Benefits and Leave Administration Specialist

Benefits and Leave Administration Specialist Hybrid within Service Territory: OH, PA, DE, NC, SC, GA, FL Your role in our success will be: Administers employee benefits and coordinates leave and disability cases from intake through return to work for a multi-state workforce. Serves as a resource for employees, managers, HR, Payroll, Finance, carriers, and third-party administrators. Manages complex cases, supports enrollment and eligibility, completes employment and income verifications, reconciles benefit data, and escalates vendor issues. Supports accurate, consistent administration under Company policies and applicable federal, state, and local requirements, exercising sound judgment, thorough documentation, confidentiality, and strong employee service. What makes us great At the heart of our Company is a dedication to delivering energy that drives progress. We put people first, work to keep them safe and build trusting relationships. What you'll be working on: Manages multi-state leave and disability cases from intake through return to work, including FMLA, non FMLA, Company, parental, military, jury duty, personal, workers' compensation-related, short- and long-term disability, and applicable state and local paid or protected leaves. Coordinates leave status, documentation, pay, benefit continuation, premium payments, and return-to work planning with employees, managers, HR Business Partners, Payroll, administrators, carriers, and workers' compensation partners; explains procedures, deadlines, and resources without providing medical diagnoses or legal advice. Monitors leave approvals, denials, certifications, recertifications, extensions, intermittent usage, exhaustion and return dates, restrictions, and fitness-for-duty documentation; follows up on outstanding items and coordinates accommodation documentation and the interactive process with HR leadership and HR Business Partners. Reconciles leave records across HRIS, timekeeping, payroll, vendor, and carrier systems; coordinates corrections, state leave filings, employer responses, wage information, and benefit offsets with vendors and state agencies. Administers health and welfare programs, including medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life, disability, health savings and flexible spending accounts, COBRA, voluntary benefits, wellness, and retiree benefits; supports retiree enrollment, billing, communications, issue resolution, and annual Open Enrollment. Supports new-hire and annual Open Enrollment, qualifying life events, dependent eligibility, beneficiary changes, evidence of insurability, terminations, and reinstatements; reviews transactions and documentation for completeness, eligibility, timeliness, and consistency across systems. Responds to employee and retiree inquiries through the benefits inbox, telephone, meetings, and consultations; partners with carriers and vendors to resolve eligibility, enrollment, claims, billing, ID card, deduction, access issues and communicates resolutions and next steps. Audits benefit eligibility files, carrier feeds, payroll deductions, evidence-of-insurability decisions, enrollment confirmations, and vendor reports; coordinates and validates corrections, reconciles invoices, and prepares monthly benefit cost, enrollment, and stop-loss information for Finance and other stakeholders. Coordinates tuition reimbursement eligibility reviews, documentation, approval routing, payment support, and records; presents benefits information during orientation, Open Enrollment, and educational sessions and develops employee communications and job-aids. Completes employment, income, benefit, and leave verifications after confirming appropriate authorization and permitted disclosures; coordinates unemployment claims, child support orders, government or lender forms, and related requests with Payroll, Legal, or HR leadership and maintains response logs and supporting records. Participates in vendor meetings, monitors service levels and open issues, and follows through on escalations; tracks leave metrics, case aging, return-to-work activity, and process gaps, prepares status reports, and escalates risks. Supports compliance with ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, ACA, FMLA, ADA, USERRA, state and local leave requirements, and plan documentation under HR leadership and legal counsel; assists with plan audits, nondiscrimination testing, annual filings, employee notices, data requests, and internal controls. Maintains complete, confidential case files, correspondence, notes, and benefit records in accordance with retention requirements; protects employee medical, payroll, and benefit information through established privacy and data-security practices. Develops and maintains procedures, checklists, templates, calendars, trackers, and cross-training materials; identifies improvements to employee service, vendor performance, data accuracy, controls, and efficiency and supports special projects, testing, audits, records cleanup, and system implementations. Provides backup support for Total Rewards and Human Resources during peak periods or absences, travels periodically to Company locations for employee meetings, Open Enrollment, training, or business needs, and performs other duties as assigned. Who you are: High school diploma or equivalent required; Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred. Three (3) years of progressive experience in benefits, leave of absence, disability, payroll, or Human Resources administration. Experience administering leave for employees in multiple states and working with third-party administrators is strongly preferred. Standard driver's license and ability to travel periodically to Company locations. Professional certification such as SHRM-CP, PHR, CEBS, or a leave-management credential is preferred but not required. Working knowledge of employee benefit administration and leave/disability case management. Working knowledge of FMLA, ADA, USERRA, COBRA, HIPAA, ERISA, ACA, workers' compensation coordination, and state and local leave programs. Knowledge of HRIS, benefits administration, payroll, timekeeping, and vendor systems; experience with UKG, SAP SuccessFactors/Employee Central, ADP, or BenefitFocus is helpful. Strong written and verbal communication, employee service, case management, documentation, analytical, and problem-solving skills. Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams. Strong attention to detail, follow-through, and ability to manage competing deadlines and sensitive matters. Ability to reconcile data, identify discrepancies, maintain trackers, and prepare clear reports. Ability to explain complex benefit and leave information clearly and compassionately to employees and managers. Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and appropriately escalation risk or uncertainty. Ability to work independently under general supervision while collaborating effectively with employees, leaders, HR, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and external vendors. Ability to learn and apply changing federal, state, local, plan, and Company requirements across a multi-state workforce. What's in it for you? Flexible work arrangement Competitive base salary Fantastic opportunities for career growth Cooperative, supportive and empowered team atmosphere Annual bonus and salary increase opportunities Monthly recognition events Endless wellness initiatives and community events Robust and customizable benefit packages-choose what works best with your life. Options include generous 401k, medical, dental and life insurance, tuition reimbursement, compensated volunteer hours and MORE! Paid time off, holidays and a separate bank of sick time Chesapeake Utilities Corporation is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse workforce. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or veteran status, among other factors. Applicants with a disability that need assistance applying for a position may email View email address on click.appcast.io. Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor. #J-18808-Ljbffr Chesapeake Utilities Corp.