Total Rewards Specialist – Benefits, Payroll

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

📋 Description

• Oversee the daily administration of group benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, 401k, life, and disability insurance.

• Act as the main contact for multi-state leaves of absence, ensuring adherence to FMLA, ADA, and the latest state-specific paid family leave and disability laws.

• Serve as the initial point of contact for employee questions about benefit plans, claim escalations, and leave requests, offering empathetic and clear assistance.

• Play an essential role in the annual Open Enrollment process, which includes collaborating on strategy, managing communications, and implementing changes to benefit system configurations.

• Handle the monthly reconciliation of all group benefit invoices, pinpointing discrepancies and collaborating with vendors to resolve billing issues.

• Ensure all benefit and leave programs comply with federal and state regulations (ACA, COBRA, ERISA, HIPAA) and assist with necessary filings and testing (5500s, non-discrimination testing).

• Conduct regular audits of HRIS data, benefit deductions, and leave tracking to guarantee 100% accuracy between HR systems and third-party vendors.

• Work closely with the payroll team to audit payroll cycles before finalization and provide training on end-to-end payroll processing to serve as an effective primary backup when needed.

• Contribute to broader HR initiatives, system migrations, total rewards statements, and the implementation of wellness programs.

⛳️ Requirements

• 3 to 5 years of specialized experience in HR, with a focus on benefits administration and management of leaves of absence.

• Demonstrated experience in managing leaves and benefits across multiple states, with a strong understanding of various state-specific disability and paid family leave regulations.

• Previous experience in payroll processing or payroll auditing is highly desirable, or a strong willingness to learn.

• Practical experience with HRIS/Benefits administration systems; familiarity with system backend configurations (especially for Open Enrollment) is a significant advantage. Experience with Dayforce is also beneficial.

• Capability to translate complex benefits and compliance terminology into clear, accessible language for employees.

• Enthusiasm for contributing to a small team and adapting between data analysis tasks and employee-facing discussions.

🏝️ Benefits

• Health and dental insurance

• 401k with company match

• Flexible Time Off policy or generous PTO plan (depending on the role) along with paid holidays

• Up to 4 weeks of paid bonding leave

• Tuition reimbursement

• Comprehensive Employee Assistance Program through TotalCare, providing free counseling 24/7/365, as well as financial counseling, legal guidance, adoption assistance services, and more!

• 24/7 access to virtual medical care through Teladoc

• Quarterly awards based on peer nominations

• Regional discounts and perks

• Opportunities to engage in charitable events and contribute to the community