Senior Benefits & HR Operations Specialist

American-College-of-Cardiology-; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 81,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition assistance

10% retirement contribution

Generous paid time off

Job summary

The American College of Cardiology (ACC) is seeking a Senior Benefits & HR Operations Specialist in Washington, DC hybrid. You will administer benefits, wellness, leave of absence programs, and HR operations to support the employee lifecycle with data-driven processes and strong customer service.

You will partner with the Director, HR Operations, and cross-functional teams to ensure compliance, efficiency, and an exceptional employee experience while stewarding total rewards programs and HRIS

Qualifications

• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive Human Resources experience, including at least three (3) years administering employee benefits and HR operations.
• Experience coordinating wellness events and fairs is a plus.
• Experience with HRIS, payroll systems, reporting and data analytics preferred.

Responsibilities

• Administer all employee benefit programs including health, retirement, voluntary, ancillary, and wellness benefits.
• Serve as primary contact for benefit inquiries with timely, accurate customer service.
• Coordinate benefit enrollments, life events, and eligibility updates while ensuring accurate processing.
• Partner with carriers, brokers, and vendors to resolve enrollment and claims issues.
• Support Open Enrollment and conduct audits of benefits elections and payroll deductions.

Skills

Benefits administration

HRIS & payroll systems

Excel proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business Administration or related field

Job description

SeniorBenefits & HR Operations Specialist

Washington, DC, United States (Hybrid)

• Department People Resources & Engagement
• Target Salary Range at Hire $81,000-$88,000

Job Description

The SeniorBenefits & HR Operations Specialist, administers and supports the organization’s benefits, wellness, leave of absence, and HR operations programs, ensuring the accurate, compliant, and efficient delivery of services throughout the employee lifecycle.

This position serves as the primary administrator of the HR Questions inbox, acting as a trusted resource for employees and managers providing timely guidance and resolution on inquiries. Working collaboratively across the organization and with external partners, the Senior Specialist delivers responsive, high-quality HR operational support.

Working closely with the Director, HR Operations, the Senior Specialist leverages data, technology, and continuous improvement practices to strengthen compliance, improve operational efficiency, enhance service delivery, reduce administrative risk, and support an exceptional employee experience.

Responsibilities

Benefits Administration

• Administer all employee benefit programs, including health and welfare, retirement, voluntary, ancillary, and wellness benefits.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employee benefit inquiries, providing timely, accurate, and high-quality customer service while educating employees on available benefits programs and resources.
• Coordinate benefit enrollments, life event changes, qualifying status changes, terminations, and benefit eligibility updates while ensuring timely and accurate processing.
• Partner with insurance carriers, brokers, and third-party vendors to resolve enrollment, eligibility, billing, and claims issues.
• Partner with the Director, HR Operations, to coordinate the annual Open Enrollment process, including employee communications, education sessions, system testing, vendor coordination, issue resolution, and post-enrollment reconciliation.
• Conduct recurring audits of benefit elections, payroll deductions, carrier eligibility files, vendor invoices, HRIS records, and benefit enrollment data to ensure data integrity, regulatory compliance, and financial accuracy.
• Analyze benefits utilization, enrollment, claims activity, vendor performance, and employee feedback to identify trends and recommend enhancements that improve program effectiveness, employee engagement, and operational efficiency.

Wellness Programs

• Coordinate and administer employee wellness initiatives, educational campaigns and events, including the organization’s annual Benefits & Wellness Fair.
• Partner with internal teams and external vendors to promote wellness programs that support employee well‑being and organizational objectives.
• Monitor participation, utilization, employee feedback, and program outcomes to evaluate effectiveness and recommend enhancements that improve engagement and maximize program value.
• Research emerging wellness trends and best practices and recommend innovative programs that support organizational priorities and employee well‑being.

Leave of Absence Administration

• Administer the organization’s leave of absence programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, short- and long-term disability, parental leave, military leave, workers' compensation coordination, and other applicable federal and state leave programs.
• Serve as the internal leave case manager by partnering with employees, managers, payroll, People Operations leadership, and third-party leave administrators throughout the leave lifecycle.
• Monitor leave timelines, certifications, payroll impacts, benefit continuation, return-to-work documentation, and accommodation requirements to ensure compliance and a positive employee experience.
• Maintain accurate, confidential leave documentation in accordance with legal requirements and organizational policies.
• Analyze leave utilization and operational trends to identify opportunities for process improvements, compliance enhancements, and employee education.

HRIS, Payroll & HR Operations

• Maintain the integrity of HRIS data through ongoing audits, validation, data governance, and quality assurance activities to ensure complete and accurate employee records.
• Ensure employee benefit elections reconcile accurately with payroll deductions and proactively identify and resolve discrepancies.
• Support payroll processing by validating benefit deductions, leave impacts, eligibility changes, and other payroll-related transactions.
• Perform HRIS reporting, audits, data validation, and reconciliation to support compliance, operational decision-making, and organizational reporting needs.
• Serve as the primary administrator of the HR Questions inbox, triaging and responding to employee and manager inquiries related to benefits, leave administration, HRIS, payroll, HR policies, and People Operations processes.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and customer‑focused resolution while identifying trends, recurring issues, and opportunities to improve communication, knowledge resources, and service delivery.
• Support onboarding, new hire orientation, employee transitions, and offboarding activities related to benefits, HRIS, and HR operations.
• Assist with HR technology enhancements, system implementations, upgrades, testing, workflow automation, and process improvement initiatives.
• Partner with Director to develop and maintain standard operating procedures, process documentation, user guides, and training materials that promote consistent and efficient HR operations.

Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Partner with Director to monitor changes in federal, state, and local employment, payroll, leave, and benefits regulations and recommend policy, process, and system updates to maintain compliance and reduce organizational risk.
• Analyze HR operational, benefits, wellness, leave, payroll, and HRIS data to identify trends, evaluate program effectiveness, monitor key performance indicators, and develop actionable recommendations.
• Develop and present recommendations based on benefits, leave, wellness, and HR operational data to improve program effectiveness, employee engagement, operational efficiency, and the overall delivery of Total Rewards programs.
• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, automate manual processes, improve system functionality, and enhance operational efficiency.
• Participate in cross‑functional initiatives, audits, system implementations, testing, and continuous improvement projects that support organizational priorities.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive Human Resources experience, including at least three (3) years of experience administering employee benefits and HR operations. Prior experience coordinating wellness events and fairs a plus.
• Demonstrated experience administering employee benefit programs, including health and welfare, retirement, voluntary benefits, and wellness initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience administering leave programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, short- and long-term disability, workers' compensation coordination, and applicable federal and state leave regulations.
• Experience working with HRIS and payroll systems; experience with HR reporting, data analytics, and system audits preferred.
• Experience performing benefits reconciliations, carrier eligibility audits, benefits deduction audits in payroll, and vendor invoice processing, reviews and audits.
• Strong working knowledge of FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, ERISA, Title VII, and related regulations.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to data integrity and accuracy.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem‑solving skills.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills.
• Strong customer service orientation and relationship‑building skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.

About Us

At the American College of Cardiology, we bring our hearts to work.

We are a 500‑person organization dedicated and committed to our mission to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health for all for more than 75 years. When you join our team, you become part of a culture that envisions a world where science, innovation and knowledge optimize cardiovascular care and outcomes.

Every day, we are committed to supporting our more than 60,000 members and their patients around the globe and in doing so, ensure our staff have a positive environment of teamwork, collaboration, professionalism and excellence. To learn more about why ACC has been recognized as a great place to work, please visit our site, www.acc.org/jobs .

What We Offer:
ACC values all members of our College family, including ACC staff. As the foundation of the organization, ACC staff enjoy world‑class benefits and a culture of work‑life balance. Our benefit offerings include insurance (medical, dental, vision, basic life, and short- and long-term disability, and supplemental options), generous paid time off (pre‑loaded vacation and sick, 12 holidays and an organizational shut‑down during the last week of the year, parental leave, 2 community service days, and half‑day summer Fridays), tuition assistance and a very competitive 10% retirement contribution after a year of service, and much more! You can visit our careers site for an overview of our full offerings. Please note that these offerings may change at any time.

EEOC:
ACC is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all candidates and employees. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. Equal Opportunity Employer, including individuals with disabilities and veterans. ACC is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact Katie Sarreal, HR Business Partner at [e-mail] [phone].