Employee Benefits Specialist - Human Resources

New York Foundling; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading organization focused on employee wellness seeks an Employee Benefits Specialist to manage health, wellness, and retirement programs. This role includes driving employee engagement, ensuring compliance, and developing strategic insights to improve programs. Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree, relevant experience, and excellent communication skills.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years of employee benefits experience required.
• Bilingual Spanish/English is a plus.
• Self-starter willing to travel via public transportation.

Responsibilities

• Ensure timely and accurate benefits enrollment for employees.
• Develop and deliver employee education initiatives.
• Lead the Wellness Program and coordinate wellness events.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication

People-oriented personality

Education

Bachelor’s Degree from a U.S. accredited educational institution

Tools

HRIS systems (UKG strongly preferred)

Microsoft Office programs

Job description

Overview

The Employee Benefits Specialist manages and continuously assesses for improvement health, wellness, retirement, and other benefit programs, ensuring accuracy, compliance and enhancing employee engagement. The role supports a culture of well-being through effective administration and strategic program insights.

Responsibilities

Ensure timely and accurate benefits enrollment for new hires and current employees by coordinating enrollments and processing changes—employee life status changes (e.g., marriage, birth, or divorce)—to maintain seamless coverage and promote employee satisfaction.

Drive employee understanding and engagement in benefits programs by developing and delivering education initiatives, including Open Enrollment sessions and HR orientations.

Promote a culture of health and well-being by leading The Foundling’s Wellness Program and coordinating wellness events that enhance employee engagement and overall health.

Maintain effective benefits administration by serving as a liaison with insurance providers, 403(B) administrators, and vendors to ensure smooth and accurate enrollment, timely updates, and resolution of employee concerns.

Foster strong labor and vendor relationships by communicating with union reps and benefit partners to support employee needs, coordinate benefit changes, and address issues proactively.

Support employees’ retirement readiness by managing retirement plan relationships and assisting staff with 403(B) inquiries, transactions, and updates.

Analyze benefits utilization and cost trends to assess program effectiveness, inform strategy, and recommend improvements that enhance value and competitiveness.

Develop and maintain benefits dashboards and reports to monitor participation, identify trends in leave and wellness engagement, and support strategic HR decision-making.

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of 2 years of employee benefits experience required.
• A positive, people-oriented personality and excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex benefit information clearly.
• Strong analytical skills to evaluate benefit utilization, identify trends, and support strategic decision-making.
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal laws and regulations related to benefits administration (e.g., FMLA, COBRA, ERISA, ACA, HIPAA).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs and experience using HRIS systems (UKG strongly preferred).
• Must be a self-starter and comfortable working independently; willingness to travel throughout NYC and Rockland via public transportation.
• Bilingual Spanish/English plus

Education Required

Bachelor’s Degree from a U.S. accredited educational institution or Credential Evaluation for a non-U.S. educational institution

Salary Range:

$70,000k-$75,000k