Contract - Benefits Associate

Itron • Liberty Lake, WA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Itron is seeking a detail-oriented and service-driven Benefits Associate to join their team and support the delivery of a seamless, employee-centered benefits experience. In this role, the associate will play a key part in administering U.S. employee benefits programs, responding to employee inquiries with empathy and professionalism, and collaborating with cross-functional partners to ensure accurate, compliant, and efficient operations. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and is passionate about supporting employees through clear communication, attentive service, and innovative solutions in a technology-driven Utilities & Energy organization.

Requirements

• Prior experience in Human Resources, Benefits Administration, Employee Services, or a related field.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate clearly, respectfully, and empathetically with diverse employee populations.
• Demonstrated customer-centric mindset and commitment to delivering high-quality service with authenticity and professionalism.
• Ability to manage sensitive employee situations with discretion, sound judgment, and confidentiality.
• Strong organizational skills and high attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and follow established processes accurately.
• Experience working with HR systems, such as Workday or similar platforms.
• Ability to work independently while also partnering effectively with cross-functional and distributed teams.
• Ability to identify risks, apply judgment, and escalate issues appropriately.
• Commitment to accuracy, accountability, and consistent follow-through in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfort working in a collaborative, agile, and evolving workplace that supports employees serving customers in the Utilities & Energy sector.

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting U.S. employee benefits programs.
• Familiarity with Workday, Workday Help, or related HR case management tools.
• Experience supporting employee communications, engagement, or wellbeing initiatives.
• Exposure to vendor coordination, invoice processing, or benefits operations administration.
• Experience working in a technology company or supporting employees in a regulated, service-oriented industry such as Utilities & Energy.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute ideas that improve processes, employee understanding, and service delivery in an innovative and collaborative way.

Responsibilities

• Provide responsive, customer-centric day-to-day support for U.S. employee benefits programs, helping deliver a positive, inclusive, and compliant employee experience.
• Monitor and respond to employee benefit inquiries through Workday Help, shared email inboxes, phone, and Teams, using sound judgment, empathy, and professionalism.
• Answer questions related to medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, life insurance, qualifying life events, leave of absence processes, benefits continuation, and beneficiary updates.
• Acknowledge employee inquiries within one business day and track cases through resolution with accuracy, accountability, and attention to detail.
• Research and resolve questions using benefit booklets, Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs), Workday knowledge articles, and SharePoint resources.
• Escalate complex, sensitive, compliance-related, or policy interpretation matters to Benefits leadership when appropriate.
• Support employee life event processing and benefits changes in Workday or similar HR systems.
• Assist with COBRA-related inquiries by providing high-level guidance and directing employees to appropriate vendor communications and resources.
• Complete employer sections of Medicare-related forms accurately and in a timely manner.
• Support Education Assistance Reimbursement (EAR) requests by validating eligibility and routing reimbursements through internal processes.
• Maintain accurate and organized case documentation in Workday Help and other tracking tools to support operational excellence and audit readiness.
• Review and process monthly pharmacy invoices, ensuring accuracy and timely submission through Accounts Payable.
• Perform initial triage of employee issues related to benefits vendors, including medical, pharmacy, and retirement providers, and coordinate with internal partners to resolve issues.
• Track open vendor issues and follow through to resolution with an accountable and service-oriented approach.
• Draft, adapt, or reuse approved benefits and wellbeing communications across channels such as Viva Engage, SharePoint, internal portals, and email.
• Ensure communications are clear, inclusive, authentic, and aligned with organizational priorities and employee needs in a technology-driven Utilities & Energy environment.
• Support employee wellbeing and benefits campaigns, including Open Enrollment, year-end benefits communications, mental health awareness initiatives, and other global wellbeing programs.
• Coordinate timing and messaging with Benefits, Payroll, HR, and Corporate Communications partners to ensure a collaborative and consistent employee experience.
• Support continuity of employee wellbeing programs by posting approved communications, answering basic participation questions, and routing employees to the appropriate resources.
• Partner with site leaders and internal stakeholders to support onsite events and employee engagement activities as needed.
• Attend and contribute to team meetings, vendor meetings, payroll meetings, and other cross-functional discussions to share updates on open cases, deadlines, and employee impact.
• Contribute to continuous improvement by identifying process efficiencies, documentation needs, and opportunities to enhance the employee experience in an agile and innovative way.

Benefits

• The successful candidate’s starting salary will be determined based on permissible, non-discriminatory factors such as skills and experience and may vary by location.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree