Benefits Specialist, Managed Organizations

Benefits Specialist, Managed Organizations (Durham, NC or Chicago, IL)

An experienced professional who will provide benefits administration expertise to Arabella Advisors’ managed nonprofit organization clients.

The Benefits Specialist is a member of a growing team of HR consultants at Arabella Advisors who provides expertise-based services to a suite of non-profit organizations with whom Arabella works, primarily the New Venture Fund.

Essential Responsibilities:

Client service (50%)

• Provide exceptional daily service on benefits-related inquiries to client staff, communicating quickly, effectively and efficiently. Includes maintaining a strong working knowledge of relevant benefit plans and laws.
• Support content development associated with benefits resources, intranet and proactive communication efforts. Identify, champion and develop new resources as needs arise

Benefits systems management (50%)

• Manage execution of open enrollment(s) among client organizations, and associated benefits renewal processes and vendor relationships
• Primary point of contact for benefits vendor relationships, liaising with vendors and advocating for staff as necessary
• Manage processes and quality control associated with producing consistently accurate and timely benefits programs, including periodically auditing processes and data flow systems, and advising, informing and supporting execution of process improvements
• Manage the annual benefits calendar and associated annual and ad hoc projects, including managing project plans, stakeholders and timelines
• Support experimental benefits management services or prototype models as needed

To Be Successful in This Role, You’ll Need: 

• Minimum 3 years of professional experience in HR, with exposure to benefits administration and open enrollment.
• Exposure to data administration. Strong Microsoft Excel capabilities.
• Working knowledge of benefits plans, benefits-related policies and associated laws (FMLA, COBRA, state disability laws, etc.)
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with a strong customer service mentality and high degree of integrity, accountability, and emotional intelligence.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. Demonstrated ability to manage high volume of tasks with shifting priorities and deadlines.
• Deeply inclined towards accountability to timelines, service level agreements, metrics, and excellence.
• Excellent analytic and problem-solving skills with the ability to take a thoughtful approach to addressing challenges.
• Experience administering benefits systems, preferably working with Ultimate Software and/or PlanSource.
• Experience in professional services environment, PEO or similar highly desired.
• Experience in rapid growth environment preferred.
• Adaptability.
• Passion for philanthropy, nonprofits, or foundation operations.
• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, preferably in related field.

About Arabella’s Managed Organizations Team 

Arabella Advisors provides operations and management support to multiple nonprofit organizations, including the New Venture Fund, the Windward Fund, and the Hopewell Fund—all 501(c)(3) public charities—and the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a 501(c)(4). These managed organizations house new and innovative public interest projects and nonprofits, as well as coordinate collaborative initiatives between donors and administer grants programs. This type of structure is commonly referred to as fiscal sponsorship, and candidates are highly encouraged to research fiscal sponsorship prior to a first interview. The managed organizations provide support to a diverse range of projects, including many focused on conservation, global health and civic engagement.  

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) 

Advancing DEI within our firm and in our work with partners is critical to our mission. To be effective partners to philanthropists, nonprofits, and communities impacted by philanthropic dollars, we need to have a highly diverse staff, a workplace where individuals are encouraged to retain their uniqueness and can feel a sense of belonging, and a nuanced understanding of the racial, ethnic, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, and other disparities that undergird the issues we engage in and the interactions we have with one another. For us, equity means that our staff members, our clients, and the people they serve can experience the same level of success, no matter their starting place. We expect all our employees to share this commitment, and always seek ways to improve how well we live these values. Click here to learn more about DEI at Arabella and read our official DEI statement.