Employee Benefits & Wellness Specialist

Join a team that nourishes life from farm to table! Upstate Niagara Cooperative, proudly owned by 200+ local family farms, is one of America’s largest and most stable dairy cooperatives. Guided by farmer- and employee-led values, we process and market high-quality milk, yogurt, dips, sour cream, cottage cheese, and more under our trusted brands: Upstate Farms®, Bison®, Milk for Life®, and Intense Milk®. Here, you’ll support sustainable farming, strong communities, and the mission to deliver fresh, local dairy to families every day.

The Employee Wellbeing and Benefits Specialist promotes and oversees the coordination of daily operations of the organization’s group benefit plans and wellness/wellbeing programs. This role ensures that employees receive excellent support and education on benefits, retirement, and wellbeing offerings. Reporting to the Director of Total Rewards, this role manages vendor relationships, supports benefits and retirement administration and compliance, and provides analytical support to leadership. Additionally, this role develops and coordinates wellness and wellbeing initiatives and programming to promote healthy lifestyles among employees.

Key Responsibilities

Benefits Program Administration

• Administer a wide range of benefit programs including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, wellness, and other voluntary benefits across union and non-union populations.
• Support benefits invoicing process by reviewing, reconciling, and processing monthly vendor invoices for accuracy and compliance across multiple plans; conducts regular and annual audits; collaborates with Finance to ensure timely payment and proper cost allocation.
• Support 401(k) plan administration, including employee enrollments, contribution changes, loans, and distributions.
• Manage COBRA administration and processing.

• Serve as a resource for employees and HR team members regarding benefit inquiries, eligibility, and issue resolution.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and union-specific benefit regulations (e.g., ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, ACA).

• Interpret and apply collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) related to benefits.
• Collaborate with labor relations and HR team members to ensure accurate administration of union-negotiated benefit and retirement plans.

• Assist with the negotiation and implementation of benefit and retirement programs.

Employee Education & Support

• Support and assist employees in understanding group benefit and 401(k) retirement program offerings.

• Coordinate and support new hire, life event and annual open enrollments, including employee communications, systems configuration and vendor collaboration.

• Oversee and promote wellness and wellbeing program initiatives and onsite activities aimed at improving employee health and productivity.

Continuous Improvement

• Maintain knowledge of trends, developments, and best practices in benefits and 401(k) administration; provides recommendations for changes and improvements.

• Maintain systems with accurate employee data.
• Update and deliver reports and dashboards to support compliance, budgeting, and strategic planning.
• Identify trends and recommend enhancements to improve program effectiveness and employee experience.

Other duties as may be assigned.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Human Resources, or a related field.

Experience

• Minimum 3 years of experience in complex employee benefits administration including health, dental, vision, life insurance, disability and medical reimbursement accounts.
• Experience executing wellness initiatives and programming across union and nonunion populations.
• 401(k) retirement plan administration and support
• UKG or similar HR platform experience required

Skills

• Applies strong attention to detail to maintaining accuracy in benefits administration and compliance.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret and communicate data.

• Advanced Excel skills required

• Customer service oriented with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Driven to keep current with state and federal laws and regulations as they pertain to employee benefits and retirement plans.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to work independently.
• Adept at creating and delivering wellness-related programming across multiple channels.

Competencies

• Commitment to providing a positive employee experience and responsive support.
• Capacity to design, implement, and refine wellbeing and retirement education initiatives based on employee feedback and organizational objectives.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with HR, Finance, and leadership teams to meet goals and drive engagement.
• Openness to continuous learning, remaining current on benefits, 401(k), and wellness trends and best practices.

Preferred Certifications:

• Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS)
• Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or SHRM-CP

Working Conditions (Physical demands)

• Primarily an office role but must be available for occasional travel to plant locations (15% to 20%)
• Full-time position that may require flexibility during peak hiring periods or for organizational events.

Pay:

$70,000 to $90,000 per year*

• The salary range indicated in this posting represents the minimum and maximum of the salary range for this position. Actual salary will vary depending on factors including, but not limited to, budget available, prior experience, knowledge, skill and education as they relate to the position’s qualifications, in addition to internal equity. The posted salary range reflects just one component of our total rewards package. Other components of the total rewards package may include participation in group health and/or dental insurance, retirement plan, wellness program, paid time away from work, and paid holidays.

Upstate Niagara Cooperative, Inc. is committed to equal employment opportunity for all, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.