Benefits Specialist

Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, one of the largest providers of sexual and reproductive healthcare in Southern California, is seeking a detail-oriented and service-focused Benefits Specialist to play a key role in delivering a seamless and engaging benefits experience for employees. In this role, you will lead the day-to-day administration of employee benefits and retirement programs, including enrollments, qualifying life events, terminations, and support for open enrollment. You will serve as a primary point of contact for employee benefit inquiries and work closely with vendors, brokers, payroll, and other stakeholders to resolve issues efficiently, ensure compliance, and drive process improvements. Benefits Administration & Employee Support Lead day‑to‑day administration of benefit enrollments, life events, and terminations, ensuring timely and accurate updates in the HCM/benefits administration system. Serve as a primary escalation point for complex employee benefit questions and provide clear guidance to help employees make informed benefit decisions. Research and resolve coverage, claims, and billing issues by partnering with carriers, vendors, and brokers. Develop and deliver ongoing benefits education, including employee‑facing resources, communications, and guidance. Open Enrollment (Execution & Improvement) Coordinate and execute operational components of the annual open enrollment process, including system readiness, audit and approval of changes, and employee‑facing process support. Identify and implement improvements to open enrollment workflows, documentation, and employee resources year over year. Vendor, Broker & Third‑Party Partnership Manage ongoing relationships with benefit vendors and brokers to resolve eligibility, service, and billing issues. Coordinate with third‑party administrators (e.g., COBRA vendors) to monitor processes and support compliance requirements. Billing, Reconciliation & Data Integrity Process, audit, and reconcile monthly benefit invoices; investigate discrepancies in partnership with vendors and internal teams. Support eligibility and data feeds (including EDI and non‑EDI vendors) by auditing files and resolving data mismatches. Partner closely with Payroll to support accurate benefit deductions and consistent application of benefit processes. Benefits Systems & Documentation Maintain the automated benefits administration system within the HCM by auditing data, reviewing and approving changes, and troubleshooting system issues. Develop, maintain, and update benefits “how‑to” guides and employee self‑service resources; ensure documentation remains accurate and accessible. Cross‑Functional Partnership & Process Improvement Lead day‑to‑day benefits administration workflows and recommend process improvements that strengthen data accuracy, operational efficiency, and employee experience. Job Description Support, Independent Contractor Pre‑Boarding & Talent Strategy Department Support Support job description‑related work, including formatting, updates, version control, and coordination through review and approval processes. Help manage pre‑boarding activities for independent contractors, including coordination of required documentation, communication, and process tracking. Provide day‑to‑day operational support to the Talent Strategy department, including scheduling, maintaining documents and trackers, preparing materials, and routing items for review. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience – Required 3+ years of benefits administration experience, including enrollments, qualifying life events, open enrollment execution, vendor coordination, and benefits systems support – Required Strong working knowledge of benefit plan administration and HCM/benefits systems – Required $32.90 – $37.10 an hour At Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, the philosophy behind our compensation efforts is to foster workplace equity by aligning pay and benefit structures with our Agency’s mission and values. We strive to communicate openly and transparently about the goals of the Agency and the design of the compensation policies, ensuring a consistent and equitable compensation program. Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Please visit our careers page for more information: #J-18808-Ljbffr