BENEFITS SPECIALIST

Location: Palo Alto, CA (Onsite 4 days/week)
Company: Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies (Joint Venture)
Team: People (HR)

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years in HR (preferably in tech/engineering), with 2+ years in benefits administration.
• Proficiency in Workday Benefits & Payroll.
• Advanced Google Sheets skills (e.g., VLOOKUPs, pivot tables).
• Strong communication skills—able to present complex topics clearly.
• Experience supporting engineering/technical teams.
• High level of discretion and professionalism.
• Creative, solution-driven mindset with a passion for employee wellness.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Startup experience and adaptability to evolving processes.
• Knowledge of benefits compliance (ACA, COBRA, ERISA, FMLA).
• Experience managing vendor relationships and open enrollment.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Join a forward-thinking team transforming the future of automotive tech. As a Benefits Specialist, you’ll manage day-to-day U.S. employee benefits—including health, wellness, time off, and leave programs—while supporting an innovative and fast-paced engineering workforce. You’ll also play a key role in improving the overall employee experience through thoughtful program development.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Onboarding & Education
• Lead benefits orientation for new hires.
• Guide employees through enrollment in Workday and clarify benefit options.
• Employee Support
• First point of contact for all benefits-related questions (medical, dental, vision, life, time off, disability, wellness).
• Identify and propose process/content improvements based on employee feedback.
• Benefits Administration
• Manage life events, enrollments, terminations, and dependent updates in Workday.
• Ensure data accuracy between Workday, payroll, and vendor systems.
• Auditing & Vendor Coordination
• Conduct audits to ensure payroll and vendor accuracy.
• Reconcile benefits invoices and resolve discrepancies.
• Leaves & Disability
• Coordinate all leave types (FMLA, parental, disability, personal).
• Act as liaison between employees, managers, and third-party administrators.
• Projects & Process Improvement
• Support open enrollment, wellness campaigns, and new initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to build employee-centric benefits solutions.