Specialist, Benefits - Global Industrial

The Specialist, Benefits supports the delivery of outsourced employee benefits administration across the United States and Canada. The role assists employees, managers, and HR partners with benefits-related questions and escalated issues; coordinates with third-party administrators and benefit carriers; and follows assigned cases through resolution. Working under the direction of the Manager, Benefits & Leave, the Specialist gathers information, researches issues, maintains accurate case documentation, performs routine data validation, and escalates complex, sensitive, or unresolved matters. The role contributes to a responsive employee experience and the accurate, timely, and compliant delivery of benefits services.

Key Responsibilities

Employee & HR Partner Support

· Respond to assigned benefits questions and escalations from employees, managers, and HR partners using approved plan information, procedures, and resources.

· Provide clear information and status updates regarding benefit programs, eligibility, enrollment, coverage, payroll deductions, and vendor processes.

· Assist employees with navigating vendor resources and understanding the information or documentation needed to resolve an issue.

· Refer plan interpretation, policy, compliance, fiduciary, or other complex matters to the Manager, Benefits & Leave or appropriate subject-matter expert.

· Deliver professional, responsive, and employee-focused support while maintaining confidentiality and discretion.

Case Management & Issue Coordination

· Manage assigned benefits cases in ServiceNow or other approved case-management tools through resolution or appropriate handoff.

· Gather relevant information from employees, vendors, carriers, payroll records, HR systems, and internal partners to support issue investigation.

· Coordinate resolution of common eligibility, enrollment, coverage, billing, payroll deduction, dependent verification, and vendor-service issues.

· Maintain complete and accurate documentation of communications, actions, decisions, and resolutions.

· Monitor open cases, follow up on outstanding actions, provide timely updates, and escalate aging or unresolved issues.

Vendor & Carrier Support

· Work with third-party administrators, benefit carriers, and service providers to obtain information and support resolution of assigned employee issues.

· Follow established vendor contact and escalation procedures and track vendor commitments through completion.

· Prepare issue summaries, supporting details, and action-item updates for vendor discussions and internal review.

· Identify recurring vendor issues or service concerns and communicate observations to the Manager, Benefits & Leave.

· Support follow-up activities resulting from vendor meetings, service reviews, or corrective actions.

Operational, Data & Compliance Support

· Perform assigned validations and reconciliations involving eligibility, enrollment, payroll deductions, billing, employee records, and vendor data.

· Research data discrepancies and coordinate corrections with vendors, Payroll, People Systems, or HR Operations under established procedures.

· Support annual enrollment, plan changes, employee communications, testing, and other benefits-related operational activities.

· Compile documentation and data for audits, compliance reviews, reporting requests, and operational controls.

· Follow established privacy, security, records, and control requirements and promptly escalate identified risks or exceptions.

Knowledge, Quality & Continuous Improvement

· Maintain working knowledge of assigned benefit programs, vendor processes, case-management practices, and employee support resources.

· Use established procedures, templates, knowledge articles, and quality standards to provide consistent support.

· Track recurring questions, case themes, data issues, or process gaps and share observations with the manager.

· Recommend practical updates to knowledge articles, employee communications, procedures, and self-service resources.

· Participate in training, testing, quality reviews, and team knowledge-sharing activities.

Qualifications

· Associate degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

· 2+ years of experience in employee benefits, HR administration, HR Operations, HR shared services, customer service, or a related function.

· General knowledge of employee benefit programs and related eligibility, enrollment, coverage, billing, or payroll processes.

· Experience supporting employee inquiries, service requests, or case resolution in a customer-focused environment.

· Experience using HR, case-management, benefits, or customer-service technologies.

· Strong customer service, communication, research, problem-solving, and follow-through skills.

· Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple cases, tasks, and deadlines.

· Ability to recognize issues that require escalation and to work effectively with internal and external partners.

· Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive employee information appropriately.

Preferred Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Employee Benefits, or a related field.

· Experience supporting an outsourced benefits administration model.

· Exposure to U.S. and Canadian employee benefit programs.

· Experience working with third-party administrators, benefit carriers, retirement providers, or other employee-benefits vendors.

· Experience with Workday, ServiceNow, or comparable HR technology platforms.

· Working knowledge of medical, dental, vision, retirement, spending account, COBRA, or wellbeing programs.

Leadership Expectations

· Provide responsive and professional support with the employee experience in mind.

· Take ownership of assigned work and follow through on commitments.

· Communicate clearly and proactively with employees, HR partners, vendors, and team members.

· Work collaboratively, seek guidance when needed, and escalate issues appropriately.

· Demonstrate accuracy, curiosity, learning agility, confidentiality, and sound judgment.

· Contribute ideas that improve service quality, knowledge, an