Benefits Specialist

We are looking for a Benefits Specialist to join a healthcare organization in Austin, Texas on a Contract basis. This position focuses on delivering a high-quality employee experience through accurate benefits administration, responsive support, and close coordination with HR partners and external providers. The ideal candidate is comfortable interpreting benefit policies, resolving issues efficiently, and helping employees understand available programs with clarity and professionalism.

Responsibilities:

• Manage day-to-day administration of employee benefit plans, including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage for enrollments, updates, qualifying events, and separations.
• Lead and support seasonal and recurring benefits activities such as open enrollment, document collection, dependent verification, and employee communications.
• Maintain accurate benefit records across HR and payroll platforms, ensuring data integrity and timely processing of changes.
• Review billing and enrollment information, reconcile discrepancies, and assist with audits to support regulatory compliance and operational accuracy.
• Partner with HR teams, brokers, vendors, and third-party administrators to address employee questions and resolve benefit-related issues promptly.
• Provide clear guidance to employees on benefit options, eligibility, leave-related matters, and required documentation in an approachable manner.
• Contribute to reports, communications, and workflow enhancements that strengthen benefits operations and improve the employee experience.
• Support administration related to leave programs and coordinate with relevant stakeholders to align with applicable federal and state requirements.
• 3–5 years of experience in benefits administration, leave administration, or a comparable human resources function.
• Working knowledge of employee benefit programs and applicable compliance requirements.
• Experience handling benefits enrollments, vendor coordination, data reconciliation, and employee support.
• Familiarity with leave administration, including FMLA and related federal and state regulations.
• Strong communication and customer service skills with the ability to explain complex topics in a clear and thorough way.
• High level of organization, accuracy, and independent prioritization in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel, Word, and PowerPoint