Benefits Specialist

Orange County Transportation Authority•Orange, CA

2d•$40 - $146,286

About The Position

Join OCTA’s Human Resources team and play an important role in delivering comprehensive benefits programs that support our employees and their families. The Benefits Specialist job family administers and supports a broad range of employee benefits, including health and supplemental benefits, retirement programs, deferred compensation, and related employee education and communications. Depending on the level, this position will also research and analyze benefit programs, lead key initiatives such as annual open enrollment, oversee vendor and third-party administrator performance, evaluate program effectiveness, and recommend and implement benefit program improvements. This position may be filled at the Benefits Specialist, Senior Benefits Specialist, or Principal Benefits Specialist level. The level will be determined based on the successful candidate’s qualifications and experience. Salary grade and range will correspond to the applicable level. The starting salary will be within the applicable range based on qualifications.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Professional experience administering employee benefit programs
Knowledge of health and welfare benefits, retirement programs, and deferred compensation plans
Ability to research, interpret, and apply benefit plan provisions, policies, and regulatory requirements
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to work with benefits data and financial information
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to explain complex benefit information clearly
Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
Ability to build effective working relationships with employees, management, vendors, and third-party administrators
Minimum of three years of professional benefits administration experience (for Benefits Specialist level)
Minimum of five years of professional benefits administration experience (for Senior Benefits Specialist level)
Minimum of seven years of professional benefits administration experience (for Principal Benefits Specialist level)

Nice To Haves

Advanced Microsoft Excel skills are highly desirable for the senior and principal levels
Experience with Workday is highly desirable
Certified Benefits Professional designation is preferred (for Benefits Specialist level)
Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation is preferred (for Senior Benefits Specialist level)
A master’s degree and Certified Benefits Professional designation are preferred (for Principal Benefits Specialist level)

Responsibilities

Administer employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, retirement, and deferred compensation programs
Serve as a resource to employees and management regarding benefit plans, eligibility, enrollment, coverage, policies, and procedures
Support retirement and deferred compensation programs, including 457(b) and 401(a) plans, and provide benefit information to retiring or separating employees
Coordinate and/or lead the annual open enrollment process, including project planning, employee communications, enrollment activities, and implementation
Research and resolve benefit issues involving eligibility, qualifying life events, coverage, claims, appeals, and plan provisions
Develop clear and engaging employee communications and educational materials that help employees understand and maximize their benefits
Monitor benefit providers, third-party administrators, medical providers, and insurance carriers for performance, compliance, and service delivery
Reconcile enrollments, invoices, benefit spending, budgets, contracts, and purchase orders
Support ACA reporting and administration and apply applicable benefits regulations, including COBRA, Section 125, ACA, FMLA, CFRA, HIPAA, and retirement/deferred compensation requirements
Develop and maintain benefits policies, procedures, administrative processes, reports, and analytical tools
Analyze benefits data, industry trends, employee feedback, and program performance to identify opportunities for improvement
Support benefit contracts, Board actions, proposals, negotiations, and vendor coordination
Collaborate with HR team members, employees, management, vendors, and other partners to successfully implement competitive benefit programs