Leave and Benefits Specialist

Republic Services • Phoenix, AZ

3d

About The Position

The Leave and Benefits Specialist is primarily responsible for the day-to-day administration and support of employee leave of absence programs. This includes coordinating closely with third-party leave vendors, monitoring claim activity, ensuring accurate and timely processing, and responding to employee and manager inquiries related to leave. The specialist supports operational execution, data accuracy, and issue resolution across leave processes and serves as a key point of contact between employees, HR partners, payroll, and external vendors. In addition, the role may provide backup support for health and welfare benefit administration as needed, including assisting with eligibility updates, vendor coordination, and employee inquiries, to ensure continuity of service and operational coverage.

Requirements

• 2–4 years of experience in leave administration, benefits administration, or HR operations
• Experience working with third-party leave and/or benefits vendors
• Strong organizational and follow-through skills in a high-volume environment
• Ability to review reports, reconcile data, and manage issues to resolution
• Strong communication skills with an employee-focused approach

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting both leave administration and health & welfare benefits - preferred.
• Experience in a vendor-managed or shared-services HR model - preferred.
• Familiarity with HRIS, benefits administration platforms, and payroll systems Experience supporting Open Enrollment or vendor transitions - preferred.

Responsibilities

• Leave of Absence & Vendor Coordination Serve as the primary internal liaison for the third-party leave and disability vendor.
• Monitor leave cases to ensure timely intake, accurate status updates, and appropriate employee communications from the vendor.
• Review vendor reports and case data for accuracy and completeness; follow up on discrepancies or service gaps.
• Coordinate escalations, complex cases, and service issues with the vendor to support employee experience and timely resolution.
• Support leave vendor implementations, transitions, and ongoing process improvements.
• Benefits Administration Support Provide day-to-day support for health and welfare benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and flexible spending accounts.
• Assist employees with benefits questions, enrollment navigation, life event changes, and eligibility issues.
• Support benefit processes impacted by leave events, including benefit continuation, reinstatement, and payroll deductions.
• Partner with benefits vendors and carriers to resolve enrollment, eligibility, and coverage issues.
• Data, Systems & Payroll Coordination Ensure accurate data flow between leave vendors, benefits administrators, HRIS, and payroll systems.
• Review and reconcile vendor feeds, reports, and employee records; identify and resolve errors in partnership with internal teams.
• Coordinate with payroll to support accurate pay status, deductions, and benefit premiums during and after leave.
• Open Enrollment & Ongoing Operations Support Open Enrollment activities, including testing, audits, employee support, and issue resolution.
• Assist with maintenance of benefit documentation, FAQs, and employee communications.
• Identify recurring issues and opportunities to simplify processes or improve employee understanding.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical benefits coverage, dental plans and vision coverage.
• Health care and dependent care spending accounts.
• Short- and long-term disability.
• Life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment insurance.
• Employee and Family Assistance Program (EAP).
• Employee discount programs.
• Retirement plan with a generous company match.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP).
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Benefits: https://jobs.republicservices.com/us/en/about-us/benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed