Senior Human Resources Specialist - Benefits and Leave

About the opportunity SWCA seeks a Senior Human Resources Specialist – Benefits and Leave (HR Title = Senior Human Resources Specialist – Total Rewards) to join our Total Rewards team. This position provides primary support for Benefits and Leave Administration. The position supports the administration of various employee benefits and leave of absence programs across a multi-state environment ensuring compliance with all relevant policies and governance. This is a regular (with benefits), full-time, hourly position with benefits that can be performed remotely from anywhere in the United States. Application deadline: Our team will begin reviewing applications immediately, and interviews will be scheduled with qualified candidates on a rolling basis. The application process will remain open until we have received a robust pool of qualified candidates. Once we have identified suitable individuals, we may close the application process without prior notice. We appreciate the time and effort invested by all applicants and will carefully consider each submission. Our Vision (the North Star): Make SWCA the best workplace and an industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We are #OneSWCA . We collaborate, we are #AlwaysLearning , we #NeverSettle and we #GiveBack . We are 100% employee-owned, and we build our success together. It is imperative for the successful candidate to fit SWCA's unique culture. Do you appreciate sustainability and environmental awareness? Is giving back to your community a priority? SWCA is a team of scientists, planners, technical experts, and corporate services professionals committed to our culture. Our company purpose is to preserve natural and cultural resources for tomorrow while enabling projects that benefit people today. You are invited to be a part of our success story. What you will accomplish Serves as a resource to new, existing, and former employees as it relates to the company’s benefits, wellness, and leave programs. Assists with preparing and facilitating benefits educational webinars to promote employee participation in all Total Rewards program offerings. Acts as a member of the Total Rewards team to research and resolve benefits related inquiries, with insurance providers and other benefit administrators, in a timely fashion. This includes assisting employees with benefit claims, eligibility, and plan provisions. Maintains accurate benefits and leave of absence records within HR systems and vendor platforms, ensuring data integrity, documentation accuracy, and compliance with company policies and applicable regulations. Assists in developing and delivering communications and educational resources that promote awareness around the company’s Total Rewards philosophy and programs, including benefits, wellness and leave programs. Supports the administration of employee leave programs (eligibility, documentation requirements, timelines, and return-to-work procedures) including FMLA, state and local leave laws, parental leave, military leave, and company-sponsored leave programs in a multi-state environment. Supports HR Business Partners and operations leaders in coordinating the interactive process for ADA accommodation requests. Assists with implementation, administration, and user experience in the benefits enrollment platform in the Human Resources Information System (HRIS). Performs data reporting and retrieval activities within the HRIS system to monitor benefit program utilization, benefits data maintenance, and audits using intermediate Excel skills. Assists with completing benefits and leave reporting requirements as needed as well as receiving and managing vendor file feeds. Assists in the development, implementation, and maintenance of benefits and leave Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure departmental efforts are performed in an effective and efficient manner. May be called upon to assist other Total Rewards functions (i.e., compensation, HRIS, Rewards). Experience and qualifications for success Must demonstrate a strong knowledge and understanding of employee benefits as normally obtained through the completion of a high school diploma or equivalent. Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources or related field, preferred. Maintains a current working knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations concerning employee benefit practices, FMLA, ADA, multi-state leave laws, ensuring departmental policies and procedures meet compliance requirements. Demonstrated experience in employee benefits and leave administration in a multi-state environment, HR compliance, or other programs requiring the ability to interpret and apply federal, state, local laws and company policies, is expected. Typically demonstrated through one year of related professional experience; two years of related experience in a multi‑state or highly regulated HR environment is preferred. Proficiency in HR systems and intermediate Excel skills required. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Must demonstrate time management and organizational skills to support various benefit programs and retirement plans in a fast-paced environment. Must demonstrate excellent customer care and focus to assess employee needs. Must be able to troubleshoot and resolve employee benefit and leave issues in a timely fashion, while being professional, empathetic, and informative. Must be a team player demonstrating strong teamwork and collaborative skills while delivering excellent customer service. The ability to work effectively within a team environment and follow direction is critical to the success of this role. Why Work at SWCA: SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services. Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack. We are 100% employee-owned , and we build our success together. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms . We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including an 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement). If you need assistance accessing SWCA’s website, completing the online application, or require accommodations at any point during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; other inquiries will not receive a response. SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees. In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency. An employee in this position can expect a rate of $27.04/hr. to $35.44/hr. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA’s Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive benefits package ( https://www.swca.com/careers/benefits-wellness/ ), forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more. SWCA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply . EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success. SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA’s continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers. #LI-NP1 Serves as a resource to new, existing, and former employees as it relates to the company's benefits, wellness, and leave programs. Assists with preparing and facilitating benefits educational webinars to promote employee participation in all Total Rewards program offerings. Acts as a member of the Total Rewards team to research and resolve benefits related inquiries, with insurance providers and other benefit administrators, in a timely fashion. This includes assisting employees with benefit claims, eligibility, and plan provisions. Maintains accurate benefits and leave of absence records within HR systems and vendor platforms, ensuring data integrity, documentation accuracy, and compliance with company policies and applicable regulations. Assists in developing and delivering communications and educational resources that promote awareness around the company's Total Rewards philosophy and programs, including benefits, wellness and leave programs. Supports the administration of employee leave programs (eligibility, documentation requirements, timelines, and return-to-work procedures) including FMLA, state and local leave laws, parental leave, military leave, and company-sponsored leave programs in a multi-state environment. Supports HR Business Partners and operations leaders in coordinating the interactive process for ADA accommodation requests. Assists with implementation, administration, and user experience in the benefits enrollment platform in the Human Resources Information System (HRIS). Performs data reporting and retrieval activities within the HRIS system to monitor benefit program utilization, benefits data maintenance, and audits using intermediate Excel skills. Assists with completing benefits and leave reporting requirements as needed as well as receiving and managing vendor file feeds. Assists in the development, implementation, and maintenance of benefits and leave Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure departmental efforts are performed in an effective and efficient manner. May be called upon to assist other Total Rewards functions (i.e., compensation, HRIS, Rewards). Must demonstrate a strong knowledge and understanding of employee benefits as normally obtained through the completion of a high school diploma or equivalent. Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources or related field, preferred. Maintains a current working knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations concerning employee benefit practices, FMLA, ADA, multi-state leave laws, ensuring departmental policies and procedures meet compliance requirements. Demonstrated experience in employee benefits and leave administration in a multi-state environment, HR compliance, or other programs requiring the ability to interpret and apply federal, state, local laws and company policies, is expected. Typically demonstrated through one year of related professional experience; two years of related experience in a multi‑state or highly regulated HR environment is preferred. Proficiency in HR systems and intermediate Excel skills required. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Must demonstrate time management and organizational skills to support various benefit programs and retirement plans in a fast-paced environment. Must demonstrate excellent customer care and focus to assess employee needs. Must be able to troubleshoot and resolve employee benefit and leave issues in a timely fashion, while being professional, empathetic, and informative. Must be a team player demonstrating strong teamwork and collaborative skills while delivering excellent customer service. The ability to work effectively within a team environment and follow direction is critical to the success of this role. Why Work at SWCA: SWCA Environmental Consultants is a growing employee-owned firm, providing a full-spectrum of environmental services. Our Vision (the North Star) is to make SWCA the best workplace and industry leader in sustainability, bringing sound science and creative solutions to global environmental challenges while maintaining a dedication to employee-ownership. We live our core values: we collaborate as #OneSWCA; we are #AlwaysLearning, we #NeverSettle, and we #GiveBack. We are 100% employee-owned , and we build our success together. With offices across the United States, SWCA is one of the largest environmental compliance firms and ranks among Engineering News-Record's Top 200 Environmental Firms . We offer a supportive, team-oriented work environment and competitive wages and benefits, including an 100% employee stock ownership plan (retirement). If you need assistance accessing SWCA's website, completing the online application, or require accommodations at any point during the hiring process due to a disability, please contact us at accommodations@swca.com or call 1-480-581-5378. We're committed to providing an inclusive and supportive experience for all candidates. This contact information is specifically for accommodation requests; other inquiries will not receive a response. SWCA is committed to salary equity and salary transparency for all its employees. In alignment with this commitment, SWCA posts good faith pay ranges in all its advertised job postings to promote pay equity and transparency. An employee in this position can expect a rate of $27.04/hr. to $35.44/hr. Actual pay within this range may depend on experience, qualifications, geographic location, client requirements where applicable, and other factors permitted by law. Regular-status employees are also eligible for performance bonuses. Candidates are also encouraged to consider SWCA's Total Rewards package, which includes a competitive benefits package ( https://www.swca.com/careers/benefits-wellness/ ), forward-thinking workplace flexibility, outstanding corporate culture, award-winning career development, and more. SWCA is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply . EOE - women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans are encouraged to apply. At SWCA Environmental Consultants, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds, including those with diverse experiences and veterans, to apply. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce enhances creativity, innovation, and overall organizational success. SWCA continues to invest deeply in career development programs, delivering our award-winning Career Landscape support resources to accelerate the growth of our staff. We recognize the valuable skills and experiences our internal team members bring to SWCA's continued success. Qualified internal candidates are encouraged to apply and will be seriously considered for this position. We believe in promoting from within, where possible, providing our existing employees with compelling opportunities to advance their careers. #LI-NP1