Benefits & People Administrative Assistant

Heifer Project International

About Heifer International

In 1944, Heifer International’s founder, Dan West, began outlining a simple but groundbreaking plan to tackle hunger around the world. West, a farmer from the Midwest and Church of the Brethren member, had recently returned from feeding weary refugees during volunteer service in the Spanish Civil War.

He had seen firsthand that giving people food was a short-term solution, whereas providing them with animals offered a steady supply of nutritious food for an entire family.

His philosophy still inspires Heifer’s work today. Partnering with farmers across a range of different livestock and crops, we create unique solutions to local challenges.

Today, Heifer International has operations in 21 countries around the world, working alongside local farmers, business owners and their communities, as they mobilize and envision their futures. Together, we build inclusive, resilient economies, so communities can develop effective ways to end global hunger and poverty in a sustainable way.

To date, we have supported more than 36 million farming families across Africa, Asia and the Americas and in the past five years alone, we have worked alongside 2.7 million families to close the living income gap or set them on a path to doing so. Between now and 2030, we will support an additional 10 million people to reach a living income by scaling up our signature programs. To achieve this, Heifer International relies on its passionate, committed and highly skilled staff.

ROLE SUMMARY

Benefits & People Administrative Assistant provides administrative support to the U.S. People Operations and Total Rewards teams, assisting with day-to-day HR and benefits activities throughout the employee lifecycle. This role helps maintain accurate employee records, supports HR systems and reporting, coordinates People Operations processes, assists with compliance activities, and responds to routine employee and administrative requests. The Assistant also supports benefits administration through invoice processing, vendor coordination, retirement contribution administration, well-being program support, and other operational activities. This position requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, discretion in handling confidential information, and a customer-focused approach to supporting employees and internal stakeholders.

The Successful Candidate

The successful candidate is passionate about People Operations and employee support, with a strong commitment to delivering exceptional customer service. They are highly organized, detail-oriented, and enjoy supporting a variety of HR and benefits processes throughout the employee lifecycle. They communicate professionally with employees, managers, and internal stakeholders, maintain confidentiality, and take pride in ensuring accurate, timely, and efficient administrative support. The ideal candidate has strong analytical skills, advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, and is comfortable working with HR systems, reports, and data. They are eager to learn, adaptable to changing priorities, and enjoy working collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.

Essential Charter Traits

Very detail oriented with passion for supporting people; Exceptional client-oriented attitude, ability to influence, and communicate effectively with employees as well as management at senior levels; Collaborative, team-oriented mindset with initiative that continuously looks for opportunities to improve processes; Self-motivated, agile, and detail-oriented leader with exceptional organizational, interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.Have a technical mindset and passion for the latest innovations in technology and systems.

Reporting Relationship: This position reports to the U.S. Total Rewards Manager and works in close partnership with the Benefits and People Operations Specialist. Due to its fifty percent focus on people operations, the role receives day-to-day functional direction from the Benefits and People Operations Specialist.

RESPONSIBILITIES & DELIVERABLES

BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION (50%)

• Assist with reviewing monthly vendor invoices and billing statements by comparing charges against the Benefits Master Ledger and identifying discrepancies for the Total Rewards Manager.
• Prepare benefit invoice payment requests and maintain supporting documentation for processing.
• Coordinate routine billing inquiries with benefit brokers, escalating unresolved issues to the Total Rewards Manager.
• Provide administrative support for monthly offshore retirement contributions by distributing templates, collecting contribution data, preparing wire request documentation, uploading contribution files into iPlan, and tracking follow-up activities.
• Prepare routine and ad hoc reports for the Total Rewards Manager and U.S. People Director, including preventive care completion reports, HSA/FSA balance reports, Agresso reports, Employee Navigator reports, and distribution lists.
• Provide administrative support for the U.S. Well-Being program by ordering incentives, coordinating prize drawings, communicating with participants, and maintaining participation records.
• Prepare and submit U.S. Well-Being reimbursement requests to the medical carrier and track reimbursement status for the Total Rewards Manager's review.
• Ordering anniversary gifts and updating service award catalogs; complete anniversary report process
• Track and maintain recognition letters for staff when promotions occur and service milestones are met
• Monthly anniversary reporting and yearly anniversary reporting in coordination with payroll dept to ensure monetary service awards are tracked and paid out as necessary

PEOPLE OPERATIONS (50%)

• Process routine unemployment claims, employment verifications, and personnel file requests for U.S. employees.
• Enter, update, and maintain employee records and personnel documentation in HR systems, ensuring information is accurate and filed in a timely manner.
• File and maintain U.S. new hire, payroll, personnel, and job description documentation in Laserfiche and other designated systems.
• Monitor the U.S. People ticketing system (KBOX), route requests to the appropriate team member, track follow-up, monitor survey results, and support timely ticket resolution.
• Assist with setting up U.S. interns and volunteers in Agresso in coordination with Talent Development and hiring managers.
• Provide administrative support to the U.S. People team, including scheduling meetings, preparing materials, tracking action items, and assisting with team activities and events.
• Prepare routine and ad hoc reports from Agresso, Laserfiche, the Learning Management System, and other HR systems, including reports related to new hires, terminations, turnover, recruitment, leadership diversity, and other U.S. People metrics.
• Maintain personnel records and confidential files in accordance with established recordkeeping procedures.
• Coordinate with U.S. team members to update U.S. People Engagement Plan. Keep track of changes and follow-up with team members on progress.
• Coordinate department meetings, calendars, and administrative activities assigned.
• Provide backup administrative support for other U.S. People team members, as assigned.
• Coordinate and update Engagement Plan with U.S. People Team.
• May perform other job-related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Associate's degree or continued education in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• 2-3 years of administrative experience supporting Human Resources, Benefits Administration, People Operations, Total Rewards, or related functions.
• Experience using Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) and proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Experience supporting employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, personnel records administration, benefits administration, and offboarding.
• Experience supporting employee benefits or Total Rewards programs.
• Strong organizational, time management, and prioritization skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment when handling sensitive employee information.
• Excellent customer service, interpersonal, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a remote or virtual team environment.

Essential Job Functions and Physical Demands

• Ability to work with a variety of software systems with multiple integration points.
• Ability to work with a diverse staff, including multiple cultures and beliefs, and sensitivity to gender equity, with the ability to relate to individuals and groups diplomatically and tactfully.
• Ability to work independently and handle multiple tasks with impeccable attention to detail.
• Regular face-to-face, telephone, and electronic communication with colleagues and the general public as needed.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at a time.
• Ability to work with sensitive information and to maintain confidentiality.
• Must be willing to travel to People Department retreats a few times per year.

Salary Information:

• The salary range for this position is $53,000 - $60,000 annually. Placement within the range will be based on the experience and competency level of the candidate.
• Please submit your full application by 8/21/2026 by 4pm CT to be considered for this role.
• For candidates who live within commutable distance to Heifer’s office in Little Rock AR, we have a workplace arrangement policy to support employees having a hybrid work environment.

What We Offer:

• Heifer International offers a variety of benefits for U.S. based employees working 30 or more hours per week.
• Health and wellness benefits including Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Saving Account
• Employee assistance program
• 403(b) retirement plan (match 1% employee to 2% employer up to a maximum of 4% match +3% employer discretionary contribution regardless of employee contribution)
• 22 vacation days in addition to 12 statutory and discretionary holidays, and 10 sick days per year
• Employer-paid life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D)
• Professional development and annual merit increase opportunities
• Optional critical illness insurance, legal assistance plan and pet protection
• And more!

Heifer International is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, status as a protected veteran, among other things, or status as a qualified individual with some form of disability.

Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

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