Leave and Benefits Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY: The Leave and Benefits Specialist is primarily responsible for the day-to-day administration and support of employee leave of absence programs. The incumbent coordinates closely with third-party leave vendors, monitoring claims activity, ensuring accurate and timely processing, managing critical daily file integrations between leave and disability third-party administrators , and responding to employee and manager inquiries related to leave. The Leave and Benefits Specialist supports operational execution, data accuracy, and issue resolution across leave processes and serves as a key point of contact between employees, HR partners, payroll, and external vendors. In addition, the incumbent may provide backup support for health and welfare benefit administration as needed, including assisting with eligibility updates, vendor coordination, and employee inquiries, to ensure continuity of service and operational coverage. PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES: Daily Leave & Disability File Integration Processing Manage the end-to-end daily processing, monitoring, and validation of critical integration files exchanged between leave and disability third-party administrators, including confirming timely transmission and receipt; reconciling file results; researching errors, rejected records, and missing data; coordinating corrections with vendors and internal partners; and confirming issues are resolved to protect the accuracy and timeliness of employee leave, disability, payroll, and benefit records. Leave of Absence & Vendor Coordination Serve as the primary internal liaison for the third-party leave and disability vendor. Monitor leave cases to ensure timely intake, accurate status updates, and appropriate employee communications from the vendor. Review vendor reports and case data for accuracy and completeness; follow up on discrepancies or service gaps. Coordinate escalations, complex cases, and service issues with the vendor to support employee experience and timely resolution. Support leave vendor implementations, transitions, and ongoing process improvements. Benefits Administration Support Assist employees with benefits questions, enrollment navigation, life event changes, and eligibility issues. Support benefit processes impacted by leave events, including benefit continuation, reinstatement, and payroll deductions. Partner with benefits vendors and carriers to resolve enrollment, eligibility, and coverage issues. Manage and respond to employee and internal partner inquiries received through shared email and the internal ticketing system while monitoring the overall queue, prioritizing or assigning work as appropriate, and ensuring timely, accurate, and complete resolution in accordance with service expectations . Monitor incoming benefits mail and distribute documents promptly to the appropriate team member, vendor, or internal partner for review and action. Data, Systems & Payroll Coordination Ensure accurate data flow between leave vendors, benefits administrators, HRIS, and payroll systems. Review and reconcile vendor feeds, reports, and employee records; identify and resolve errors in partnership with internal teams. Coordinate with payroll to support accurate pay status, deductions, and benefit premiums during and after leave. Open Enrollment & Ongoing Operations Support Open Enrollment activities, including testing, audits, employee support, and issue resolution. Assist with maintenance of benefit documentation, FAQs, and employee communications. Identify recurring issues and opportunities to simplify processes or improve employee understanding. Performs other job-related duties as assigned or apparent. QUALIFICATIONS: Prior experience in leave administration, benefits administration, HR operations, or working with a third-party leave or benefits vendor. Experience supporting both leave administration and health & welfare benefits Experience in a vendor-managed or shared-services HR model Familiarity with HRIS, benefits administration platforms, and payroll systems Experience supporting Open Enrollment or vendor transitions MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: 2–4 years of experience in leave administration or benefits administration with experience working with third-party leave and/or benefits vendors Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accurate, timely processing Strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify discrepancies, research root causes, and manage issues through resolution Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including sorting, filtering, formulas, lookups, and reconciling data across files Experience using absence management systems or comparable case-management platforms Strong organizational skills and follow-through while managing high-volume, deadline-driven daily processes Strong communication skills with an employee-focused approach This position is a hybrid role based at Republic Service's headquarters in Phoenix, AZ. Hybrid is 4-days per week onsite, and 1-day remote. This position will not be eligible to be fully remote. Please note, our Leave and Benefits Specialist position is not sponsorship eligible. Rewarding Compensation and Benefits Eligible employees can elect to participate in: • Comprehensive medical benefits coverage, dental plans and vision coverage. • Health care and dependent care spending accounts.  • Short- and long-term disability. • Life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment insurance. • Employee and Family Assistance Program (EAP). • Employee discount programs. • Retirement plan with a generous company match. • Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). • Paid Time Off (PTO) • Benefits: https://jobs.republicservices.com/us/en/about-us/benefits The statements used herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by an employee in this position, and are not i