HR ANALYST - BENEFITS & LEAVE ADMINISTRATION

Linn County; Cedar Rapids (IA); On-site; USD 47,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive wages with annual pay in ^

IPERS

Wellness program

Free on-site fitness centers

12 paid holidays

Training & professional development op

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Linn County in Cedar Rapids, IA seeks an HR Analyst specializing in benefits and leave administration. You will serve as a subject matter expert, ensuring regulatory compliance, applying internal policy, maintaining system accuracy, and supporting stakeholders across HR programs.

Responsibilities include administering benefit programs, open enrollment, COBRA, and leave management, coordinating with vendors, preparing guides and training for employees and supervisors.

Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor's degree in HR or related field.
• Minimum of five years in benefits administration.
• Experience with open enrollment, COBRA, and FMLA is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Administers county benefit programs and open enrollment.
• Ensures compliance with ACA, FMLA, ADA, COBRA, and GASB.
• Manages FMLA processes and medical leaves.
• Coordinates with vendors and internal stakeholders on benefits.
• Creates benefit-related materials and conducts training for staff.

Skills

Benefits administration

Regulatory compliance

HR policy implementation

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in human resources or related field

5 years HR experience in benefits administration

Tools

Dayforce HRIS

MS Excel

Job description

Description

Linn County is committed to creating a Customer-Center Culture placing our internal & external customers at the center of everything we do!

Why do we do this? We get that question a lot. The answer is simple: We want our customers to have a positive experience. Our co-workers are customers too. Exceptional internal customer satisfaction leads to exceptional customer satisfaction for the public!

Why work at Linn County?

• Competitive wages with annual pay increases & annual cost of living increase (depending on budget)
• Access to medical, dental, vision, short & long term disability, and supplemental life insurance
• Iowa Public Employee's Retirement Pension Plan (IPERS)
• Wellness program offering credit on insurance premiums to eligible employees
• Free on-site fitness centers
• 100% County paid basic life insurance
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Training & professional development opportunities

Salary

Minimum: $34.07

• Midpoint: $40.54

About The Role

The HR Analyst position serves as a subject matter expert in the area of benefits & leave administration, ensuring regulatory compliance, internal policy application, system accuracy, and stakeholder support across HR programs. HR Analysts provide technical guidance, manage key programs, and support strategic initiatives in line with Linn County’s core values and a customer-centered culture.

Essential Functions

• Administers County benefit programs, open enrollment, COBRA, deferred compensation, and qualifying life events.
• Ensures benefits and leave compliance with federal and state regulations (ACA, FMLA, ADA, COBRA, 1094/1095-C, GASB).
• Administers and manages the FMLA process and/or medical-based leaves for employees.
• Coordinates disability benefits with third-party vendor in conjunction with medical leaves.
• Coordinates and leads the ADA interactive process in collaboration with legal counsel and department representatives.
• Serves as the County liaison to benefit vendors, deferred compensation providers, and internal stakeholders.
• Creates benefit-related materials including guides, summaries, orientation presentations, and communication campaigns.
• Facilitates and presents the benefits portion of new hire orientation and conducts training for employees and supervisors on benefits, leave, and accommodations.
• Assist in the planning and implementation of the annual Health & Safety Fair, including vendor coordination, event logistics, and promotional activities.
• Maintains accurate records in HRIS (e.g., Dayforce), performs manual adjustments, audits, dependent verifications, and manages documentation for benefit transactions.
• Responds to benefit-related inquiries from employees, retirees, and third parties; prepares budget impact data and reports as needed.

Minimum Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business/public administration or related field required.
• Five (5) years of professional human resources experience in benefits administration required.

Shift

Monday - Friday

7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Linn County offers a comprehensive benefits package including paid leave and holidays as well as medical, dental, life, long-term disability (LTD) insurance and wellness incentives.