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Job Purpose and Impact

The Professional, Benefit Specialist - Leave role performs moderately complex human resources services spanning data administration, learning administration, service delivery enablement, vendor management and claim coordination, leave claim and policy administration, leave claim resolution, payroll coordination and calculation and other transactions to ensure the successful operations of the human resources administrative services. Under limited supervision, this job provides information to employees, managers and vendors, and integrates information flow within a service delivery model. This position also supports benefit service administration activities including system administration, coordination with other operational teams and other day-to-day and project related work which could include complex benefit analysis.

Key Accountabilities

• EMPLOYEE SUPPORT: Provides information to employees and managers to address questions and performs moderately complex transactions on employee leave programs and policies, including, but not limited to:  short and long term disability, salary continuation, Cargill Paid Family Leave, state-mandated leave and disability programs.
• LEAVE MANAGEMENT:  Understand end-to-end leave management including participating in complex payroll calculations, employee escalations and maintaining knowledge of US leave administration in a complex multi-state union and non-union environment. Interact frequently with onsite vendor liaison and Senior Benefits Specialist.
• HR RESEARCH: Assesses the organization's leave and leave administration processes, standards and performance metrics, identifies impacts to the organization's benefits administrative services, processes and standards, and proposes improvements to leadership.
• COMPLIANCE SUPPORT: Monitors evolving legislative landscape ensures compliance. Provides guidance on regulatory updates and the development of guidelines and procedures to ensure compliance with regulations. Responsible for continuously learning most recent legislative updates. 
• QUALITY ASSURANCE & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Leads moderately complex projects related to process optimization and standardization, including implementing accountability measures and processes to ensure compliance, conducting analyses of leave administration services performance metrics, and identifying areas of opportunity to enhance services.
• BENEFIT SERVICES ADMINISTRATION: Maintains and reconciles employee related data and benefits records, and verifies and administers other human resources records and data, ensuring exceptions and errors are resolved in a timely manner.
• VENDOR MANAGEMENT: Supports the partnership with key vendors and stakeholders to hold vendors accountable for service delivery standards and metrics.

Qualifications

• Minimum requirement of 3+ years of leave-related work experience. 
• Previous leave administration experience in a complex multi-state environment.
• Minimum intermediate-level experience in Microsoft Office Excel.
• Demonstrates exceptional communication skills, effectively explaining and de-escalating complex situations while engaging with diverse populations in a clear, respectful, and professional manner.
• Ability to work under limited supervision.

Preferred

• Previous payroll experience.
• Communication skills in AI tools.
• Previous benefit experience in highly complex union/non-union environment.