Benefits Specialist - Health and Welfare

Cargill is committed to providing food and agricultural solutions to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way. Sitting at the heart of the supply chain, we partner with farmers and customers to source, make and deliver products that are vital for living.
Our 155,000 team members innovate with purpose, providing customers with life’s essentials so businesses can grow, communities prosper, and consumers live well. With over 160 years of experience as a family company, we look ahead while remaining true to our values. We put people first. We reach higher. We do the right thing—today and for generations to come.

Job Purpose and Impact

• The Professional, Benefit Specialist - Health and Welfare role performs moderately complex human resources services spanning data administration, learning administration, service delivery enablement, vendor management, benefits administration and other transactions to ensure the successful operations of the human resources administrative services. Under limited supervision, this job provides information to employees, managers and vendors, and integrates information flow within a service delivery model. This position also supports benefit service administration activities including open enrollment, system administration, new hire enrollment, leave management back-up support and other day-to-day and project-related work which could include complex benefit analysis.

Key Accountabilities

• EMPLOYEE SUPPORT: Provides information to employees and managers to address questions and performs moderately complex transactions on employee benefits programs and policies, including medical, dental, vision, flexible spending, disability, life benefits, leave programs and paid time off.
• LEAVE MANAGEMENT: This position will back-up the Leave team as needed. This would envolve complex payroll calculations, employee escalations and basic knowledge of US leave administration (additional training will be provided).
• HR RESEARCH: Assesses the organization's benefits processes and standards and performance metrics, identifies impacts to the organization's benefits administrative services, processes and standards, and proposes improvements to leadership.
• COMPLIANCE SUPPORT: Monitors employee related legislation compliance, including providing guidance on regulatory updates, and supplying to the development of guidelines and procedures to ensure compliance with regulations. Responsible for staying continuously updated on the latest legislative changes.
• QUALITY ASSURANCE & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Leads moderately complex projects related to process optimization and standardization, including implementing accountability measures and processes to ensure compliance, conducting analyses of human resources administrative services performance metrics, and identifying areas of opportunity to enhance services.
• BENEFIT SERVICES ADMINISTRATION: Maintains and reconciles employee related data and benefits records, and verifies and administers other human resources records and data, ensuring exceptions and errors are resolved in a timely manner.
• PROCESS IMPLEMENTATION: Monitors and ensures consistent implementation of new hire, termination, open enrollment, qualified life events and other employee benefit lifecycle-related processes.

• VENDOR MANAGEMENT: Supports the partnership with key vendors and stakeholders to hold vendors accountable for service delivery standards and metrics, and ensures they stay updated on the latest technologies, tools and methodologies.

Qualifications

• Minimum requirement of 2 years of relevant work experience.
• Minimum intermediate level experience in Microsoft Office Excel.

  Preferred Qualifications

• Communication skills in AI tools.
• Previous benefit experience in highly complex union/non-union environment.
• Previous Leave Administration experience in a multi-state environment.
• Previous payroll experience.

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Position Information

• Relocation assistance will not be provided.
• This is a hybrid position.
• This position is located in Wayzata, MN.

The expected salary for this position is $73k - 79k. Compensation varies depending on a wide array of factors including but not limited to the specific location, certifications, education, and level of experience. The disclosed range estimate may be adjusted for any applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled.

At Cargill we put people first. As part of your overall rewards, we offer a comprehensive benefit program including medical and/or other benefits dependent on the position offered and hours worked. Visit: to learn more (subject to certain collective bargaining agreements for Union positions).

Minnesota Sick and Safe Leave accruals of one hour for every 30 worked, up to 48 hours per calendar year unless otherwise provided by law.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Vet.