Benefits Analyst I

AvalonBay Communities•Arlington, TX

5d•$59,300 - $88,800

About The Position

The Benefits Analyst I provides day-to-day administrative and operational support for the company’s employee benefits programs. The role assists with benefit enrollment, eligibility, employee inquiries, vendor coordination, data maintenance, and ongoing plan administration. It also provides backup support for employee leave of absence and workplace accommodation processes, helping ensure requests, documentation, system updates, and employee communications are handled accurately and promptly. This role supports administration of health and welfare programs, employee lifecycle activities, Open Enrollment, benefits communications, reporting, audits, vendor coordination, and compliance-related administration. It also assists with leave and accommodation case intake, tracking, documentation, employee guidance, coordination, and related payroll and system updates. Complex cases and decisions are escalated to senior team members or HR partners; the position is not expected to independently make legal, compliance, or employee relations determinations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience; the degree is preferred.
Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Strong customer service, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to handle confidential and sensitive employee information with discretion.
Comfort working with HR systems, Microsoft Excel, and other business applications.
Ability to learn benefits policies and processes and consistently apply established procedures.
Willingness to research issues, ask questions, and escalate situations when additional expertise is needed.

Nice To Haves

One to two years of HR, benefits, leave, HRIS, or related administrative experience.
Experience with Workday is especially helpful.

Responsibilities

Support day-to-day administration of employee health and welfare programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, spending accounts, and other voluntary benefits.
Respond to routine employee questions about benefits, eligibility, enrollment, coverage, and available resources, escalating complex issues as appropriate.
Research and help resolve enrollment, eligibility, payroll deduction, and vendor discrepancies.
Maintain benefit information in HR and vendor systems and perform routine audits and reconciliations.
Coordinate with benefit vendors and internal HR, Payroll, and HRIS partners to resolve administrative issues.
Assist with annual Open Enrollment, including system testing, employee communications, enrollment support, data validation, and post-enrollment audits.
Support new-hire, termination, and other employee lifecycle processes affecting benefit eligibility and coverage, including possible participation in new-hire presentations.
Assist with benefit communications, employee resources, FAQs, and educational materials.
Support benefit program reporting, invoice review, data requests, audits, and compliance activities.
Maintain benefit records and documentation according to company procedures and applicable record-retention requirements.
Provide backup support for employee leaves of absence and workplace accommodation requests, including requests involving medical restrictions or limitations.
Assist with intake, tracking, documentation, and follow-up for leave and accommodation cases.
Help employees understand administrative processes, required documentation, applicable deadlines, and available resources.
Coordinate with employees, managers, HR partners, leave administrators, and vendors to support timely case administration.
Maintain leave and accommodation information in applicable systems and trackers and ensure appropriate documentation is retained.
Support payroll, benefit, and system updates for employees going on or returning from leave.
Assist with return-to-work coordination and other administrative aspects of the leave process.
Escalate complex leave, accommodation, compliance, or employee relations matters to senior team members as appropriate.
Maintain strict confidentiality when handling employee medical and other sensitive information.
Support implementation of benefit program changes and new initiatives.
Assist with vendor file reviews, data validation, testing, and issue resolution.
Document administrative procedures and help maintain benefits processes, calendars, checklists, and reference materials.
Participate in benefit audits and gather data and documentation for internal and external requests.
Identify recurring employee or administrative issues and recommend process and employee-experience improvements.
Provide additional support to the Benefits team as priorities and business needs evolve.