People Operations & Benefits Specialist

The People Operations & Benefits Specialist supports day-to-day HR operations with an emphasis on benefits administration, HR technology, and responsive employee support. This onsite role in Saint Louis Park, MN acts as a primary point of contact for HR inquiries, coordinates benefits activities, and helps maintain accurate HR and benefits data across systems.

Role Overview

• First-line support for HR questions through the HR inbox and timely, professional responses.
• Administration of health and welfare benefits, including enrollment changes and terminations.
• Support for HR processes and employee lifecycle transactions, with a focus on data accuracy and reporting needs.
• Coordination of onboarding, offboarding, leave, and accommodation workflows as part of HR operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as first-line support for HR-related inquiries, managing the HR inbox and responding to employee questions in a timely and professional manner.
• Triage inquiries, resolve complex or sensitive issues when possible, and escalate unresolved matters as needed.
• Administer health and welfare benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and ancillary plans.
• Manage benefit enrollments, changes, and terminations, including COBRA administration.
• Ensure accurate data transfer and reconciliation between the HRIS and benefit vendor systems.
• Maintain benefits system configuration and support data integrity efforts.
• Plan and execute open enrollment activities.
• Maintain employee records and ensure data accuracy within the HRIS (Paylocity).
• Analyze and process employee lifecycle transactions including hires, terminations, and job changes.
• Conduct audits of HR and benefits data and support reporting needs, including benefit eligibility and ad hoc reports.
• Manage onboarding and offboarding processes and other HR operational workflows.
• Administer employee accommodation requests and support the ADA interactive process, escalating as needed.
• Administer leave processes for the Talent consultant population, coordinating with internal teams and external vendors.
• Partner with Finance, Staffing Operations, and external vendors to support accurate and timely processing.
• Identify recurring issues, trends, or process gaps and communicate them to leadership.
• Build knowledge of benefits compliance requirements, including ACA, and support related tracking, reporting, and audit activities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple workflows and prioritize effectively.
• Ability to follow established processes and use sound judgment within defined guidelines.
• Customer-focused approach to employee support.
• Basic understanding of HR practices, including benefits administration and HR operations.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• Proficient with, or able to quickly learn, HRIS systems (Paylocity preferred) and benefits platforms.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field preferred, or equivalent experience.
• Approximately 2–4 years of HR or People Operations experience, with exposure to benefits administration and HR systems.

Technologies

• Microsoft Office Suite
• Paylocity

Compensation

Compensation: Competitive base salary of $62,500–$78,000 per year, depending upon experience.

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (401k, IRA)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Training & Development
• Wellness Resources

Keywords

Human Resources Coordinator, HR Coordinator, HR Admin, Staffing Industry experience, People Operations Specialist, HR Operations Specialist, People Operations Coordinator, Human Resources Specialist, Benefits Administrator