Benefits Specialist

Confidential; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading benefits administration firm is seeking a Benefits Specialist to support the Total Rewards function across the U.S. and UK. This role involves the administration of U.S. benefits and collaboration on global programs. The ideal candidate has 3–5+ years in benefits administration, understands U.S. compliance, and excels in a fast-paced environment. This is a full-time position with a salary range of $70,000 - $75,000 annually.

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of experience in benefits administration, including cross-border support.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. benefits compliance (ERISA, HIPAA, FMLA).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Administer U.S. benefit plans and support benefit billing reconciliation.
• Serve as the first point of contact for benefit-related inquiries.
• Support leave of absence administration and ensure compliance.

Skills

Benefits administration

Compliance knowledge

Problem-solving skills

Communication skills

Process improvement

Tools

Workday

MS Excel

ADP Celergo 2.0

Jira

Job description

Overview

This range is provided by Confidential. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$70,000.00/yr - $75,000.00/yr

We are seeking a highly detailed, proactive, and accountable Benefits Specialist to support our Total Rewards function across a globally dispersed workforce, including locations in the United States, and the UK.

This role will focus on the day-to-day administration of U.S. benefits, while also playing a critical role in supporting global benefit programs, especially in the UK. This includes onboarding and offboarding activities, benefits enrollments and audits, vendor coordination, employee support, leave of absence administration, and project-based initiatives.

The ideal candidate is strategic yet hands-on, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and possesses strong operational rigor and process improvement skills. They are energized by solving problems, committed to compliance, and take ownership of the employee experience from both a systems and service perspective.

A Day in the Life – Benefits

• Serve as the first point of contact for benefit-related inquiries via internal ticketing systems, with a focus on responsiveness, empathy, and resolution.
• Guide employees through benefits during onboarding, including I-9 processing, enrollment walkthroughs, and Workday navigation.
• Administer U.S. benefit plans (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life/AD&D, HSA/FSA, COBRA) and support benefit billing reconciliation with Finance.
• Support benefit administration and onboarding globally.
• Partner with UK teams to ensure accurate pension contributions, healthcare enrollments (PMI, Cash Plans), and statutory leave handling.
• Support leave of absence administration, including FMLA, parental leave, and ensure compliance and timely coordination with employees and managers.
• Monitor and ensure ongoing compliance with U.S. benefit and leave regulations, including HIPAA, ADA, FMLA, Section 125, and other applicable federal and state laws.
• Assist with data audits, payroll deduction alignment, discrepancy resolution, and annual activities like Open Enrollment, benefits renewals, and P11D support.
• Collect and analyze benefit utilization and cost data; deliver insights and reports to support plan design and vendor management.
• Lead or support U.S. and global wellness programs, maintaining an annual calendar and employee communications plan.
• Serve as backup support for global payroll/benefits processing as needed.
• Fully document and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) within 90 days of hire and proactively update them thereafter.

Requirements:

• 3–5+ years of experience in benefits administration, including cross-border support (e.g., U.S. + UK )
• Strong knowledge of U.S. benefits compliance (ERISA, HIPAA, FMLA) and working knowledge of UK statutory benefits and pension practices
• Experience with Workday, ADP Celergo 2.0, and internal ticketing systems (e.g., Jira, or similar)
• Proven proficiency in MS Excel (vlookups, pivot tables, audit tracking)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills • Demonstrated ability to document and improve processes, while maintaining a strong service orientation

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Human Resources
• Industries
• Software Development

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Confidential by 2x

We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.