Job Description
Job Description
The Benefits Specialist is the go-to resource for the day-to-day administration of Rancho Health’s health, welfare, and retirement benefit programs. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys solving problems, working with data, helping employees understand their benefits, and taking ownership of details from start to finish.
Working closely with the HR Operations Manager, Payroll, brokers, carriers, and vendors, the Benefits Specialist keeps enrollments, deductions, vendor records, compliance activities, and employee communications accurate and on track. This is a hands-on role with meaningful ownership and the opportunity to improve how benefits are delivered across a growing, multi-location healthcare organization.
Confidentiality & Information Security
All HR team members must sign and comply with Rancho Health MSO’s HR Department Confidentiality Agreement. This role requires regular access to sensitive employee and company information. A high level of discretion, data protection, and adherence to privacy policies is required at all times, including after employment ends.
Essential Job Duties: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Benefits Administration & Employee Support
- Serve as the primary HR point of contact for employee questions regarding medical, dental, vision, life, disability, voluntary, and retirement benefits.
- Manage new hire enrollments, qualifying life events, dependent changes, terminations, waivers, evidence of insurability, and other benefit changes; follow issues through resolution.
- Review benefit elections, eligibility, carrier enrollment, and payroll deductions for accuracy and coordinate corrections with employees, Payroll, brokers, carriers, and vendors.
- Provide benefits education during New Hire Orientation and other employee meetings, and maintain clear employee-facing guides, FAQs, and communications.
- Research complex or unusual benefit questions and escalate compliance, financial, or plan interpretation concerns as appropriate.
Retirement Plan Administration
- Coordinate day-to-day administration of the company’s 401(k) plan with the recordkeeper, third-party administrator, Payroll, and HR leadership.
- Assist employees with routine questions regarding eligibility, contributions, beneficiaries, loans, distributions, and rollovers.
- Review participant and contribution data, research discrepancies, and coordinate corrections across payroll, HRIS, and recordkeeper systems.
- Coordinate annual census requests, compliance testing, required notices, Form 5500 preparation, and other recurring plan administration activities with service providers.
Reconciliation, Auditing & Data Integrity
- Reconcile benefit carrier invoices against HRIS enrollment records and payroll deductions; research and resolve billing, eligibility, enrollment, and deduction discrepancies.
- Conduct routine audits of benefit elections, eligibility, deductions, carrier records, and vendor data to support accuracy and compliance.
- Monitor benefit-related data feeds between ADP and vendors, investigate errors, and track corrections through completion.
- Identify recurring errors or process gaps and recommend practical improvements to the HR Operations Manager.
Broker, Vendor & HRIS Coordination
- Serve as the primary day-to-day HR contact for benefit brokers, carriers, retirement plan providers, and other benefit vendors.
- Participate in regular broker/vendor meetings, manage assigned follow-up items, and escalate significant or recurring service concerns.
- Coordinate and test benefit-related configuration in ADP and vendor systems, including rates, eligibility rules, employee contributions, and enrollment workflows.
Open Enrollment & Annual Benefits Cycle
- Coordinate the operational execution of Open Enrollment in partnership with the HR Operations Manager, HR leadership, and the benefits broker.
- Maintain the Open Enrollment timeline; support census preparation, system configuration and testing, employee communications, education sessions, and enrollment follow-up.
- Conduct post-enrollment audits to verify elections, carrier enrollment, and payroll deductions and coordinate corrections through resolution.
- Support the annual benefits review and renewal process by preparing and validating enrollment, utilization, employee feedback, and other requested data.
Compliance, Acquisitions & Process Improvement
- Support benefits administration in accordance with applicable requirements, including ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and ERISA, and maintain recurring compliance calendars and documentation.
- Coordinate annual ACA reporting activities, including data validation and preparation, review, correction, and distribution of Forms 1094-C and 1095-C with applicable vendors.
- Support benefits-related activities for acquisitions and employee transitions, including data collection, communications, enrollment coordination, and implementation of approved actions.
- Maintain benefits procedures, timelines, checklists, and administrative documentation and identify opportunities to improve accuracy, efficiency, and the employee experience.
Team Collaboration & Flexibility
The Human Resources team operates with clear ownership and shared accountability. Each role is responsible for defined functions and outcomes, while also supporting one another during peak workloads, time off, audits, and special initiatives. Collaboration, cross-training, and flexibility are essential to ensuring continuity of service and team effectiveness.
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant professional experience will be considered.
Experience:
- 3+ years of hands-on employee benefits administration experience preferred; experience with a mid-size or large, multi-location employer is a plus.
- Experience with ADP Workforce Now strongly preferred; experience with 401(k) administration, benefit brokers, carriers, or retirement plan service providers preferred.
Knowledge and Skills:
- Working knowledge of health, welfare, and retirement benefits and applicable requirements, including ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and ERISA.
- Strong analytical and reconciliation skills with excellent attention to detail; proficiency in Excel and comfort working with reports and data.
- Strong problem-solving, organization, follow-through, and communication skills with the ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
- Employee-service mindset and ability to explain benefit information clearly, professionally, and with discretion.