Senior Benefits & Leave Specialist

CrossCountry Consulting • McLean, VA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Benefits and Leave Specialist plays a key role in supporting the administration and delivery of employee benefit and leave of absence programs. This position ensures accurate and timely data flow between internal systems and external benefit partners, assists employees in understanding their benefit and leave options, and helps maintain compliance with organizational policies and regulatory requirements. The role is ideal for someone who is detail‑oriented, comfortable working with data, and motivated to enhance processes that improve the employee experience.

Requirements

• 5-7 years of experience in Benefits and Leave administration required.
• Experience working with HRIS systems; Workday experience required.
• Experience working with Microsoft Office applications including SharePoint, OneDrive, Teams, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Strong understanding of multiple state leave laws, including CA, NY, MA, and WA state.
• Strong Excel skills, including VLOOKUP, pivot tables, and data validation.
• High attention to detail and ability to manage recurring deadlines.
• Strong communication and customer service skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism and discretion.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Nice To Haves

• Certification such as PHR, SHRM-CP, or similar preferred.
• Experience or comfort working in an AI‑solutions–driven environment preferred.
• Comfort with AI: Demonstrated ability to responsibly explore and adopt firm-approved AI tools to enhance productivity and innovation.
• Continuous Learning Mindset: Openness to learning and applying emerging technologies including AI and automation in alignment with firm policies and client standards

Responsibilities

• Send new hire benefit communications, address questions, and assist with enrollment as necessary.
• Maintain updated benefit information on company SharePoint intranet site and HRIS.
• Provide timely and accurate responses to employee benefit questions.
• Support the administration and processing of benefit-related events within the HRIS.
• Administer FMLA, ADA, and multi-state leave programs, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and company policies.
• Work with employees and the third-party leave administrator to track leave usage, key deadlines, and employee status changes with high accuracy.
• Coordinate return‑to‑work and accommodation processes in partnership with HR and management.
• Explain complex leave policies in clear, empathetic, and employee‑friendly language.
• Partner with payroll to ensure accurate wage replacement and benefits deductions during leave.
• Manage day-to-day administration of the 401(k) plan, including reviewing weekly HRIS integrations to recordkeeper to ensure timely enrollment and data integrity between systems.
• Audit semi-monthly deferral changes to ensure HRIS/Payroll accurately reflects changes pulled from the recordkeeper’s system.
• Monitor employee changes to ensure 401(k) eligibility status is updated timely, including transfers between US and international company locations.
• Ensure compliance with federal regulations ERISA, IRS, and DOL, including non-discrimination testing, annual third-party audits, and Form 5500 filing.
• Serve as the primary resource for employee questions regarding the 401(k) plan.
• Work with internal and external teams to organize and execute annual Open Enrollment, including reviewing and testing OE setup in HRIS for accuracy, delivering employee education meetings, developing OE education materials and reminders, and auditing payroll deductions for accuracy.
• Organize and deliver employee benefits education sessions to support understanding of medical, retirement, and supplemental benefit programs.
• Develop clear, engaging benefits presentations for new hire orientations, open enrollment, and targeted employee education sessions.
• Work with internal communications team and external vendors to coordinate recurring benefit education webinars, promoting value-add benefits such as EAP and financial wellness programs.
• Update and manage benefits content on the company intranet, ensuring materials are current, accurate, and easy for employees to navigate.
• Contribute to developing and implementing firm-approved, AI-enabled solutions for clients, in accordance with company policies on data protection, intellectual property, and professional standards.
• Stay informed about emerging AI tools and techniques and collaborate with firm leadership to identify compliant opportunities to enhance client solutions and internal processes.

Benefits

• Comprehensive healthcare options, including medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Flexible spending accounts
• 401(k) with company matching
• Generous parental and maternity leave policies
• Technology stipends
• Wellness reimbursement programs

What This Job Offers

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