Benefit and Leave Specialist

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Pennsylvania.

📋 Description

• Oversee U.S. health and welfare initiatives and manage leave-of-absence procedures across various vendors and systems.

• Handle comprehensive leave administration, encompassing FMLA, state leave, disability, workers’ compensation, and paid parental leave.

• Monitor cases and documentation while coordinating employee status.

• Act as the primary contact for employee inquiries regarding health and welfare benefits and leave.

• Support the management of the U.S. Wellness program.

• Audit and track employee leave accrual accounts, providing necessary corrections and adjustments to Payroll.

• Prepare, communicate, and monitor benefits-related issues pertaining to collective bargaining agreements.

• Draft written communications for employees and organize meetings and presentations regarding benefits.

• Assist Benefits and division HR teams with benefit-related issues and transactions requiring interpretation and intervention.

• Communicate with employees, retirees, dependents, and beneficiaries about eligibility, coverage, and benefits-related concerns.

• Oversee benefits eligibility, enrollment, and payroll reconciliation processes.

• Manage the invoicing processes for benefits.

• Serve as the primary operational contact for external benefits and leave vendors.

• Assist in the annual benefits open enrollment process, including system updates, communications, and material distribution.

• Support proxy-related reporting obligations.

• Ensure adherence to ACA, ERISA, CMS, PCORI, and other regulatory reporting standards.

• Aid in maintaining audit readiness across benefits and leave programs.

• Preserve data integrity through reconciliation, reporting, and resolving discrepancies across benefits, leave, payroll, and carrier systems.

• Collect information for and assist in ADA accommodation processes.

• Lead or assist with special projects as needed.

• Develop and maintain databases and spreadsheets for leave administration.

• Track compliance and produce reports.

• Prepare communication materials and conduct employee meetings or orientations for division HR teams as required.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree.

• Minimum of five years of progressive experience in administering employee health and wellness benefit plans and leave administration.

• In-depth knowledge of leave administration regulations and processes, particularly FMLA and multi-state paid leave laws.

• Experience with benefits in a large public company, including self-insured and self-funded plans.

• Familiarity with stop-loss insurance, ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, and other legislative compliance requirements.

• Understanding of retirement plans and collective bargaining agreements.

• Highly effective verbal and written communication, organizational, and analytical abilities.

• Capability to interact effectively with employees at all organizational levels.

• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality at all times.

• Proficiency in presenting information and addressing inquiries.

• Ability to juggle multiple initiatives, meet deadlines, adjust priorities, and deliver high-quality outcomes.

• Competence in reading, analyzing, and interpreting benefit plan documents, business publications, technical procedures, and government regulations.

• Skill in crafting benefit communications, reports, business correspondence, and procedural documents clearly and concisely.

• Ability to present information and answer questions from plan participants, retirees, dependents, beneficiaries, and vendor partners.

• Capability to calculate figures and amounts for correcting payroll deductions, invoices, and claims costs.

• Problem-solving skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external teams.

• Preferred: experience with annual plan audits and Form 5500 preparation and filings.

• Preferred: experience in developing SPDs, Plan Documents, and WPDs.

• Preferred: familiarity with high-deductible medical plans with HSA/HRA.

• Preferred: experience with defined benefit pension and defined contribution retirement plans.

🏝️ Benefits

• Flexibility for employees to work remotely.

• Access to the U.S. Wellness program, which includes biometric screenings, immunizations, and health assessments.