SPECIALIST, BENEFITS AND LEAVE

Denver Public Schools•Denver, CO

6d•$65,296 - $78,354

About The Position

Provides comprehensive benefits and leave administration for District employees, including health, dental, vision, life, retirement, and wellness programs. Ensures accurate setup, maintenance, and updates to benefit plans, and serves as the point of escalation for resolving complex benefit issues. Coordinates and administers leave of absence processes across assigned schools and departments to ensure compliance, consistency, and timely support for employees.

Requirements

Minimum of a Bachelor's or relevant work experience Human Resources and Benefits. Bachelor's Degree preferred.
Two (2) or more years of experience in Human Resources, preferably related to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
One (1) to three (3) years of experience in human resources, with benefits administration, HRIS database experience strongly preferred.
Experience in a union environment and exposure to collective bargaining agreements.
Lead for racial and educational excellence and work to dismantle systems of oppression and inequity in our community, along with believing in and supporting all students so they feel seen and heard with access to high quality education.
Live and work with a permanent home address in Colorado while working with us.
Have the ability with or without accommodations to meet the physical demands of the position.

Responsibilities

Administers all employee benefit programs including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, flexible spending accounts, dependent care, tax sheltered annuities, and wellness offerings and manages eligibility, enrollment, updates, and record maintenance in the HRIS.
Provides guidance to employees, supervisors, and managers on benefit options, policies, and problem resolution; explains complex benefit provisions and serves as the liaison with insurance carriers, PERA, The Standard, and internal HR partners to resolve escalated issues.
Maintains accurate, confidential benefit and leave records; prepares correspondence, reports, and related documentation while ensuring compliance with district policy, bargaining agreements, and Federal/State regulations.
Responds to benefit and leave inquiries from employees and, verifies eligibility, interprets group contracts, and ensures timely and accurate data entry and documentation processing.
Supports annual Open Enrollment, including communication, employee assistance, and coordination with carriers and internal teams.
Administers all types of leave including general, FMLA, military, paid/unpaid, and extended leave by determining eligibility, processing requests, updating employment status, and ensuring proper application of laws, policies, and contractual agreements.
Monitors disability, death, and time-off cases; provides disability enrollment forms and collaborates with legal, employee relations, and the ADA specialist on decisions, accommodations, and case management.
Communicates regularly with employees and managers regarding leave status, return-to-work requirements, pay and benefits implications, and documentation needs; partners with Payroll to ensure accurate payment during leave.
Ensures quality standards through case reviews, transaction audits, and call monitoring; provides feedback to HR Call Center representatives and supports continuous process improvement.
Provides exceptional customer service to all stakeholders and serves as a backup to team members and related HR operations as needed.