Human Resources Specialist

A growing life sciences organization is seeking an HR Specialist to support benefits administration, employee leave coordination, and day-to-day HR operations. This position is well suited to someone who enjoys detail-oriented work, handles confidential information carefully, and provides responsive support to employees and managers. Working closely with the HR team, the specialist will help keep employee records accurate, coordinate benefits-related processes, and ensure leave requests and documentation are handled consistently. The role offers exposure to several areas of HR without requiring full ownership of an entire HR function.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist employees with benefits enrollment, qualifying life events, and routine plan questions.
• Coordinate leave-of-absence documentation and track required forms and deadlines.
• Support administration of FMLA, CFRA, pregnancy disability leave, and other applicable leave programs.
• Maintain accurate employee records, HRIS data, and confidential documentation.
• Process employee status changes, new-hire information, and separation paperwork.
• Coordinate benefits-related updates with payroll and external providers.
• Track leave balances, return-to-work dates, and pending employee documentation.
• Assist with onboarding and employee orientation as needed.
• Prepare HR reports and maintain trackers for benefits and leave activity.
• Respond to routine employee questions and escalate complex matters to HR leadership.
• Support audits and ensure personnel documentation is complete and organized.
• 2–4 years of HR administration or HR specialist experience.
• Benefits administration or leave coordination experience strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with California leave requirements and employee confidentiality.
• Experience with HRIS platforms and Microsoft Excel.
• Strong organization, written communication, and follow-through.
• Ability to manage sensitive information with discretion.