EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SPECIALIST

Fulton County; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Fulton County in Atlanta seeks a Payroll/Benefits Administrator within the Department of Finance to manage payroll deductions, benefits enrollment, and pension-related processes for active employees and retirees. The role entails detailed data entry, document handling, and coordination with HR liaisons.

Responsibilities include maintaining benefit records, open enrollment support, vendor coordination, and preparing correspondence while ensuring compliance with applicable laws and county policies.

Qualifications

• Associate's Degree in business, accounting, insurance or a related field required; supplemented by two years of experience performing customer service and administrative duties preferably involving employee benefits or pension administration; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.

Responsibilities

• Establish and modify an array of employees’ payroll deductions and tax withholding in the HR system
• Process replacement of Marta transportation cards; assist with troubleshooting of cards and serve as liaison between Marta and Fulton County
• Manage Payroll Unit Email Box; monitor, route and track incoming requests
• Serve as a liaison between Finance and Departmental HR Liaisons
• Scan and upload documents to employees' Docuware file
• Create/modify letters, forms and other correspondence
• Assist with special projects and other functions as necessary

Skills

Customer service

Administrative duties

Benefits administration

Education

Associate's Degree in business, accounting, insurance or related field

Job description

UNCLASSIFIED POSITION LOCATED IN THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE

Minimum Qualifications

Associate's Degree in business, accounting, insurance or a related field required; supplemented by two years of experience performing customer service and administrative duties preferably involving employee benefits or pension administration; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.

Specific License or Certification Required

None.

Veterans’ Preference

Qualifying veterans will be given preference in the form of a guaranteed invitation to interview for any position to which they applied and have been found to have met the minimum qualifications. Veterans’ preference provides for hiring preference on initial appointment only. To see the full Fulton County Veterans’ Preference Policy and Procedure, please click here

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and modify an array of employees’ payroll deductions and tax withholding in the HR system
• Process replacement of Marta transportation cards; assist with troubleshooting of cards and serve as liaison between Marta and Fulton County
• Manage Payroll Unit Email Box; monitor, route and track incoming requests
• Serve as a liaison between Finance and Departmental HR Liaisons
• Scan and upload documents to employees' Docuware file
• Create/modify letters, forms and other correspondence
• Assist with special projects and other functions as necessary

Purpose of Classification

The purpose of this classification is to process and resolve complex employee/retiree insurance and pension benefits issues. Responsibilities include communicating the County's health package to employees and processing benefits enrollment, termination, status change, and update actions. This classification is distinguished from Employee Benefits Specialist, Senior in that this class performs routine operational duties related to processing employee benefits actions, whereas the latter performs these actions and additionally provides lead direction to assigned staff.

Essential Functions

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

Performs operation activities in the administration of pension and medical, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits for employees, retirees, and COBRA enrollees: creates new employee files; reviews and processes benefits enrollment, termination, status changes, and updates; prepares documentation and transmits to outside agencies; performs mathematical computations; processes and tracks personnel transactions; enters benefits and pension data into payroll system,; establishes deductions, verifies data, and balances reports; prepares and distributes personnel-related correspondence; and ensures appropriate filing and storage of documents.

Assists employees/retirees in resolving complex insurance and pension benefits issues: responds to inquiries from County personnel and officials and external vendors; conducts research; interprets court documents and makes appropriate adjustments and entries; modifies and deletes data entry transactions as necessary; analyzes benefit issues and provides advice and recommendations; and makes limited-judgment decisions to facilitate resolution.

Ensures vendor resolution of employee and general insurance plan administration issues; researches and resolves vendor report discrepancies; performs research for data and records; enter data into external vendor database; and communicates with vendor representatives and vendor program managers.

Assists with new employee orientation and open enrollment sessions for employee benefits packages: compiles, organizes, and delivers materials to employee locations and external vendors; provides general information on programs and services; communicates general information, benefit rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; conducts training activities for new hire orientation and other specialized classes; and ensures compliance with federal mandates.

Reviews, completes, and/or processes, or various forms, reports, correspondence, and other documentation, including payroll reports, enrollment documentation and spreadsheets, premium detail reports, open enrollment information, and other items as needed; compiles data for further processing or for use in preparation of department reports; and maintains computerized and/or hardcopy records.

Communicates with supervisor, current and former employees, insurance company representatives, medical providers, attorneys, and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, exchange information, or resolve problems. Maintains a current, comprehensive knowledge and awareness of applicable laws, regulations, principles and practices relating to employee benefits program administration; reads professional literature; maintains professional affiliations; and attends meetings, workshops, hearings, and training sessions as required.

Additional Functions

Performs other related duties as required.

For Applicants With Prior Military Service

We strongly encourage veterans, prior military and transitioning service members to apply. Many of the competencies and transferable skills developed through military service directly support success in this role, including:

• Leadership & Decision-Making – Ability to make informed decisions, prioritize responsibilities, and provide guidance while working within established policies and procedures.
• Operational & Administrative Management – Experience coordinating daily operations, maintaining organized records, managing documentation, and ensuring tasks are completed accurately and timely.
• Communication & Customer Service – Strong ability to communicate clearly with employees, leadership, and diverse populations while providing information, answering questions, and addressing concerns professionally.
• Policy & Regulatory Compliance – Experience interpreting and following policies, procedures, regulations, and established guidelines while maintaining accountability and confidentiality.
• Records & Documentation Management – Demonstrated experience maintaining accurate records, reviewing documentation, processing information, and ensuring data integrity.
• Problem-Solving & Conflict Resolution – Ability to evaluate issues, identify appropriate solutions, resolve concerns, and exercise sound judgment when handling employee‑related matters.
• Team Collaboration & Coordination – Experience working effectively with cross‑functional teams, coordinating resources, and communicating information among multiple stakeholders.
• Confidentiality & Accountability – Strong understanding of handling sensitive information appropriately, maintaining confidentiality, and taking responsibility for the accuracy and security of records.
• Training & Information Delivery – Experience explaining procedures, policies, and processes to personnel and providing guidance to ensure understanding and compliance.
• Organization & Resource Coordination – Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, coordinate resources, and maintain attention to detail in a structured environment.

Performance Aptitudes

Data Utilization: Requires the ability to review, classify, categorize, prioritize, and/or analyze data. Includes exercising discretion in determining data classification, and in referencing such analysis to established standards for the purpose of recognizing actual or probable interactive effects and relationships.

Human Interaction: Requires the ability to work with and apply principles of persuasion and/or influence over others to coordinate programs or activities of a project, and resolve typical problems associated with the responsibilities of the job.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, and/or advisory data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; the ability to calculate decimals and percentages; the ability to utilize principles of fractions; and the ability to interpret graphs.

Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems; to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.

Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving evaluation of information against measurable or verifiable criteria.