Benefits Specialist

Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest•San Diego, CA

About The Position

Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest is seeking a detail-oriented and service-focused Benefits Specialist to join their team. This role is crucial in delivering a seamless and engaging benefits experience for employees. The Benefits Specialist will lead the day-to-day administration of employee benefits and retirement programs, including enrollments, qualifying life events, and terminations, while providing operational support for open enrollment. They will act as a primary point of contact for employee benefit inquiries, ensuring timely, accurate, and helpful responses. Responsibilities include maintaining the accuracy and integrity of benefits data within the HCM/benefits administration system, partnering with vendors, brokers, and Payroll to resolve issues, and driving process improvements for efficiency and compliance. A key component involves supporting employee education by developing and delivering clear resources. Additionally, this role contributes to broader Talent Strategy initiatives by supporting job description-related work, managing pre-boarding activities for independent contractors, and providing overall support to the Talent Strategy team. The ideal candidate possesses strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and a passion for excellent employee service in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience – Required
3+ years of benefits administration experience, including enrollments, qualifying life events, open enrollment execution, vendor coordination, and benefits systems support – Required
Strong working knowledge of benefit plan administration and HCM/benefits systems – Required

Responsibilities

Lead day-to-day administration of benefit enrollments, qualifying life events, and terminations; ensure timely and accurate updates in the HCM/benefits administration system.
Serve as a primary escalation point for complex employee benefit questions; provide clear guidance so employees can make informed benefit decisions.
Research and resolve coverage, claims, and billing issues by partnering directly with carriers, vendors, and brokers.
Develop and deliver ongoing benefits education, including employee-facing resources, communications and guidance, to support understanding and effective use of benefit programs.
Coordinate and execute operational components of the annual open enrollment process, including system readiness, audit and approval of changes, and employee-facing process support.
Identify and implement improvements to open enrollment workflows, documentation, and employee resources year over year.
Manage ongoing relationships with benefit vendors and brokers to resolve eligibility, service, and billing issues and ensure smooth benefits administration.
Coordinate with third-party administrators (e.g., COBRA vendors) to monitor processes and support benefits compliance requirements.
Process, audit, and reconcile monthly benefit invoices; investigate discrepancies and partner with vendors and internal teams to resolve variances.
Support eligibility and data feeds (including EDI and non-EDI vendors) by auditing files and resolving data mismatches between systems and vendor records.
Partner closely with Payroll to support accurate benefit deductions and consistent application of benefits processes.
Maintain the automated benefits administration system within the HCM by auditing data, reviewing and approving changes, and troubleshooting system issues.
Develop, maintain, and update benefits “how-to” guides and employee self-service resources; ensure internal benefits documentation remains accurate and accessible.
Lead day-to-day benefits administration workflows and recommend process improvements that strengthen data accuracy, operational efficiency, and employee experience.
Support job description-related work, including formatting, updates, version control, and coordination through review and approval processes.
Help manage pre-boarding activities for independent contractors, including coordination of required documentation, communication, and process tracking to support timely onboarding.
Provide day-to-day operational support to the Talent Strategy department, including scheduling, maintaining documents and trackers, preparing materials, routing items for review and follow-up, and responding to routine requests.