HR Benefits, Leave and HRIS Specialist

JOB: Benefits, Leave & HRIS Specialist

LOCATION: Rockville, MD 

REPORTS TO: HR Director 

HOURS: M-THURS - (Closed on Fridays) Full-Time

PAY: $65,000+ annually depending on experience

FREE PARKING AT ALL SITES

BENEFITS:
Health/Dental/Vision Insurance
FSA
HSA
Life Insurance
401K Contributions
Disability Insurance
Paid Time Off
Every Friday off
Free Parking
Paid Maternity and Paternity Leave
STD/LTD/ADD Insurance (short-term disability, long-term disability and accidental death and dismemberment insurance)

About the Role

We are seeking a highly organized, detail-oriented, and service-minded Benefits, Leave & HRIS Specialist to join our Human Resources team. This position plays a critical role in supporting our employees throughout the employment lifecycle, with primary responsibility for benefits administration, leave administration, and HCM/HRIS management, along with responsibility for administering biweekly payroll.

The ideal candidate is someone who enjoys being the go-to resource for employees and managers, can confidently navigate complex benefits and leave questions, and has a strong understanding of HR systems and data integrity. This individual will work closely with the HR Director, employees, managers, benefit vendors, payroll partners, and other internal stakeholders to ensure HR programs and processes are administered accurately, efficiently, and with a high level of customer service.

What You'll Do

Benefits Administration

· Administer the organization's health, dental, vision, life, disability, FSA/HSA, retirement, and other employee benefit programs.

· Manage benefit enrollments and eligibility for new hires, qualifying life events, status changes, and terminations.

· Coordinate annual Open Enrollment, including employee communications, system administration, enrollment support, and reconciliation.

· Serve as a primary resource for employees and managers regarding benefit plans, eligibility, enrollment, claims, and plan questions.

· Partner with benefit brokers, carriers, and vendors to resolve enrollment, eligibility, billing, and claims issues.

· Conduct regular benefits audits to ensure accurate data between the HCM system and benefit carriers.

· Administer 401(k) processes, including employee inquiries, enrollments, contribution changes, eligibility, and coordination with the plan administrator.

· Support benefits compliance, required notices, audits, and reporting.

Leave Administration

· Administer employee leaves of absence, including FMLA, short- and long-term disability, personal and medical leave, and other applicable leaves.

· Manage the leave process from initial request through return to work, ensuring required documentation and deadlines are appropriately managed.

· Serve as a knowledgeable resource to employees and managers regarding leave policies, eligibility, documentation, and processes.

· Coordinate with employees, managers, healthcare providers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators.

· Partner with the HR Director regarding ADA accommodation considerations and other employment matters related to leave and disability.

· Maintain accurate and confidential leave records.

HCM / HRIS Administration

· Serve as a key administrator and subject matter resource for the organization's HCM/HRIS platform.

· Maintain accurate employee data throughout the employee lifecycle, including new hires, transfers, promotions, compensation changes, leaves, and terminations.

· Process and audit employee information to ensure data integrity across HR, benefits, timekeeping, and payroll.

· Maintain electronic personnel records and ensure required documentation is completed and retained.

· Manage system access and security permissions.

· Create and maintain HR reports and assist with audits and data analysis.

· Support system enhancements, integrations, testing, upgrades, and process improvements.

· Train employees and managers on relevant HRIS functionality and employee self-service tools.

Payroll Administration

· Administer the organization's biweekly payroll process accurately and timely.

· Review timekeeping, employee changes, benefit deductions, taxes, and other payroll-related information.

· Process payroll changes, including new hires, terminations, compensation changes, deductions, direct deposits, and tax elections.

· Review payroll reports and resolve discrepancies prior to payroll finalization.

· Process 401(k), garnishment, benefit, and other required payroll transactions.

· Respond to employee questions regarding payroll, timekeeping, deductions, and related matters.

· Assist with year-end payroll activities and W-2 reporting.

HR Operations & Employee Support

· Provide exceptional customer service to employees and managers regarding benefits, leave, payroll, HRIS, policies, and general HR questions.

· Maintain strict confidentiality of employee, medical, benefits, compensation, and payroll information.

· Assist with new hire onboarding and orientation.

· Support the HR Director with HR projects, reporting, audits, communications, policy updates, and process improvements.

· Identify opportunities to improve HR processes, employee experience, data accuracy, and operational efficiency.

What We're Looking For

· Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred.

· 5+ years of progressive HR experience, with demonstrated experience in benefits and leave administration.

· Hands-on experience administering employee benefit programs and leaves of absence.

· Working knowledge of FMLA, ADA, disability leave, and applicable employment regulations.

· Experience administering an HCM/HRIS system; Paylocity experience is highly desirable.

· Experience administering payroll, preferably in a multi-department or multi-location organization.

· Strong attention to detail and excellent organizational and time-management skills.

· Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive employee matters.

· Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

· Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with HR, Finance, managers, employees, and external vendors.

· Strong customer-service orientation and a genuine interest in supporting employees.

Why This Role Matters

This is an excellent opportunity for an HR professional who wants to have meaningful ownership of core HR operations rather than being narrowly focused on one area. You will play a key role in ensuring employees have a positive experience with their benefits, leave programs, payroll, and HR technology while helping the HR team continuously improve its processes and systems.

The ideal candidate is a strong HR operations professional who is equally comfortable answering an employee's benefits question, troubleshooting an HCM issue, managing a complex leave, auditing HR data, and ensuring payroll is accurate and on time.