Benefits Customer Service Specialist

Socket.dev; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telework options

Health, dental, retirement benefits

Flexible work hours

Job summary

Arlington County Government’s Human Resources Department (HRD) seeks a Benefits Customer Service Specialist to help employees and retirees understand and utilize benefits, including medical, dental, life insurance, commuter benefits, and retirement plans.

The role blends customer service with HRIS proficiency to enroll, troubleshoot, and administer benefits, open enrollment, COBRA, and retiree programs. A collaborative team environment emphasizes accuracy, confidentiality, and service excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or related field.
• Some experience providing direct customer service in HR or benefits administration.
• Substitution: additional qualifying experience can substitute for education.
• Desirable: experience with Oracle Cloud/PeopleSoft/SAP; HRIS systems; Spanish language abilities.

Responsibilities

• Assist employees and retirees with understanding, enrolling in, and using benefits via phone, email, in-person, and video.
• Guide HRIS self-service enrollment and life events changes.
• Administer benefit programs in compliance with regulations and County policies (including commuter benefits, tuition reimbursement, COBRA, retiree benefits).
• Process enrollments, changes, terminations, and update records in Oracle Cloud HRIS and related systems.
• Support biweekly payroll processing, review payroll data, and ensure accurate benefit deductions.
• Review vendor interface files, error reports, and invoices; coordinate with vendors on claims and enrollment issues.
• Assist onboarding/offboarding by reviewing dependent eligibility and communicating benefits information.
• Develop and review communications (intranet content, newsletters, presentations).
• Utilize various software to track workload and improve benefit administration processes.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Team collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business/related field

Tools

Oracle Cloud HRIS

PeopleSoft

SAP

Job description

Arlington County Government’s Human Resources Department (HRD) is seeking a Benefits Customer Service Specialist to join our team! This position offers the opportunity to assist employees and retirees in understanding and taking full advantage of the many benefits offered by the County, including medical, dental, and life insurance, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement, and retirement plans. This is a rewarding role where you will use strong customer service and technology skills to answer questions, resolve issues, and administer benefits programs.

Responsibilities

Major Job Duties

• Assisting employees and retirees in understanding, enrolling in, and using their benefits through phone, email, in-person, and video communication;
• Guiding employees through HRIS Self-Service options for new hire enrollment, life event changes, open enrollment, and troubleshooting;
• Administering benefit programs in compliance with regulations, plan documents, and County policies, including commuter benefits, tuition reimbursement, COBRA, and retiree benefits;
• Determining eligibility, processing enrollments, changes, and terminations, and updating records in Oracle Cloud HRIS, retiree databases, and other software platforms;
• Participating in biweekly payroll processing, reviewing and correcting payroll data, and ensuring accurate and timely benefit deductions;
• Reviewing and reconciling vendor interface files, error reports, and invoices, and coordinating with vendors to resolve claims, eligibility, and enrollment issues;
• Supporting onboarding and offboarding processes by reviewing dependent eligibility, conducting benefits orientations, and maintaining accurate communications with employees;
• Developing and reviewing communication materials such as intranet/website content, newsletters, presentations, videos, and general correspondence;
• Using a variety of software tools to track workload, monitor service delivery, and improve benefit administration processes; and
• Working on special projects or performing additional duties as assigned.

The ideal candidate will be able to work closely with a team of HR professionals, have the ability to remain professional and calm in a high volume, fast-paced environment, and bring to work a positive attitude and problem-solving approach.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or other related field; and
• Some experience providing direct customer service, preferably in human resources or benefits administration.

Substitution: Additional qualifying experience can be substituted for the educational requirement. Additional education can be substituted for the experience requirement.

Desirable Qualifications: Preference may be given to candidates with one or more of the following:

• Experience using Oracle Cloud, PeopleSoft, SAP, or other HRIS systems for record maintenance and report generation;
• Experience administering benefit programs such as medical, dental, life insurance, retirement, and COBRA;
• Experience working with HR laws, regulations, and web-based case management or customer service tracking systems;
• CEBS, PHR, or other related certifications/coursework; and
• Ability to read, write, and speak in Spanish.

Special Requirements

Background Check: A pre-employment criminal records check will be conducted. It will include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You will be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information.

Additional Information

Work Hours: Flexible and telework options typically between the hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

This position is eligible for County government employee benefits that include health, dental, vacation and sick leave, commuter transportation subsidies, tuition reimbursement, as well as a generous retirement plan.

Arlington County is committed to advancing diversity, equity, access, and inclusion across all our services, activities, and programs.