Benefits Administrator (West)

The Benefits Administrator manages day-to-day benefit administration for the SFO workforce and helps employees understand and access the programs available to them. The role is responsible for accurate eligibility, enrollment, deductions, records, employee communications, vendor coordination, and issue resolution across health and welfare and related benefit programs. This position operates at the intersection of company plans, collective bargaining obligations, government-contract requirements, and SFO-specific health and benefit standards. Success requires exceptional attention to detail, strong employee-service instincts, and the ability to organize ambiguous or incomplete information into an accurate, compliant resolution.

Location: San Franciso, CA 

Key Responsibilities

• Administer employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, flexible spending, commuter, voluntary, and other programs applicable to the SFO workforce.
• Process and audit new-hire enrollments, qualifying life events, dependent changes, terminations, reinstatements, beneficiary changes, and other eligibility transactions within required timeframes.
• Serve as a knowledgeable and approachable resource for employees and dependents, explaining plan options, eligibility, costs, deadlines, and next steps in clear, practical language.
• Administer applicable SFO health and benefit requirements for covered employees, which may include the Healthy Airport Ordinance, Quality Standards Program, Health Care Accountability requirements, reporting, notices, waivers, and recordkeeping.
• Apply applicable collective bargaining agreement provisions, contract requirements, wage determinations, and health-and-welfare or fringe-benefit obligations accurately; identify conflicts or uncertainties and escalate them promptly.
• Reconcile benefit elections, carrier files, invoices, payroll deductions, employer contributions, arrears, and eligibility records; research and resolve discrepancies before they affect employees or compliance.
• Coordinate closely with Payroll, HR, Finance, Operations, benefits brokers, carriers, administrators, unions, and government or City program contacts to resolve enrollment and payment issues.
• Support leave and benefit coordination, including benefit continuation, employee communications, premium collection, return-to-work changes, and timely status updates to relevant systems and vendors.
• Administer required continuation and employee-notice processes, including COBRA or California continuation requirements, HIPAA special enrollment, summary plan materials, and other applicable benefit communications.
• Lead or support annual enrollment, new-hire benefit orientations, employee education sessions, benefit fairs, and targeted communications for employees working across multiple shifts.
• Maintain accurate, confidential benefit records and produce routine reports, audits, and supporting documentation for internal, carrier, contract, union, and regulatory reviews.
• Monitor recurring questions and errors, recommend process improvements, and develop checklists, employee guides, FAQs, and standard operating procedures.
• Stay current on benefit-plan changes and applicable federal, California, and SFO-specific requirements; translate changes into clear operational steps and employee communications.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Benefits Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Three or more years of hands-on employee benefit administration experience for a complex or high-volume workforce.
• Experience administering benefits for California employees and coordinating benefit implications of California leave and continuation requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to reconcile data across HR, payroll, carrier, invoice, and eligibility systems and resolve discrepancies accurately.
• Working knowledge of ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, Section 125, and other core benefit-administration requirements.
• Ability to interpret plan documents, eligibility rules, collective bargaining provisions, and contractual requirements and know when specialized guidance is needed.
• Strong employee-service, written communication, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency with HR and benefit systems and Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting a union-represented, government-contract, SCA-covered, airport, transportation, security, or 24/7 hourly workforce.
• Familiarity with SFO's Quality Standards Program, Healthy Airport Ordinance, City Option, or related City-contractor health requirements.
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now, ADP Workforce Manager, electronic carrier feeds, benefit invoice reconciliation, and high-volume annual enrollment.
• CEBS, SHRM-CP, PHR, Certified Employee Benefit Specialist coursework, or another relevant certification.
• Spanish, Tagalog, Cantonese, Mandarin, or another language commonly used within the local workforce.

Compensation Range: 

• The anticipated salary range the Employer reasonably expects to pay for this position is $80,000.00 – $95,000.00 annually