Benefits & Leaves Manager

📍 Location: Hybrid – South San Francisco, CA
🕒 Schedule: Full-Time | Exempt
🏢 Department: Human Resources
📋 Reports To: Human Resources Director – Core HR Services
💰 Salary Range: $110,000 – $115,000 annually 

🌟 Lead Benefits That Matter

Aspiranet is seeking a highly experienced and service-oriented Benefits & Leaves Manager to lead our organization-wide benefits, leaves, workers’ compensation, and accommodations programs. This is a critical leadership role for an HR professional who brings deep expertise in California employment laws, self-insured health plans, and complex leave administration and who is passionate about delivering an exceptional employee experience.

In this role, you’ll guide a dedicated HR team, partner closely with leadership, and serve as a trusted resource to employees navigating benefits and leaves during important moments in their lives. If you thrive in a mission-driven environment and enjoy balancing strategy, compliance, and hands-on problem-solving, we’d love to hear from you.

❤️ About Aspiranet 

Founded in 1975, Aspiranet is a California-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting children, youth, and families. Our statewide services include foster care and family support, adoption, mental health care, residential programs, youth transition services, and community-based initiatives. Every role at Aspiranet contributes to a shared mission: ensuring opportunity, hope, and healing for the communities we serve.

📝️ Summary Position  

The Benefits & Leaves Manager oversees all aspects of employee benefits and leave administration, ensuring compliance with federal, state (especially California), and local regulations. This includes leadership over self-insured health plans, 403(b) administration, leave of absence programs (FMLA, CFRA, PDL, PWFA, disability), accommodations, and workers’ compensation.

You will supervise HR staff responsible for day-to-day administration, collaborate with brokers and vendors, support employees and managers through complex situations, and continuously evaluate programs for quality, compliance, and cost-effectiveness. This role is ideal for a hands-on HR leader with experience supporting a large, diverse, multi-site workforce.

🔍 Key Responsibilities

Benefits Administration

• Lead administration of medical, dental, vision, life, wellness, COBRA, and 403(b) programs.

• Manage self-insured and group health plans, including vendor relationships, claims funding, renewals, and plan performance.

• Plan and execute annual open enrollment, including employee communications and education.

• Ensure compliance with ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, ERISA, and related regulations.

• Analyze utilization and cost data to recommend enhancements or cost-containment strategies.

Leaves, Accommodations & Workers’ Compensation

• Provide leadership for all employee leave programs (FMLA, CFRA, PDL, PWFA, disability, workers’ compensation, and related leaves)

• Lead and ensure compliance with the ADAAA/FEHA interactive process.

• Oversee return-to-work coordination and benefit transitions.

• Supervise and mentor team members managing leave and accommodation cases.

Compliance, Reporting & Strategy

• Stay current on evolving federal, state, and local employment laws.

• Lead benefits- and leave-related audits, reporting, and documentation.

• Analyze trends to support organizational planning and risk management.

Collaboration & Leadership

• Serve as the primary liaison with brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators.

• Partner with HR and internal communications teams to deliver clear, accessible guidance to managers and employees.

• Supervise, coach, and develop HR team members.

✅ Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field
  (HR or Benefits certification strongly preferred)

• Minimum 3+ years of benefits and leave administration experience.

• 2+ years of supervisory experience.

• Experience managing self-insured health plans preferred.

• Advanced knowledge of CFRA, FMLA, PWFA, FEHA/ADA, ACA, ERISA, COBRA, and related laws.

• Experience supporting a multi-site organization (500+ employees), preferably within a nonprofit or human services setting.

• Strong communication, analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

• Proficiency with HRIS platforms and Microsoft business applications.

• High level of discretion and integrity when handling confidential information.

💻 Work Environment & Schedule 

• Hybrid role with in-person presence required 2 days per week at our South San Francisco office 
• Use of standard office equipment  
• High volume meetings, typing and phone usage to perform essential job functions. 

❤️ Why Aspiranet? 

• Collaborate in a supportive, inclusive, and mission-aligned culture. 
• Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits package, access to the free Aspiranet Employee Perks Program, and a 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching.  
• Flexible Hybrid Schedule. Enjoy the mix of remote and in-office work, supporting work-life balance 
• Flexible paid time off including holidays, birthday, diversity days, vacation and sick leave. 
• Access to our employee assistance program including 24/7 crisis line; up to 6 counseling sessions per issue.  
• Training opportunities are available to support your ongoing development and career aspirations.  
• Opportunity to lead meaningful initiatives that support employee wellbeing. 

🏋️‍♂️ Physical Demands: 

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. 

This position typically operates in a standard office environment. The noise level is generally quiet and remains within OSHA’s established safety levels at all times. 

⚖️ Equal Employment Opportunity 

Aspiranet is an equal opportunity employer that recognizes the value of diversity. We believe a diverse workforce within a culture of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) increases creativity, innovation, problem-solving, and teamwork for the youth and families that we serve and the organization as a whole.  Aspiranet strives to provide our employees with a workplace that is welcoming, inclusive of differing world views, cultures, and lived experiences. 

📝 How to Apply 

Join us in building brighter futures. 
📝 Ready to Apply? 

Join us in building brighter futures. 
Apply today through our career portal: 
👉 Click here to apply: www.aspiranet.org/careers