Senior Benefits Specialist

About the Role, Mission, or Department Overview

We are seeking a knowledgeable and detail-oriented Senior Benefits Specialist to lead the administration and optimization of our employee benefits programs, ensuring a seamless experience for all team members. 

As part of the Employee Services team, you will manage the daily administration and transactional processing of all benefit and wellness plans including health, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, 401k, and retirement benefits. You will respond to benefits-related inquiries and manage escalated employee concerns while maintaining and building internal controls.

You will operate on a hybrid schedule which includes regular attendance in the Norfolk, VA office 3 days per week with the flexibility to work remotely for the remaining 2 days per week.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee the administration of employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance/AD&D, wellness initiatives, 401(k), flexible spending accounts, and voluntary benefits.
• Manage the benefits enrollment processes, ensuring accuracy within Workday, including enrollments, COBRA administration, terminations, changes, and life event updates.
• Be a primary contact for employee and vendor benefits inquiries, offering expert guidance on plan eligibility, enrollments, and changes while assisting with the resolution of potential issues.
• Process and review benefit integration files to ensure the accuracy of all benefits data and coordinate with vendors.
• Process and approve payroll adjustments related to benefits changes.
• Manage the annual open enrollment process and facilitate a benefits overview for new hires.
• Ensure adherence to federal, state, and local benefits regulations (ACA, ERISA, HIPPA, COBRA) and submit required filing.
•  Administer the shared benefits email and department phone line, responding to inquiries and developing standardized responses for efficiency.
• Implement process improvements to enhance the efficiency and employee experience within benefits administration.
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
•  You will report to the Sr. Manager of Employee Services.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent work experience with benefits administration expertise.
• 4+ years of experience in benefits administration with demonstrated lead responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications:

•  2+ years using Workday HCM, specifically Workday Benefits.
•  Familiar with JIRA or similar ticketing tracking system
• Advance user of Microsoft 365 and Google Suite, specifically Excel.

REQ-017887