Job Description

Senior Benefits Specialist

Department: Finance

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Austin, TX

Description

The Senior Payroll Specialist manages end-to-end payroll operations for a 1,000–2,000+ employee, multi-location organization, covering both exempt and non-exempt populations. This role requires deep expertise in payroll processing, payroll tax compliance, benefits and 401(k) administration, and the accounting knowledge needed to support accurate payroll-related journal entries and reconciliations.

In addition, this role serves as the company’s primary point of contact for employee benefits — fielding day-to-day questions from employees, safeguarding the accuracy of what the company pays for coverage, and partnering with our broker on claims trends and employee education to help manage cost over time.

Key Responsibilities

Benefits Administration

• Administer all aspects of our self insured benefits program, including enrollment, deductions, and reconciliation
• Serve as the primary resource for all employees on benefits questions — medical, dental, vision, FSA/HSA, life, and disability — providing timely, accurate guidance and escalating complex issues appropriately
• Reconcile benefits invoices monthly against the active employee census to confirm the company is billed only for active, eligible employees; resolve discrepancies directly with the broker and carriers
• Review benefits activity to the general ledger each month to ensure premiums, employer/employee contributions, and accruals are recorded accurately
• Partner with the broker to resolve enrollment, billing, eligibility, and claims issues as they arise
• Track claims history and utilization trends over time; use this data to partner with the broker on renewal strategy and plan design
• Lead employee education efforts (open enrollment communications, benefits fairs, one-on-one guidance) aimed at improving benefits literacy and driving down costs over time

Additional Responsibilities

• Serve as the backup Payroll Admin, providing support with hourly, salaried, and contractor payroll processing, troubleshooting, and continuity of operations as needed.
• Likely opportunity to take on additional ownership of key People functions, including Workers' Compensation and/or Leave of Absence administration, based on team priorities, capacity, and business needs.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• 5+ years of benefits experience, including self insurance management
• Payroll experience, including multi-state/multi-location environments
• Experience with 750+ employee population
• Strong knowledge of federal/state payroll tax and wage & hour compliance
• Hands-on experience with benefits reconciliation
• Working knowledge of payroll accounting: journal entries, GL reconciliation, accruals
• Experience serving as a benefits point of contact for employees, including plan education, open enrollment support, and resolving day-to-day coverage questions
• Experience working directly with benefits brokers/carriers on invoice reconciliation, eligibility audits, and claims issues
• Proficiency with Rippling, UMR, and Pareto preferred