Title: Benefit Specialist III
Location: Pasadena, CA
Pay Range: $41-52.88 hourly. Pay can go higher if needed, depending on qualifications
Duration: Contract, 6 months - with possibility of extension/conversion
Onsite
9/80 work schedule
Summary:
We are seeking a results-oriented Benefit Specialist III who will work closely with the Benefits, Payroll and Finance teams to ensure the accuracy of all premium payments and employee payroll deductions associated with group healthcare coverage. In addition, the employee in this position is a key participant in developing the benefits platform configuration for annual Open Enrollment, working closely with HRIS to ensure ease of employee use. The ideal candidate must have strong written and verbal communications skills, the ability to demonstrate follow-through, and must be capable of handling simultaneous goals.
In addition, they must have experience working with Benefits platforms, preferably Workday, a general understanding of the premium reconciliation process for group health insurance, and strong excel skills. The candidate must also have experience with Benefits administration and a detailed knowledge of employee benefits.
This role requires strong analytical skills to support benefits audits, compliance activities, and ad hoc reporting and analysis. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, data-driven, and comfortable working across HR, Finance, and external vendors to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and compliance of benefit offerings.
Required Skills:
Tasks include but not limited to:
- Develop and support clear, accurate, and employee-friendly communications related to benefits and wellness programs
- Partner with HR, Communications, and vendors to support benefits and wellness announcements, open enrollment materials, and ongoing education campaigns
- Serve as a subject matter resource for employee benefits and wellness inquiries – manage escalated inquiry process and assign cases as appropriate
- Prepare reports and insights on wellness trends, utilization, and employee engagement to inform program enhancements
- Support HR cross-functional projects and coordinate HR process improvement initiatives, as identified.
- Plan, lead, and participate in meetings, discussion groups, and other types of events
- Partner with the Benefits Manager, Total Rewards Leadership, and individual team members to provide support to ongoing projects such as open enrollment, processes and wellness program administration.
- Develop an understanding of the Workday Benefits Platform to facilitate configuration testing and enhancements as needed i
- Assist employees with responses to payroll questions related to their payroll deductions for healthcare.
- Determine accurate premium payment amounts for all healthcare vendors. Work with vendor representatives, as needed, to coordinate billing adjustments or corrections.
- Work with auditors, as needed, to provide data necessary to finalize audits.
- Manage the employee premium reconciliation process together with the payroll and finance departments, determine adjustments needed and ensure updates are applied to the employee’s payroll account.
- Conducts data analysis for preparation of and following open enrollment and participates in strategic reviews of plan provisions and updates and the impact of changes on the benefits platform.
Qualifications:
- Establishes trust and maintains confidentiality
- Ability to work effectively in situations that require sound decision-making
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Effective team player
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Excellent problem-solving, critical thinking, reasoning and analytical skills
- Highly organized with strong self and project management skills and an ability to meet critical deadlines (time, priorities, resources)
- Understands HRIS processes to facilitate systems modifications, program updates and testing.
- Ability to perform extensive data analysis, troubleshooting, creative problem resolution, diagnostics and process improvement.
- Ability to work effectively and well within the JPL culture (effectively gather and analyze facts, weigh risks and make decisions/recommendations that are right for the business, the people and our culture)
- Strong data and numerical analytic skills including intermediate to advance Excel proficiency is required.
- Ability to influence and adapt style to consult with all levels of employee and management
- Bachelor’s degree with 5-6 years of related experience in employee Benefit Administration; Masters in a similar discipline with 4 years of related experience; Ph.D. in a similar discipline with 2 years of related experience.
- Workday experience is a PLUS
