Benefits Specialist

Ashland Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Ashland Inc. is seeking a Benefits Specialist to join the US HR team in a remote role reporting to the US Benefits Manager.

This visible position handles absence programs, enrollments, retiree benefits, and open enrollment support for union locations, aligning benefits with regulatory requirements. The successful candidate has a bachelor's in HR or related field, 5 years' US benefits experience, strong communication, and proficiency in Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and AI tools like Copilot.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, organizational development, business, finance or related experience is required
• 5 years of experience working with U.S. Benefits including absence administration.
• Experience administering retiree benefits would be a plus
• Requires knowledge of ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, COBRA, FMLA, DOL and IRS regulations and state laws
• Strong knowledge in U.S. Benefits
• Strong customer facing experience
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate at various levels of the organization to a wide variety of audiences
• Broad knowledge of Human Resources principles and practices
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Good problem-solving skills, with understanding of how absence impacts all facets of benefits.
• Results orientation: consistently delivers on commitments, takes initiative, has a bias toward action and has a sense of urgency
• Must have strong Word, PowerPoint and Excel skills, including pivot tables, view look up
• Comfortable developing and using approved AI solutions such as Microsoft Copilot to streamline and simplify work

Responsibilities

• Administers/Coordinates absence programs including STD/LTD, statutory plans and FMLA with absence vendor, payroll and benefits, and eligibility/enrollment vendor
• Facilitates leave communication between employee, manager and vendor
• Answers complex retiree health, welfare and savings plan questions with employees and providers
• Assists with Annual Enrollment including retirees and COBRA – reviews rates, communication materials, answers escalated questions, etc.
• Prepares, generates and analyzes reports relating to benefits, leaves of absence and other ad hoc reports as needed
• Processes active and retiree life Insurance claims (including executive life) in coordination with carriers and the eligibility/enrollment vendor
• Tracks retiree medical and life insurance eligibility for select union populations and coordinates with Benefits eligibility/enrollment vendor
• Assists with review of SPDs and benefit communication materials
• Participates in various DB and DC audits
• Performs weekly Savings Plan and HSA funding, as well as quarterly HSA match calculations.
• Processes various benefit invoices including complex self-billed invoices
• Assists with miscellaneous benefit projects and audits as needed
• Process Mexico medical reimbursements
• Answers assigned HRconnect cases

Skills

Strong communication

Customer facing

Interpersonal skills

Problem solving

Results oriented

AI tools (Copilot)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/related field

Tools

Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Pivot Tables

VLOOKUP

Copilot (AI)

Job description

Ashland Inc. Are you the kind of person that is always thinking, sketching, seeking, and adjusting? Who needs to understand how things work and then figure out how they can work better? Are you a passionate, tenacious, solver who loves to work with others who share your drive? Are you positive, constructive, and ingenious? Are you always solving? Then we’d like to meet you and bet you’d like to meet us.

Ashland has an exciting opportunity for a Benefits Specialist to join our amazing team. This is a very visible, significant role within the Company and the Human Resources function. This position will report to US Benefits Manager. This is a remote role.

Responsibilities

• Administers/Coordinates absence programs including STD/LTD, statutory plans and FMLA with absence vendor, payroll and benefits, and eligibility/enrollment vendor.
• Facilitates leave communication between employee, manager and vendor.
• Answers complex retiree health, welfare and savings plan questions with employees and providers
• Assists with Annual Enrollment including retirees and COBRA – reviews rates, communication materials, answers escalated questions, etc.
• Prepares, generates and analyzes reports relating to benefits, leaves of absence and other ad hoc reports as needed
• Processes active and retiree life Insurance claims (including executive life) in coordination with carriers and the eligibility/enrollment vendor
• Tracks retiree medical and life insurance eligibility for select union populations and coordinates with Benefits eligibility/enrollment vendor
• Assists with review of SPDs and benefit communication materials
• Participates in various DB and DC audits
• Performs weekly Savings Plan and HSA funding, as well as quarterly HSA match calculations.
• Processes various benefit invoices including complex self-billed invoices
• Assists with miscellaneous benefit projects and audits as needed
• Process Mexico medical reimbursements
• Answers assigned HRconnect cases

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, organizational development, business, finance or related experience is required
• 5 years of experience working with U.S. Benefits including absence administration.
• Experience administering retiree benefits would be a plus
• Requires knowledge of ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, COBRA, FMLA, DOL and IRS regulations and state laws
• Strong knowledge in U.S. Benefits
• Strong customer facing experience
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate at various levels of the organization to a wide variety of audiences
• Broad knowledge of Human Resources principles and practices
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Good problem-solving skills, with understanding of how absence impacts all facets of benefits.
• Results orientation: consistently delivers on commitments, takes initiative, has a bias toward action and has a sense of urgency
• Must have strong Word, PowerPoint and Excel skills, including pivot tables, view look up
• Comfortable developing and using approved AI solutions such as Microsoft Copilot to streamline and simplify work

The HR Specialist, Benefits is a critical role in the effective and successful administration of Ashland’s Benefits (active and retirees). The role serves as a trusted guide and advocate for employees navigating complex benefits and leave of absence programs by providing personalized support and clear communication. Specifically, this role will focus on administering leave of absence for union locations, completing weekly 401k and HSA funding, administering/coordinating retiree medical, life insurance and pension programs and answering complex employee and retiree questions. In addition, the position will assist the US Benefits Manager and Sr. Manager Global Benefits with annual open enrollment, review of plan documents, communications and other special projects. This is a good position for someone who seeks a broad range of benefits administration responsibilities while working alongside a collaborative benefits team.

In more than 100 countries, the people of Ashland LLC. (NYSE: ASH) provide the specialty chemicals, technologies and insights to help customers create new and improved products for today and sustainable solutions for tomorrow. Our chemistry is at work every day in a wide variety of markets and applications, including architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, personal care and pharmaceutical.

Visit www.ashland.com to see the innovations we offer.

At Ashland our vision is to be a leading, global specialty chemicals company whose inspired and engaged employees add value to all we touch. In fact our people, employees, customers and vendors define who we are. They are the driving force behind everything we do.

We hold ourselves to high standards at Ashland, and we value integrity and honesty.

Ashland has a history of attracting the best people and keeping them. The reasons are simple: industry competitive salary and benefits, pay-for-performance incentive plans and a diverse work environment where employees feel challenged and valued.

People come to Ashland and stay.

As a growing Fortune 500 specialty chemicals company, we offer opportunities for development and advancement throughout our global organization.

Our values define who we are and what we care about as a company.

If you are looking for a relationship with a company instead of simply a job, this may be a great fit.

Ashland is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled/Gender Identity/Sexual Orientation. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

NOTE: We do not accept resumes from external staffing agencies or independent recruiters for any of our openings unless we have a signed recruiting agreement in place to fill a specific position.

Infinite possibilities Creating good chemistry isn’t just about what happens when you add the right ingredients together. It’s about what happens when the right people are one of the ingredients. Good chemistry – the kind that can transform a market or a world – is what makes Ashland different and what makes us better. If you’re passionate about the infinite possibilities created through good chemistry, we have a rewarding and challenging opportunity for you to help us make great things happen every day for our customers, our communities, our investors and our colleagues around the world.