Benefits Specialist
CommonSail Investment Group
Position Summary
The Benefits Specialist will support the Benefits Manager in administering and managing employee benefits programs for a workforce of 10,000+ employees. This role involves handling day-to-day benefits operations, ensuring compliance with regulations, and providing excellent service to employees. The ideal candidate will have strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and an employee-focused approach. This is an on-premises position and reports to the HR Benefits Manager.
Essential Responsibilities and Duties
- Assist the Benefits Manager in administering benefits programs, health, dental, vision, life, and accidental insurance, short-and long-term disabilities, critical illness, EAP, and retirement plans.
- Process benefits enrollments, changes, and terminations accurately and in a timely manner.
- Ensure inquiries are resolved promptly and professionally.
- Coordinate with broker and benefit providers to address claims and discrepancies.
- Support the Benefits Manager in preparing for annual enrollment and new hire guides, including working with Communications Manager and Learning & Development on materials and conducting employee sessions.
- Work with Benefits Manager and broker to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and coordinate annual HIPAA training sessions for appropriate attendees.
- Gather ongoing employee feedback regarding benefit programs and provide recommendations for improvements to Benefits Manager.
- Generate and review reports for management to ensure program effectiveness and compliance.
- Collaborate with HR and payroll teams to ensure seamless benefits administration.
- Distribute educational materials to employees about available benefit options, eligibility, and enrollment procedures.
- Manage billing and reconciliation for COBRA, HSA, and life & disability benefit programs, ensuring accuracy between carrier invoices, payroll deductions, and general ledger entries.
- Conduct regular benefit deduction audits and reviews to identify discrepancies, ensure payroll accuracy, and confirm alignment between enrollment elections and deductions.
- Serve as the Level 2 escalation point for complex benefits matters, including unresolved claims, deduction discrepancies, and carrier or vendor issues requiring advanced problem-solving.
- Administer COBRA processes end-to-end, including qualifying event notifications, enrollment, premium billing, and compliance with federal notice and coverage timelines.
- Partner with HRIS on benefits-related updates and testing.
- Reconcile EDI file errors and discrepancies with carriers to ensure accurate data transmission.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field preferred.
- Relevant certifications (such as CEBS, PHR, or SHRM-CP) are a plus.
- Minimum of 5 years HR experience and 3 years of experience in employee benefits administration or a related field.
- Familiarity with benefits management software, HRIS systems, and reporting tools.
- Strong understanding of benefits laws and regulations (e.g., ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, FMLA).
Skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain complex benefits information to employees in a clear and accessible way.
- Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to handle confidential and sensitive information.
- Organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and HRIS systems (ADP Lyric and HWSE a plus).
General Working Conditions
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to communicate effectively with others, sit, stand, walk, and use hands to handle keyboard, telephone, paper, files, and other equipment and objects. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. This position requires the ability to review detailed documents and read computer screens. The employee will occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. The work environment requires appropriate interaction with others. The noise level in the work environment is moderate. Occasional travel to different locations may be required.
Common Sail Investment Group has a comprehensive benefit package that includes health, dental, vision, life and accidental insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, critical illness, EAP, 401(k), income protection, and extraordinary work-life benefits.
This classification description is intended to indicate the general kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that are required of positions given this title and should not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct and control the work of the employees under her/his supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar kind or level of difficulty.
Equal Opportunity Employer
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