Benefits and Leave Specialist

Olson Kundig is a design practice founded on the ideas that buildings can serve as a bridge between nature, culture, and people, and that inspiring surroundings have a positive effect on people’s lives. The firm’s work can be found across the globe, with projects as wide-ranging as huts to high rises, homes - often for art collectors - to academic, cultural, and civic projects, museums and exhibition design, places of worship, creative production, urban design, and interior design. 

We are seeking a ​​​Benefits and Leave Specialist to manage and administer employee benefit programs—including health & wellness, 401(k), and time off and leave of absence—while supporting People Operations through accurate lifecycle data management and ensuring compliance with applicable policies and regulations.

To succeed in this role, you should be an ​adaptable self-starter who can prioritize and complete multiple projects and tasks with little guidance in a creative and dynamic environment​. This role will collaborate with ​internal teams​ to deliver exceptional results within specified deadlines.

Primary Responsibilities: 

​​​Health and Financial Benefits​​: 

• Manage day-to-day benefits administration, ensuring accurate employee data and vendor service delivery. Serve as an escalation point for complex employee benefits inquiries. 

• Oversee annual compliance requirements, including ACA reporting and required filings. 

• Administer the 401(k) program, including vendor coordination and employee education. 

• Lead the annual open enrollment process, including planning, system updates, employee communications, and vendor coordination. 

• Partner with benefits consultants on renewals, vendor changes, audits, and compliance across all benefit programs. 

• Reconcile benefit invoices and enrollment records monthly. 

• Develop, maintain, and update benefits procedures and related HR policies to ensure consistent administration. 

• Analyze benefits utilization, costs, and trends to identify cost savings and improvement opportunities. 

• Communicate benefits programs through presentations, written materials, and employee communication. 

​​Leave of Absence and Alternative Work Arrangements​​:

• ​​Responsible for processing leave requests and determining eligibility for FMLA and state leaves​. 

• ​​Track leave usage, and coordinate with payroll to ensure accurate coding. ​ 

• Assist with employee accommodations and employee relations.

​​People Operations​:

• Owns the accuracy and integrity of employee lifecycle data, partnering with HR and Payroll to administer all transactions across the full employee journey (hire to exit). 

• ​​Establishes and executes regular audit processes to ensure completeness, accuracy, and compliance of all HRIS data.​ 

• Facilitates performance review processes by capturing and maintaining documentation, ensuring alignment with HRIS records and lifecycle tracking. 

Additional duties and projects:

• Support the development and maintenance of company HR policies. Assist leadership with communicating HR policies, procedures, programs, and applicable laws.

• Evaluate and implement improvements to HR processes, administrative efficiency, and policy development.

• Participate in cross-functional or organizational committees as needed.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications 

Must Have: 

• Education: ​​Bachelor's​​ degree in ​Human Resources​ or closely related field.

• Experience: Minimum ​five (5)​ years of demonstrated experience administering complex benefits and leave processes accurately and independently. Demonstrated competency in understanding of relevant employment laws and regulations, including FMLA, ADA HIPAA, COBRA. Experience working with benefits and leave data, enrollment and invoice audits, and system integrations.

• Digital Literacy: Intermediate to advanced proficiency in understanding and skills with MS 360 Office Suite and tools

Nice to Have: 

• SHRM, PHR, GPHR, and/or CLMS certification.

• Experience managing or supporting 401(k) plans, including the annual audit process.

• Experience using Paylocity HRIS or Bswift Benefits

• Advance proficiency in Microsoft Excel and other data analysis tools, preferred. 

What You Can Expect

• A creative work environment and colleagues who are collaborative, creative, and challenging

• Opportunity to grow professionally

• Check our culture page to learn about life at Olson Kundig

This role is based in Seattle, Washington.

Equal Opportunity & Pay Transparency

Olson Kundig is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, gender, age, religion, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law. Applicants with disabilities may request reasonable accommodations at any point in the employment process.

In compliance with Washington State's Equal Pay & Opportunities Act (RCW 49.58.110), Olson Kundig provides transparent compensation information in all job postings. For this position based in Seattle, Washington, the annual salary is between $75,000 - $85,000. Final salary decisions are made based upon the extent and relevance of the candidate's experience, as well as internal equity and external market factors.

In addition to a dynamic and creative culture, Olson Kundig provides a generous benefits package that includes 16 days of paid time off, paid holidays, a health plan, a 401k match, bonuses, profit-sharing plans for qualified positions, a monthly travel subsidy for public transportation, and more.

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship and must already possess long-term work authorization.

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