Benefits Specialist

Arnot Health System • City of Ithaca, NY

15d

About The Position

The Benefit Specialist oversees the daily administration, compliance, and operational accuracy of Centralus Health's Health & Welfare benefit programs. This includes medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, life and AD&D, voluntary benefits, COBRA, and the Employee Disaster Relief Program. The role requires strong technical knowledge of benefit regulations, attention to detail, and a commitment to delivering timely, accurate, and employee-focused service across the system.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, human resources, healthcare administration, or a related field with 2+ years of experience; or
• Equivalent Experience: 6+ years of benefit administration experience.
• Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods and operate standard office equipment, including computers and telephones.
• Ability to move about the workspace and attend meetings across multiple facilities, both on-site and virtually, as needed to perform essential duties.
• Ability to occasionally move or lift materials weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Must be able to work in typical office conditions, with occasional exposure to varied temperatures when traveling between sites or departments.
• Must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

• SHRM-CP certification or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily administration of medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, life/AD&D, voluntary benefits, and COBRA programs, ensuring timely, accurate processing of enrollments, changes, and terminations across all plans.
• Ensure full adherence to ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, IRS, and state regulations through consistent auditing, documentation control, mandated notices, and coordination with third-party administrators.
• Deliver benefit orientations, employee education sessions, and year-round support while developing clear communication materials that strengthen employee understanding of available programs.
• Support Open Enrollment, benefit system updates, mandated enrollments, and broader HR initiatives as assigned.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation, dashboards, and performance metrics that demonstrate compliance readiness and organizational accountability.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees