Benefits Analyst

Neighborhood Healthcare • Escondido, CA

3d

About The Position

The Benefits Analyst is responsible for the day-to-day administration, analysis and compliance of employee benefit programs, with a strong focus on delivering a responsive, employee-centered experience while representing the organization’s values of Above & Beyond, Collaboration, Compassion, Integrity and Professionalism. This role serves as a subject matter expert on benefit plans, regulatory requirements and HRIS data integrity, ensuring accurate administration and effective vendor management. The Benefits Analyst partners closely with HR, HRIS, Payroll, and other cross-functional teams, as well as brokers and third-party vendors, to support effective workflows, regulatory compliance, and the continuous improvement of benefit communications and offerings. Success in this role requires strong analytical skills, attention to detail, a proactive, customer-oriented approach, and the ability to support benefit programs for 1,500+ benefit eligible employees across multiple locations throughout Southern California.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 4+ years benefit administration/analysis experience or equivalent combination of education and experience required
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel to include complex formulas and functions such as VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, pivot tables, and data validation to analyze and manage data
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including superior composition, typing, and proofreading skills
• Detail oriented with excellent customer service and interpersonal skills required
• Ability to organize and prioritize responsibilities to meet daily, weekly or program deadlines
• Ability to work independently, lead others and participate as a team member
• Ability to travel to NHC sites for benefit related needs
• Ability to work with highly confidential information in a professional and ethical manner
• Ability to lift/carry 10 lbs./weight
• Ability to stand for long periods of time
• Follows all safety procedures as outlined in Neighborhood Healthcare’s Illness and Injury Prevention Plan (IIPP) and report any injuries and/or unsafe conditions immediately
• Maintains current knowledge of policies and procedures as they relate to safe work practices
• Follows all safety procedures and report unsafe conditions
• Uses appropriate body mechanics to ensure an injury free environment
• Familiarity with location of nearest fire extinguisher and emergency exits
• Follows all infection control procedures including blood-borne pathogen protocols
• Maintains privacy of all patients, employee and volunteer information and access such information only on a need-to-know basis for business purposes
• Complies with all regulations regarding corporate integrity and security obligations
• Reports all behavior and/or activity that are unethical, fraudulent, or unlawful

Nice To Haves

• Benefits Professional (CBP) or Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) certifications preferred
• HRIS experience with UKG preferred

Responsibilities

• Oversees and maintains benefits data within HRIS system (UKG), ensuring accurate records for new hires, life events, ongoing employee benefit changes and annual Open Enrollment
• Administers and communicates benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short and long term disability, FSA/HSA, ancillary benefits and retirement plans; explain enrollment requirements, plan options and design and policy details with all levels of employees
• Prepares bi-weekly benefit/payroll files to process benefit deductions outside of regular payroll processing
• Audits benefit plans and deductions with regular frequency to ensure plan compliance and accurate processing within UKG
• Partners closely with the Payroll team to ensure accuracy of benefit premiums, reporting, reconciliations and exception processing
• Analyzes and reconciles monthly carrier invoices against payroll deductions
• Obtains carrier invoices, reviews for accuracy, and submits invoices for payment through Coupa
• Monitors regulatory benefit changes such as Qualified Life Events (QLE), National Medical Support Notices (NMSN), Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDRO), and related requirements
• Audit COBRA plan administration for new hires and terminated employees regarding notices, payments, and plan cancellations
• Maintains the benefit designated email inbox and responds to employee questions and concerns related to enrollment and ongoing benefit issues
• Leads the new hire benefit orientation and sends communications to new hires including follow up emails to ensure benefit enrollment compliance
• Maintains plan documents, participant communications, benefits records and regulatory reports in accordance with current mandates and guidelines; ensures proper filing and accessibility within UKG, SharePoint and internal servers
• Assists with the annual Open Enrollment (OE) process including benefit system configuration, vendor coordination and communication strategy including employee notifications, benefit guides and presentations
• Collaborates closely with the HRIS team to manage benefits system functionality within UKG, including plan configuration, life events and Open Enrollment processing, vendor integrations and file feeds, reporting, error resolution, and support for audits, annual testing, and ACA compliance
• Maintains ongoing communication and compliance meetings with benefit broker to address outstanding issues; consults with broker as needed
• Oversees benefits compliance activities, including FSA testing, required employee notices and ACA compliance (1094/1095 preparation and filing)
• Monitors benefit trends and regulatory/legislation changes and recommends program enhancement aligned with employee needs and Neighborhood’s culture
• Assists with retirement plan administration for the 403(b) and 457(b) plans including, match true-up calculations, annual testing, compliance reviews, Form 5500 support, QDROs, required participant notices and participant education
• Communicates with employees on leave to coordinate benefit payments and tracks benefit payment status
• Supports HR-wide events related to benefit communication and administration

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level