Employee Success & Benefits Specialist - Human Resources - UTK

Job Description

The Employee Success & Benefits Specialist provides operational and employee-facing support for the Employee Success Center, part of University of Tennessee, Knoxville Human Resources, focusing on benefits enrollment and customer service, new hire onboarding coordination, and ESC program logistics.

This position serves as a primary point of contact for University of Tennessee, Knoxville employees navigating benefits and onboarding, while also supporting resource maintenance and event logistics in collaboration with The Employee Success team members and HR partners. The Specialist works closely with UT System offices and campus HR partners to deliver a consistent, employee-centered experience.

Responsibilities

Benefits Customer Service and Enrollment Support

• Function as a primary resource for UTK employee benefits questions, offering knowledgeable support on health, retirement, and other available plans.
• Assist employees with benefits enrollment during new hire enrollment periods, special enrollment events, and open enrollment, ensuring accurate and timely completion of elections.
• Support employees in troubleshooting benefits-related issues, including coverage discrepancies, carrier concerns, and system or portal access problems.
• Refer issues that fall outside established guidelines to the appropriate UT System Benefits Office or partner and monitor to help ensure resolution.
• Communicate proactively with employees about extended benefits and programs offered through UT and the State of Tennessee, including but not limited to EAP, PerkSpot, Hinge Health, and available wellness programs.
• Work closely with UT System offices, including the Office of Insurance and Payroll and Benefits Administration, while participating in ongoing training and informational meetings to stay current on processes and offerings.
• Coordinate logistics and communications for benefits education sessions and vendor-led presentations.
• Conduct the insurance and retirement portion of UTK new employee orientation, providing information on available health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance plans, as well as TCRS and ORP retirement options, to help new hires make informed enrollment decisions.

New Hire Support

• Support onboarding processes by assisting with orientation roster management, organizing materials, and maintaining onboarding calendars and tracking systems.
• Send welcome emails, onboarding reminders, and other standardized communications to new employees.
• Monitor new hire progress using established dashboards and send reminder communications when steps are incomplete or nearing deadlines.
• Create, maintain, and update new hire benefits guides, FAQs, checklists, and resource materials using approved content.
• Direct complex or case-specific onboarding issues to the appropriate HR expert and follow through to conclusion, ensuring new hires remain supported and informed throughout the process.

Program Logistics and Team Support

• Support the Employee Success Center team by coordinating logistical elements of in-person Employee Success events and workshops, including materials preparation and roster checks, while Consultants retain responsibility for program content and overall delivery.
• Serve as the virtual host for designated Employee Success sessions, including opening sessions, introducing presenters, supporting attendees with technical needs, and moderating questions.
• Assist team members with defined project tasks, materials preparation, and process-based updates.
• Maintain internal documentation, standard operating procedures, and checklists as processes evolve.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field; OR Associate's degree and two years of relevant experience; OR High school diploma or equivalent and four years of relevant experience.
• Experience: Relevant experience in human resources, employee services, benefits support, onboarding, customer service, administrative support, or a related employee-facing service environment.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  
  • Candidates should have working knowledge of employee benefits programs, including health insurance and retirement, along with familiarity with onboarding processes, HR information systems, and HR confidentiality practices.
  • Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills and a friendly, employee-centered approach to customer service are essential.
  • Candidates must be organized, detail-oriented, able to manage multiple priorities with accuracy, and comfortable collaborating across teams while working within established processes and guidelines.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite is required. Experience with tools such as Smartsheet and Qualtrics, or the ability to learn new platforms quickly, is also required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field.
• Experience: Experience in HR, employee services, benefits administration, onboarding coordination, or a related field is preferred. Higher education, public sector, or similarly large and complex organizational experience is preferred. Experience working collaboratively across teams or departments, particularly in a role that requires coordination with a central or functional partner to deliver services, is preferred.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities :
  
  
  • Familiarity with benefits communications, new hire processes, or employee resource navigation.
  • Proficiency with HR systems, tracking tools, or workflow platforms such as Smartsheet, Qualtrics, or HRIS reporting tools is desirable.
  • An HR-related certification such as PHR or SHRM-CP is welcomed but not required.

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR07
• Anticipated hiring range: $44,000 - $48,000
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

About Us

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees-the Volunteers-who uphold the university's tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.


UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee's flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy's largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.


The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.


UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.


The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as "Best Employer for New Graduates," "One of America's Best Large Employers," and "Best Workplace for Women," and has been designated as "Best Place for Working Parents" by Forbes Magazine.


Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!