HR Specialist II – Leave & Benefits Administration

Location: North Chicago, IL (Hybrid – Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday Onsite | Monday & Friday Remote)
Contract: 12 Months (Potential Extension Based on Performance & Business Needs)
Pay Rate: Up to $31/hr (Based on Experience & Benefits Selection)

Overview
Orion Group is seeking an HR Specialist II to support our global pharmaceutical client's HRConnect Total Rewards team. This position plays a critical role in administering employee leave, disability, and workers' compensation programs while ensuring a positive employee experience throughout the leave lifecycle.
This is an excellent opportunity for an HR professional with experience in leave administration who enjoys partnering across HR, Payroll, vendors, and employees to resolve complex leave-related matters in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Key Responsibilities

Support the administration of employee leave of absence, disability, and workers' compensation programs.
Serve as a resource for employees regarding return-to-work status, job protection, disability benefits, workers' compensation, and leave-related questions.
Manage the team's shared mailbox, responding to inquiries and resolving escalated leave, disability, and workers' compensation issues.
Audit payroll for employees on leave, identify discrepancies, and partner with Payroll to resolve issues.
Prepare disability-related documentation and employee notices.
Support HR system (Workday) transactions related to leave status changes, benefit administration, and employee record updates.
Assist with employee separations and terminations related to leave of absence cases.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local leave regulations, including paid leave and paid sick leave requirements.
Provide Tier 2 and Tier 3 support for complex leave and health & welfare issues that cannot be resolved by external vendors or the HRConnect Service Center.
Partner with internal teams, external vendors, and key stakeholders to continuously improve leave administration processes.
Support HRConnect projects, initiatives, and process improvement efforts as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree required.
3–5 years of experience in leave administration, disability management, workers' compensation, benefits administration, or a closely related HR field.
Experience administering leave of absence, disability, and workers' compensation programs.
Experience working with Workday HRIS.
Payroll auditing or payroll support experience related to employee leaves.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience supporting HR Operations or Shared Services environments.
Knowledge of federal, state, and local leave laws, including paid leave and paid sick leave requirements.
Experience partnering with third-party leave and disability vendors.
Continuous improvement mindset with strong problem-solving skills.

What We're Looking For
The ideal candidate is an organized and detail-oriented HR professional who enjoys supporting employees through complex leave and disability processes. Success in this role requires strong customer service skills, sound judgment, the ability to manage multiple cases simultaneously, and the confidence to partner across HR, Payroll, vendors, and business stakeholders while ensuring compliance with company policies and applicable leave regulations.

People are our business worldwide

Orion Group was founded in 1987 and is now one of the largest, independent, international recruitment companies. We have a network of 200 employees working from 24 offices, delivering a range of services – Talent Acquisition, Recruitment Outsourcing Services, Retained Search, Global Workforce Solutions, Completions & Commissioning and Materials Management – across 68 countries. As a global leader in workforce solutions, we recruit personnel across the Engineering & Technical, Office & Commercial, Scientific and Skilled Trades disciplines, for sectors including Oil & Gas, Life Science, Power & Utilities, Constructions & Infrastructure, Manufacturing and Renewables.

Orion Group

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