ensure a smooth onboarding/offboarding process

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Experience: 3–5 years of dedicated benefits administration experience, including direct experience managing, reviewing, and auditing plans, as well as hands-on management of Leave of Absence (LOA) programs.
• Technical Skills: Strong proficiency and hands-on experience with ADP (specifically Workforce Now) for benefits administration, leave tracking, and reporting.
• Compliance Mastery: Solid understanding of Form 5500 filings, benefits auditing processes, and federal/state regulations (ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, ADA, and state-paid family leave laws).
• Geographic Scope: Experience managing benefits and varied leave compliance for employees spread across multiple states.
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).

Preferred Skills

• Professional certifications such as CEBS (Certified Employee Benefit Specialist), CLMS (Certified Leave Management Specialist), PHR, or SHRM-CP.
• Advanced Excel & Data Analytics: Strong capability with data analysis, pivot tables, audit reconciliation, and leave tracking to drive insights.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex benefit and leave concepts in simple, empathetic terms.
• Experience working in a fast-paced tech or SaaS environment.