Benefits Specialist

Deckers•Goleta, CA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Deckers Brands is hiring a Benefits Specialist II to support the day-to-day administration of employee benefits, retirement, and leave programs. The role helps deliver a seamless benefits experience by answering employee questions, resolving issues, maintaining accurate records, reconciling invoices, supporting compliance, and coordinating with internal teams and external vendors. The position is hybrid in Goleta, California, typically in the office three times per week, Tuesday through Thursday. The role also supports new-hire onboarding and annual open enrollment, prepares benefits-related payroll updates, audits benefits and retirement data, and assists with leave administration and employee communications. The successful candidate will bring strong U.S. benefits knowledge, attention to detail, sound judgment, customer-service skills, and the ability to work with large datasets and confidential information. Deckers Brands describes its workplace as inclusive and supportive of employees’ authentic identities and diverse perspectives. The company offers competitive compensation and bonuses, financial planning and wellbeing programs, time-away programs, discounts and other perks, development opportunities, and health and wellness offerings.

Requirements

At least 2 years of benefits and leave administration or related experience.
Strong knowledge of U.S. benefits.
Excellent customer service, clear and thoughtful communication, strong interpersonal skills, and attention to detail.
Independent thinking and sound judgment to solve problems, with awareness of when to collaborate or escalate.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team and build cross-functional relationships.
Ability to adapt to changing priorities and increased workloads while staying organized and delivering accurate, timely results.
Ability to safeguard confidential and sensitive employee information.
High proficiency in Excel, including formulas, lookups, PivotTables, and data reconciliation.
Comfort working with large datasets and identifying discrepancies.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and experience managing data and working with HR, benefits, or leave administration systems.

Nice To Haves

Undergraduate degree.
Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) or equivalent certification.
Workday experience.
Authenticity, accountability, curiosity, collaboration, and appreciation for diverse perspectives.

Responsibilities

Process benefit enrollments, changes, terminations, and dependent eligibility documentation in Workday and vendor systems.
Support new-hire benefits onboarding and respond to employee questions through Freshdesk and the Benefits inbox; partner with vendors to resolve eligibility, coverage, and claims issues.
Reconcile benefit invoices, process premium payments, establish and track purchase orders, and partner with Accounting on accruals and period-end reconciliations.
Coordinate direct billing for employees on unpaid leave.
Audit benefits and retirement data across Workday, Payroll, and vendor systems; investigate and resolve discrepancies to maintain data accuracy.
Prepare biweekly benefits-related payroll updates, review retirement plan reports, and support Affordable Care Act eligibility notifications, annual reporting, and employee correspondence.
Support leave administration by maintaining tracking records, processing leave and return-to-work updates, responding to routine questions, and coordinating leave dates with employees and internal teams.
Fulfill disability and leave documentation requests and partner with Payroll on earnings information.
Help deliver annual open enrollment through system updates, employee communications, benefits fairs, meetings, and other program support.
Distribute benefits and wellbeing materials and collaborate with internal teams and vendors on process improvements and special projects.