Benefits Specialist

Central Catholic High School; Lawrence (MA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 36,000; Part time

Job summary

Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, MA is seeking a part-time Benefits Specialist to manage benefits programs and payroll-related functions with accuracy and compliance.

Reporting to the Director of People Operations, you will educate employees, coordinate Open Enrollment, and maintain HRIS data, ensuring timely and correct deductions and billing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, business, finance, accounting or related field.
• 3–5 years payroll and benefits administration experience.
• Knowledge of benefits regulations and compliance requirements.
• Experience with self-insured benefit programs.
• Advanced proficiency with HRIS and payroll systems, ADP preferred.
• Strong skills in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Experience in independent schools, nonprofits, or education sectors is a plus.
• SHRM-CP/PHR or similar certifications are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day administration of employee benefits programs including medical and dental.
• Process enrollments, terminations, dependents, addresses, and eligibility updates.
• Maintain electronic enrollment files and carrier data exchanges.
• Administer COBRA notifications and ongoing participant communications.
• Coordinate claims processing and resolve benefit-related discrepancies.
• Lead annual Open Enrollment with vendor coordination and communications.
• Back up payroll inquiries including tax withholding and retirement plan changes.
• Ensure accurate data entry and maintenance in HRIS and payroll systems.
• Reconcile monthly benefits invoices and support related billing activities.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field

Tools

HRIS

ADP

Microsoft Office

Google Workspace

Job description

Summary

The Benefits Specialist serves as the primary technical subject matter expert responsible for the accurate, compliant, and timely administration of all employee benefits programs and payroll-related functions. Reporting directly to the Director of People Operations, this role ensures data integrity across payroll and HRIS systems, retirement plan administration, employee insurance programs, tax withholdings, and benefits compliance processes. This position provides high-touch customer service and benefits education to faculty and staff while supporting the administration of health and welfare plans, retirement programs, employee communications, and regulatory compliance. The Benefits Specialist plays a critical role in ensuring employees receive exceptional service and support throughout the entire employment lifecycle. This is a part-time position: 21 hours per week; seven hours a day, three days a week. Pay Range: $23.00- $26.00 (Compensation is based on education and experience)

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Manage the day-to-day administration of employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, life insurance, flexible spending accounts (FSAs), Dependent Care Accounts (DCA), COBRA, Voluntary Life and 403(b) retirement plans.
• Process benefits enrollments, terminations, dependent additions, address changes, and eligibility updates.
• Maintain and manage electronic enrollment files and carrier data exchanges.
• Administer COBRA notifications and ongoing participant communications.
• Coordinate claims processing activities and resolve benefit-related discrepancies.
• Conduct benefits orientations for newly hired employees.
• Lead and administer the annual Open Enrollment process, including vendor coordination, system configuration, employee communications, and enrollment support.
• Serve as the backup for payroll-related inquiries including, tax withholding updates, retirement plan changes, and benefits deductions.
• Ensure accurate and timely data entry and maintenance of employee information within HRIS and payroll systems.
• Maintain data integrity across all payroll and benefits platforms.
• Maintain accurate benefits records, documentation, and administrative procedures.
• Reconcile monthly benefits invoices against active payroll rosters to ensure accurate billing and employee deductions.
• Support financial operations related to benefits administration, including billing, reconciliations, invoicing, and account audits.
• Research and resolve billing discrepancies with vendors and carriers.
• Monitor participant accounts to ensure accurate premium and contribution reporting.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee benefits questions, concerns, and issue resolution.
• Act as the primary liaison with insurance carriers, brokers, retirement providers, and benefits partners.
• Assist with special projects and perform other administrative duties in support of Human Resources objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 3 to 5 years of hands‑on experience in payroll and benefits administration.
• Working knowledge of employee benefits regulations and compliance requirements.
• Experience administering self‑insured benefit programs.
• Advanced proficiency with HRIS and payroll systems. Preferably ADP.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Workspace.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive employee information.
• Excellent customer service, communication, and problem‑solving skills.
• Experience working within an independent school, Secondary education institution, or nonprofit organization.
• Familiarity with education-sector employee benefit programs.
• Professional certifications such as SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or related credentials are a plus.

Compensation

The pay range for this position is $23.00 to $26.00 per hour. (Compensation is based on education and experience) Central Catholic High School is committed to offering salaries and benefits that are highly competitive with those of similar Catholic secondary schools. Compensation will be commensurate with the level of education and experience.