Benefits Specialist, Principal/ Benefits Specialist, Senior/Benefits Specialist

OCTA • Orange, CA

1d • $106,330 - $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

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)
• Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation is preferred (for Senior Benefits Specialist)
• A master’s degree and Certified Benefits Professional designation are preferred (for Principal Benefits Specialist)

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

Benefits

• Help deliver benefit programs that make a meaningful difference for OCTA employees and their families
• Work across a diverse portfolio of health, retirement, deferred compensation, and supplemental benefit programs
• Develop expertise in public-sector benefits administration and regulatory compliance
• Use research and analytics to help shape competitive, effective, and employee-focused benefit programs
• Collaborate with employees, leadership, vendors, and HR professionals on high-impact initiatives
• Grow within a three-level professional career path with opportunities for increasing responsibility, technical leadership, and program ownership
• Join a team where innovation, integrity, and strategic thinking are valued.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level