Total Rewards Specialist - Benefits/Payroll

Overview

A growing organization is seeking a detail-oriented and compliance-focused Total Rewards Specialist to join their HR team. This mid-level role involves managing benefits administration and leave of absence (LOA) programs, supporting payroll auditing and backup processing, and contributing to special HR projects. The position is fully remote within the United States.

Responsibilities

Benefits & Leave Administration

• Manage daily administration of group benefits programs including medical, dental, vision, 401k, life, and disability insurance.
• Serve as the primary contact for multi-state leaves of absence, ensuring compliance with FMLA, ADA, and state-specific paid family leave and disability laws.
• Provide empathetic and clear guidance to employees regarding benefit plans, claim escalations, and leave requests.
• Support the annual Open Enrollment process by collaborating on strategy, managing communications, and executing benefit system configuration changes.

Auditing, Compliance & Financials

• Reconcile monthly group benefit invoices, identify discrepancies, and coordinate with vendors to resolve billing issues.
• Ensure benefit and leave programs comply with federal and state regulations such as ACA, COBRA, ERISA, and HIPAA.
• Assist with required filings and testing including 5500s and non-discrimination testing.
• Conduct regular audits of HRIS data, benefit deductions, and leave tracking to maintain accuracy between HR systems and third-party vendors.

Payroll Backup & Special Projects

• Partner with the payroll team to audit payroll cycles prior to finalization.
• Train on end-to-end payroll processing to serve as a primary backup when needed.
• Participate in broader HR initiatives including system migrations, total rewards statements, and wellness program implementations.

Requirements

• 3 to 5 years of experience in HR with a focus on benefits administration and leave of absence management.
• Proven expertise managing leaves and benefits across multiple states, with knowledge of state-specific disability and paid family leave regulations.
• Experience with payroll processing or auditing preferred, or a strong aptitude and eagerness to learn.
• Hands-on experience with HRIS and benefits administration systems; comfort with system backend configuration, especially for Open Enrollment, is a plus.
• Experience with Dayforce is advantageous.
• Strong communication skills to translate complex benefit and compliance information into clear, employee-friendly language.
• Ability to adapt and contribute broadly within a small team, balancing analytical tasks with employee-facing interactions.

Compensation & Benefits

• Robust benefits package including health, dental, and 401k with company match.
• Flexible Time Off policy or generous PTO plan (role dependent) and paid holidays.
• Up to 4 weeks paid bonding leave.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Employee Assistance Program offering free counseling 24/7/365, financial counseling, legal guidance, adoption assistance, and more.
• 24/7 access to virtual medical care.
• Quarterly peer-nominated awards.
• Regional discounts and perks.
• Opportunities to participate in charitable events and community giving.

Location

• This is a 100% remote position within the United States.

Additional Information

• The organization values diversity and inclusion and encourages candidates who may not meet every qualification to apply.
• Artificial intelligence tools may be used to assist in the hiring process, but final decisions are made by humans.
• Salary range will be discussed during the interview process and depends on qualifications, experience, and budget.
• Salary estimates from external websites may not reflect the actual range for this position.