Benefits Analyst

Lakeshore Talent; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Lakeshore Talent is partnering with a Denver-based organization to hire a Benefits Operations Analyst. The role focuses on benefits administration, data integrity, financial reconciliation, compliance, and employee support within the People/Benefits team.

The ideal candidate has strong technical benefits knowledge, advanced Excel skills, and can independently investigate and resolve complex issues, acting as a Tier 2 point of contact for escalated questions.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of hands-on benefits administration or operations experience.
• Strong knowledge of employee benefits including deductibles, HSA/FSA, eligibility and enrollment.
• Experience with ACA, ERISA, COBRA and related regulations.
• Experience in a complex benefits environment and benefits billing reconciliation.
• Advanced Excel skills including VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Pivot Tables and large data sets.
• Experience with HRIS/benefits systems; Workday preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and strong data accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Execute monthly benefits billing reconciliations across medical, dental, vision, and ancillary benefits.
• Compare carrier invoices against enrollment data and resolve discrepancies.
• Own benefits data feeds and troubleshoot file feed errors.
• Navigate Workday to understand data flows in benefits systems and integrations.
• Support ACA 1095s, COBRA administration, and other regulatory filings.
• Serve as Tier 2 resource for complex eligibility, enrollment, and benefits inquiries.
• Maintain internal benefits SOPs and documentation; drive process improvements.

Skills

Benefits administration

Advanced Excel

Data reconciliation

Workday experience

Regulatory compliance

Analytical thinking

Customer service

Tools

Workday

Job description

Lakeshore Talent is partnering with a growing organization in Denver to identify a Benefits Operations Analyst to join its People/Benefits team. This is a highly tactical, hands‑on role focused on benefits administration, data integrity, financial reconciliation, compliance, and employee support.

The ideal candidate brings strong technical benefits knowledge, advanced Excel skills, and the ability to independently investigate and resolve complex issues. This person will serve as a key point of contact between employees and the benefits brokerage, acting as a Tier 2 resource for escalated benefits questions and issues.

Employment Type: Temporary with potential for permanent consideration

Schedule: Full-time, Monday–Friday

Compensation: $31.25- $40.87/hr, depending on experience

• Benefits Administration experience: $65,000–$75,000 ($31.25–$36.06/hour)
• Experience in more complex benefits environments: $75,000–$85,000 ($36.06–$40.87/hour)

About the Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys getting into the details, solving problems, improving processes, and taking ownership of operational execution. Strong performance could lead to a long‑term opportunity with the organization, with the potential for the role to expand into Benefits & Leaves Administration over time.

Key Responsibilities

Benefits Operations & Financial Reconciliation

• Execute monthly billing reconciliations across Medical, Dental, Vision, and ancillary benefits.
• Compare carrier invoices against enrollment data and investigate and resolve discrepancies.
• Take ownership of benefits billing processes and identify opportunities to improve accuracy and efficiency.
• Manage large census and enrollment files with a high degree of accuracy.

Systems & Data Management

• Own weekly benefits file feeds across carriers and vendors, including Collective Health, Kaiser, Forma, VSP, TouchCare, Helpr, Unum, and others.
• Troubleshoot file feed errors and investigate root causes independently.
• Conduct ongoing data audits, including SSN verification, age-26 dependent audits, passive enrollment events, and other eligibility reviews.
• Navigate Workday and understand how employee data flows through benefits systems and integrations.

Compliance & Regulatory Administration

• Support required benefits compliance activities and filings, including ACA 1095s, MA HIRD, and San Francisco HSCO.
• Support annual benefits notice distribution.
• Manage COBRA administration and related processes.
• Apply knowledge of ACA, ERISA, COBRA, and other applicable benefits regulations to day‑to‑day operations.

Employee Support – Tier 2

• Manage the benefits inbox and Workday Help cases.
• Serve as a Tier 2 resource for complex eligibility, enrollment, and benefits questions.
• Investigate escalated employee issues and follow them through resolution.
• Serve as an intermediary between employees and the benefits brokerage.
• Take a holistic approach to employee questions by considering how life events may impact multiple benefit plans and proactively addressing related issues.
• Provide a high level of customer service while maintaining technical accuracy.

Engagement & Communications

• Support logistics for benefits engagement initiatives, including webinars and employee communications.
• Assist with creating and posting benefits‑related content and communications.
• Help ensure employees have clear, accurate, and timely benefits information.

Process & Documentation

• Serve as the primary owner of internal benefits SOPs and documentation.
• Update documentation when processes, systems, or file feeds change.
• Regularly review existing SOPs to ensure documentation accurately reflects current processes.
• Identify recurring questions, errors, and process gaps and address the underlying issue rather than relying on workarounds.
• Help create and implement improved processes that increase operational accuracy and efficiency.

What We're Looking For

• 3+ years of hands‑on experience in benefits administration or benefits operations.
• Strong foundational knowledge of employee benefits, including deductibles, out‑of‑pocket maximums, Qualified Life Events, HSA/FSA plans, eligibility, and enrollment.
• Strong knowledge of benefits compliance and regulatory requirements, particularly ACA; working knowledge of ERISA and COBRA.
• Experience working in a more complex benefits environment is highly valued.
• Experience with benefits billing reconciliation and/or carrier invoice auditing.
• Advanced Excel skills, including VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, and working with large data sets.
• Experience working with HRIS/benefits systems; Workday experience strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to investigate issues and determine root causes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong customer service orientation and the ability to communicate complex benefits information clearly to employees.
• Highly organized and detail‑oriented with a strong commitment to data accuracy.
• Ability to independently manage competing priorities and follow issues through to resolution.
• Strong documentation and process‑improvement skills.
• Ability to ask thoughtful questions, learn quickly, and take ownership of work.
• Leaves and Accommodations experience is a strong plus.

Ideal Candidate

The successful candidate is a technical benefits operator and problem solver who enjoys working behind the scenes to make sure benefits processes run accurately and efficiently. You are comfortable digging into data, reconciling discrepancies, troubleshooting system issues, and owning an employee issue from initial question through final resolution.

You don't simply work around recurring problems—you look for the root cause and determine how the process or documentation can be improved so the issue doesn't happen again. You are comfortable working independently, but know when to ask questions and communicate proactively with your team and stakeholders.

Experience supporting a complex benefits environment—particularly experience with multiple carriers, integrations, compliance requirements, billing reconciliation, and escalated employee issues—will be especially valuable and may place a candidate toward the higher end of the compensation range.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Join a collaborative and supportive Benefits team.
• Opportunity to make an immediate impact in a highly visible operational role.
• Exposure to benefits systems, compliance, billing, integrations, and employee support.
• Potential for the role to expand into Benefits & Leaves Administration based on business needs and performance.
• Strong potential for long‑term conversion for the right candidate.
• Opportunity to take ownership of processes and make meaningful operational improvements.

Please note: This role offers the opportunity to grow in scope, technical ownership, and responsibilities, but is not designed as a direct path into benefits management.