Benefits & Leave Specialist, 40 Hours, Days, Hybrid Potential

Heywood Hospital•Gardner, MA

2d•$25 - $33•Hybrid

About The Position

The Benefits & Leaves Specialist is responsible for the administration, coordination, and support of the organization’s employee benefits and leave programs. This role serves as a subject-matter resource for employees, leaders, and vendors, ensuring benefits are administered accurately, compliantly, and in alignment with organizational policies, collective bargaining agreements, and regulatory requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred.
2 Years Benefits Administration (or equivalent) experience in HR setting, preferably in Healthcare.
Strong understanding of employee benefits, federal and state leaves, and regulations
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to perform multiple tasks with minimal supervision is essential
Must be able to function professionally in an environment with constant interruptions
Must have excellent organizational skills and the ability to set priorities.
Independent judgment and problem-solving skills are required to ensure the completion of tasks.

Nice To Haves

Meditech Information System knowledge preferred.

Responsibilities

Administer health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, and leave benefit programs.
Process benefits and leave enrollments, applications, changes, and terminations in HRIS and payroll systems.
Ensure accurate and timely benefits and leave eligibility, deductions, and reconciliations.
Support annual open enrollment planning, execution, and employee education.
Serve as a primary point of contact for employee benefits and leave inquiries and issue resolution.
Provide guidance to employees regarding plan provisions, eligibility, claims escalation, and leave coordination
Prepare benefits and leave communications, guides, and educational materials.
Works with brokers and vendors to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations, including ACA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, IRS, FMLA and PFML, and applicable labor agreements.
Assist with audits, reporting, and required filings (e.g., ACA reporting, nondiscrimination testing).
Maintain accurate benefits and leave documentation and personnel records.
Liaise with benefits brokers, leave vendors, carriers, and third-party administrators.
Assist with vendor performance monitoring and issue escalation.
Support benefit and leave renewals, benchmarking, and plan design initiatives.
Perform benefits and leave billing reconciliation and resolve discrepancies.
Prepare reports related to benefits and leave costs, utilization, eligibility, and participation.
Support cost-containment and continuous improvement initiatives.
Partner with Payroll, Finance, IT, and HR colleagues to ensure integrated processes.
Support wellness initiatives, employee engagement efforts, and special projects.
Participate in system upgrades, testing, and process improvement efforts.
Attends seminars, professional meetings and educational programs that lead to professional growth.
Collaborate with HR team members to ensure seamless integration of benefits and leave policies with broader HR strategies.
Ensures compliance with all federal, state and JCAHO regulations with regard to all processes