Benefits & Leave Administrator

Benefits & Leave Administrator

At SJE, we are more than a company — we are a family of brands with a shared vision and mission to provide industry-leading, innovative, and reliable control and monitoring solutions that improve efficiencies, protect the environment, and deliver dependable solutions to our valued customers. We are looking for a Benefits and Leave Administrator to join our corporate HR team. This role is hybrid and can work out of our Plymouth or Detroit Lakes, MN, Ashland, OH or Birmingham, AL locations.

The job: As our Benefits and Leave Administrator, you will lead and manage the day-to-day administration, compliance, and continuous improvement of SJE's employee benefits and leave programs across our multi-state engineering and manufacturing organization. SJE has 800 employees across 14 U.S. locations and growing through acquisitions!

This is a highly visible role that serves as the primary administrator and subject matter expert for benefits, leave management, workers' compensation, and wellness initiatives.

You will own the full lifecycle administration of employee benefit programs including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, short-term disability, long-term disability, COBRA, wellness initiatives, and leave of absence programs. You will partner closely with employees, leaders, vendors, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators to ensure a concierge level of employee experience while maintaining compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations.

In this role, you will independently manage leave of absence and ADA accommodation processes, coordinate workers' compensation claims and return-to-work programs, reconcile benefit billing, oversee open enrollment activities, support 401(k) administration, maintain accurate HRIS and vendor data, and develop employee communication and training materials related to benefits and leave programs.

You will also play a key role in analyzing participation trends, identifying process improvements, supporting organizational HR initiatives, and helping enhance employee engagement and wellness efforts across SJE. This role requires a high level of ownership, judgment, confidentiality, organization and the ability to manage complex employee situations with professionalism and care. Travel required 10-15%.

The skills, education, and experience you need:

• Have strong knowledge of employee benefits, leave administration, and compliance requirements including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, ADA, OSHA, and applicable state leave laws
• Have experience independently administering and managing health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, leave of absence, and workers' compensation programs from onboarding through offboarding
• Be comfortable serving as the primary point of contact and subject matter expert for employee questions related to benefits, leave administration, accommodations, and eligibility
• Have experience managing complex leave and accommodation situations while maintaining confidentiality, compliance, and excellent employee service
• Be familiar with multi-state leave and benefit administration requirements and changing employment regulations
• Have experience coordinating open enrollment processes, benefits communications, vendor relationships, billing reconciliation, and annual compliance activities
• Have experience working within HRIS, preferably UKG, along with third-party benefit administration platforms
• Possess exceptional organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills with strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with employees at all levels of the organization
• Be highly self-directed with the ability to prioritize competing responsibilities, manage sensitive information, and exercise sound judgment independently

A 4-year degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field is required, along with 7+ years of progressive experience in benefits and leave administration. Professional certifications such as SHRM, CEBS, or related certifications are preferred.

When you are considering a new job, it is normal to have a ton of questions. Here are a few questions we are asked all the time.

• What are the business hours? Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm.
• What is your Paid Time Off and holiday policy? Up to 120 hours of Paid Time Off in your first year plus 8 paid holidays.
• What is the starting salary? The starting salary will be $65,000 - $95,000 per year and will depend on location and experience.
• What benefits do you offer? We offer a robust benefits package including health, life, short-term and long-term disability insurance as well as dental and vision programs you need to take care of your family, along with other benefit options.
• What is my commute? The address to our locations can be found at

We will answer more of your questions during the first interview. Expect to hear about the next steps if you meet the job requirements.

Why Work With Us At SJE, we believe in empowering our employees to grow professionally while making a real impact. We offer competitive pay, excellent benefits, and a collaborative culture that encourages creativity and problem-solving. Join us and become a part of something bigger. Join a company where you're not just working—you're building a legacy!

Learn more and apply on-line at SJE is an Equal Opportunity Employer.