Benefits & HR Specialist

Job Description

Job Description:\n\nAre you an experienced Benefits/HR professional looking to join a cutting-edge IT Services & Solution Provider, recognized as a Best Place to Work with the San Diego Business Journal and Inc Magazine, and with a perfect score on Glassdoor. We are a company who prides ourselves in our vision, mission, and values! For more information check out our website at nth.com/careers.\n\n \n Nth's Vision: To deliver AWESOME in everything we do!\n Nth's Mission: To provide transformational technology solutions and services that enable our clients to achieve optimal results.\n \n Nth's Values: Ethics, Success, Relationships, Learning, Innovation.\n We believe that our employees are our greatest asset! Our strong team of talent, awesome culture, excellent employee tenure, consistent growth, and long-standing client and partner relationships are a direct result of our vision, mission, and values!\n\nBenefits & Perks: We believe that happy employees make for happy clients and offer the following benefits & perks:\n\n Competitive pay\n Employee Recognition Perks & Awards\n 401(k) Retirement Plan & Discretionary Profit Sharing\n Discretionary Profitability Bonus, dependent upon company profitability\n Generous Paid Vacation, Holidays & Sick/Personal Time\n Group Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, STD, LTD\n Flexible Spending\n Voluntary Supplemental Insurance\n Employee Assistance Plan\n Supplemental Pet Plans\n Employer-provided Identity Protection & Financial Wellness Coverage\n Fun celebratory events throughout the year!!\nPOSITION SUMMARY\nThe Benefits & HR Specialist is an integral part of the Human Resources team, with primary responsibility for administering Nth Generation's employee benefit programs and serves as the primary contact for benefit-related questions. The role is a functional subject matter expert for benefits administration in ADP Workforce Now and supports accurate, timely and compliant HR operations. This position also provides backup payroll support; coordinates employee recognition, events, and business travel; and provides limited business-related administrative support to executive team members, as the need arises. This role handles confidential information and is expected to demonstrate sound judgment, service orientation, continuous improvement. All essential duties and responsibilities are to be performed while always maintaining the Nth Corporate Culture (see Appendix A).\nESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include, but are not limited to the following:\nBenefits Administration:\nIn collaboration with Human Resources leadership, performs the essential functions:\n\n Administers employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, accident, disability, 401(k), health reimbursement arrangements (HRA's), health savings accounts (HSAs), and flexible spending accounts (FSAs), as applicable.\n Manages the annual open enrollment process, including system configuration, testing, employee communications, enrollment support, data validation, and completion of required deadlines, in a smooth and user-friendly manner.\n Provides responsive, accurate employee support regarding eligibility, enrollment, qualified life events, claims escalation, and use of benefit programs, while avoiding individualized tax, legal, or medical advice.\n Serves as liaison among employees, benefit providers, brokers, consultants, payroll, and accounting to resolve issues; validate plan and billing data; and support accurate administration of plan documents.\n Develops and maintains positive relationships with employees, provides excellent customer service, addresses employee benefit inquiries, assists with benefit claims, and provides guidance on benefit options in a timely manner.\n Administers 401(k) operational processes, including employee elections, loans, contribution files, required communications, reconciliation support, and annual reporting, in coordination with the plan recordkeeper and other fiduciaries.\n Coordinates leaves of absence and workplace accommodation processes from initial notice through return to work, in partnership with the VP, HR and managers, and in accordance with applicable policies and law.\n Coordinates with third party administrators and carriers regarding disability and other benefit claims, consistent with plan terms and privacy requirements.\n Administers COBRA events and enrollment changes and supports responses to unemployment and workers' compensation matters.\n Supports compliance activities associated with applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including ACA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA privacy and security, Section 125, and requirement notices and filings.\n Processes and audits benefits enrollments, terminations, life-event changes, deductions, vendor eligibility files, invoices, and carrier reconciliations; escalates discrepancies promptly.\n Conducts benefit portions of new-hire orientation and develops clear employee communications, guides, procedures and reference materials.\n Produces recurring and ad hoc HR and benefit reports, validates data integrity, documents corrections, and maintains appropriate records in accordance with company retention and privacy requirements.\n Monitors vendor releases, regulatory updates, market practices, and process performance; recommends cost-effective, compliant, and employee-centered improvements.\n Maintains benefits procedures, calendars, checklists, forms, and electronic records to support continuity, audit readiness, and cross-training.\n Performs other related duties, as assigned.\n\nEmployee Recognition Program Administration:\nIn collaboration with Human Resources leadership, performs the following essential functions:\n\n Maintains Nth's employee recognition program and policy documentation and coordinates clear employee communications.\n Administers the recognition platform, including configuration, user accounts, rewards and awards, vendor updates, issue resolution, and user training.\n Monitors program usage and recommends communication and engagement strategies.\n Provides timely quarter-end reporting regarding redeemed rewards and taxable fringe benefits to accounting and payroll.\n Maintains appropriate controls, documentation, and reconciliation records for recognition awards.\n Performs other related duties, as assigned.\n\nHuman Resources Administration:\nIn collaboration with HR leadership, provides administrative and project support across the employee lifecycle, which may include:\n\n HRIS administration and data integrity\n Workforce planning and HR reporting\n Talent acquisition and selection\n Compensation and benefits administration\n Health, safety, and labor-law compliance\n Onboarding, offboarding, learning and development\n Employee and well-being support\n Culture, engagement, and job evaluation\n HR records, correspondence, and general administration\n Serves as backup to payroll, as needed.\n Maintains process documentation and cross-training materials for assigned HR and payroll backup responsibilities.\n Performs other related duties, as assigned.\n\nAdditional Duties:\n\n Coordinates internal employee events and celebrations, such as birthdays, anniversaries, team-building activities, holiday events, retirements, and/or well-being and volunteer activities, etc.\n Coordinates business travel and event registration for executive, technical and sales staff, as assigned, including air, lodging, ground transportation, and itinerary changes.\n Provides limited business-related administrative support to executive team members, including records maintenance, correspondence, scheduling, research, logistics, and special projects.\n Prepares correspondence, reports, presentations, and confidential materials using Microsoft 365 applications and other approved business systems.\n Represents company executives with tact, diplomacy, responsiveness, and sound judgment.\n Protects confidential, personal, health, and proprietary information and follows approved access, retention, and secure-disposal practices.\n Performs other related duties consistent with the role's scope, as assigned.\nResponsible Use of Artificial Intelligence and Automation:\n\n Uses company-approved AI and automation tools to improve efficiency and quality in benefits administration, employee communications, reporting, research, procedure development, and routine HR workflows.\n Protects employee and company information by entering data into AI tools only when the use is authorized and consistent with company privacy, security, confidentiality, records-retention, and acceptable-use requirements.\n Independently verifies AI-generated calculations, summaries, communications, recommendations, citations, and other outputs before relying on or distributing them.\n Uses professional judgment and maintains meaningful human oversight. AI may support, but does not replace, decisions involving benefit eligibility, employee relations, accommodations, leave, pay, performance, selection, or other employment actions.\n Monitors AI-assisted work for inaccuracies, inappropriate disclosure, bias, inconsistent treatment, and accessibility concerns; corrects or escalates issues promptly.\n Documents material AI-assisted processes when needed for auditability, repeatability, or compliance, and discloses AI use when required by company policy or law.\n Participates in training on approved AI tools, prompt practices, data protection, and responsible AI use; shares practical improvements with the HR team.\n Identifies suitable opportunities for workflow automation while preserving required approvals, segregation of duties, employee service, and HR recordkeeping controls.\nQUALIFICATIONS \nTo perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and / or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable an otherwise qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions of the position.\nEducation and / or Experience\nTypically requires:\n\n A bachelor's degree in human resources management, finance, accounting, or related field.\n 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in benefits and HR administration, including hands-on HRIS experience, as well as experience administering HRA and/or HSA plans.\n Advanced proficiency in ADP Workforce Now is strongly preferred.\n Demonstrated experience reconciling benefit and payroll data, producing reports, and analyzing data in Excel or comparable tools.\n Experience supporting open enrollment, leave administration, benefit billing, vendor files, and employee inquiries.\n An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.\n\nSkills, Knowledge, and Abilities\n\n Advanced proficiency in ADP Workforce Now benefits functionality and strong working knowledge of HRIS data, workflows, and reporting.\n Working knowledge of employee benefit plans and applicable compliance requirements; ability to identify issues and escalate complex legal, tax, fiduciary, or medical questions appropriately.\n Strong numerical aptitude, reconciliation skills, and attention to detail and accuracy.\n Ability to prioritize competing work, manage recurring compliance calendars, and meet strict deadlines.\n Organized, logical, and methodical approach with strong process-documentation skills.\n Excellent written and verbal communication and a service-oriented approach to employee support.\n Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft 365, including Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and company-approved Copilot capabilities.\n Ability to use approved AI tools responsibly, validate outputs, protect confidential data, and preserve human oversight in employment-related work.\n Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and handle personal, health, payroll, and business information with discretion.\n Ability to exercise sound judgment, remain calm under pressure, adapt to changing business needs, work independently, and collaborate effectively.\n\nCertificates, Licenses, Registrations\n\n Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record when driving is required for assigned business duties.\n Benefits or HR certification, such as CEBS, SHRM-CP, PHR, or an equivalent credential, is preferred but not required.\n\nPHYSICAL DEMANDS \nThe physical demands described are representative of those required to perform the essential functions of the position. The role regularly involves communicating, using a computer and other office equipment, reviewing information, and remaining in a stationary position for portions of the workday. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions.\nPosition requires manual dexterity to perform word processing and related tasks. Able to see, hear and talk.\nWORK ENVIRONMENT\nThe work environment is generally an office or approved remote-work setting and includes regular use of computers, phones, video meetings, and standard office equipment. The noise level is typically low to moderate. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable a qualified individual with a disability to perform the essential functions.\nAPPENDIX A\n\n Has a positive "can do" attitude with clients and co-workers. Takes ownership of problems and thinks outside of the box, to find creative solutions, quickly resolve problems and help clients maintain a consistently high degree of uptime.\n Works quickly and efficiently to solve problems.\n Does not take unnecessary risks when performing tasks. Always operates in a professional and courteous manner. Always strives to be a model citizen and truly believes in the motto "The Customer is Always Right!"\n Always goes the extra mile to get the job done completely. Does not cut corners or put off documentation or paperwork and understands that teamwork and sharing knowledge is essential to both the company's and one's own personal success. Cheerfully assists others when asked, even if outside of the job description.\n Collaborates well with other employees and client staff. Speaks up when necessary to make sure that proper procedures are followed by all workers and ethical business practices are adhered to at all times.\n Projects a positive, friendly attitude, and does not complain to clients, vendors, partners and co-workers. Contributes to the morale of those around and does not put oneself or another's physical safety in jeopardy.\n\nJob Posted by ApplicantPro