"Benefits Specialist I (Inst)"

Benefits Specialist I (Inst)

Location: Milwaukee, WI
Employment Type: Full Time
Job Code: JR10007139

Position Summary:
The Benefits Specialist plays a key role in supporting the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee community by delivering accurate, timely, and comprehensive benefits guidance to employees, human resources partners, and campus stakeholders. This position ensures employees understand benefit eligibility, options, and enrollment processes while maintaining compliance with university, state, and system policies. Serving as a trusted resource and subject matter expert, the Benefits Specialist contributes to an effective, employee-centered benefits program through collaboration, problem-solving, and continuous improvement in benefits administration and service delivery.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serves as a unit subject matter expert and liaison to internal and external stakeholders providing complex benefit information
• Identifies opportunities for operational improvements and recommends changes to leadership
• Receives, processes, and audits benefit enrollments and changes according to established policies and procedures
• Receives, responds to, and resolves complex employee benefits questions, feedback and problems from employees, HR leadership, and campus partners through various mediums
• Advises current and prospective employees and human resources staff on benefit eligibility, options, and applicable timelines according to established policies and procedures
• Researches eligibility and enrollment rules, plan documents, contract statutes, and administrative codes to provide correct benefit resources and materials to human resources professionals and employees
• Develops and facilitates employee benefit trainings and associated resources and materials
• Perform other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least two (2) years of professional experience in human resources, benefits administration, or a closely related functional area
• Demonstrated experience providing employee-facing consultation or customer support requiring interpretation and application of policies, procedures, or program rules
• Demonstrated ability to interpret benefit eligibility, enrollment rules, and/or plan provisions and clearly explain them to employees or other stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field
• Hands-on experience administering one or more employee benefit programs (e.g., health, dental, vision, retirement, or leave programs)
• Experience using enterprise HR or benefits systems for benefits administration, audits, reporting, or data analysis (e.g., PeopleSoft, Workday, Benefitfocus or similar systems)
• Knowledge of employee benefits administration practices and compliance requirements, including exposure to statutory, contractual, or regulatory frameworks
• Demonstrated experience handling confidential or sensitive information with discretion and sound judgment
• Experience working in a higher education, public sector, or other large, complex organizational environment

Target Salary Range:

$52,000 to $57,000 (Final salary offer will be determined based on knowledge, skills, and experience)

Application Instructions:

Interested applicants are required to apply online and provide:

• A cover letter addressing your education/experience as it applies to all minimum and preferred qualifications
• A resume

Apply electronically by the application deadline date of January 20, 2026.
Questions about this position should be directed to Angelee Vang at vangap@uwm.edu.

Additional Information:

• This position does not offer visa sponsorship. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire.
• Hybrid work arrangements may be available. Primary work will be conducted on the UW-Milwaukee campus, with remote work requests considered after the initial training period.

To apply, visit https://wisconsin.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/UW_Milwaukee/job/Milwaukee-WI/Benefits-Specialist-I--Inst-_JR10007139-1.