Senior People Operations Specialist I

This role is responsible for ensuring benefits, leaves, immigration, and compliance programs are administered accurately and effectively. It serves as a point of escalation for complex, sensitive employee inquiries, balancing meticulous administrative execution with high-touch support and managing day-to-day vendor relationships. Day-to-day HRIS administration is a supporting function rather than the primary focus. Your central mission is delivering a seamless employee experience through proactive administrative management and problem-solving.

This position will be based in the Sunnyvale, CA office. Minimum of 4 days in office (Mon - Fri preferred). This role is not eligible for relocation, nor eligible for current Visa sponsorship.

Core Responsibilities

• Ensure people programs are administered accurately and effectively, executing against the strategy and design are aligned with People team goals.
• Administer benefits programs, including 401(k) and global benefits, and manage vendor, broker, and carrier file relationships.
• Process workers' compensation claims and manage leaves of absence in compliance with FMLA, ADA, and applicable state leave laws (including CFRA).
• Serve as the primary liaison between outside immigration counsel, employees, and hiring managers, coordinating case intake and documentation, tracking status and key deadlines (e.g., visa expirations, extensions, PERM/green card filings), translating counsel's guidance into clear next steps, and maintaining accurate, confidential case records, while directing legal questions to counsel and escalating complex matters.
• Assist in coordinating employee well-being programs and administer compliance-related training (e.g., anti-harassment).
• Administer the employee recognition program, including processing awards and redemptions, managing the platform and user access, coordinating with the recognition vendor, and responding to employee questions, working with the program lead on overall program design and management.
• Resolve complex, sensitive employee questions across benefits and people operations, adapting existing approaches and precedent and exercising discretion and confidentiality.
• Advise and guide employees and less experienced colleagues on difficult matters, adapting communication style to different audiences.
• Support HR system administration, ensuring data integrity and effective system usage.

Required Qualifications

• Typically 5+ years of related experience in benefits administration, leave management, and vendor relations with a bachelor's degree; or 3+ years with a master's degree; or equivalent experience.
• Complete knowledge and full understanding of the discipline, with the ability to assess unusual circumstances and resolve a wide range of issues using sound judgment and analytical problem-solving.
• Working knowledge of global benefits , workers' compensation, and immigration compliance.
• Ability to work independently, adapt existing approaches and precedent, and select the right course of action on problems of diverse scope.
• Strong communication skills suited to high-touch employee support, including advising and persuading partners unfamiliar with the subject matter.
• Experience working with HRIS; expert-level system administration is not required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Benefits or HR certification (e.g., CEBS, PHR/SPHR, SHRM-CP/SCP).
• Experience with leave and claims administrators (e.g., Cocoon) and benefits brokers.
• Experience supporting a multi-country or globally distributed workforce (primarily US, with employees in UK, Germany, Japan, and Mexico).

Attributes for Success

• High degree of discretion, integrity, and comfort handling confidential employee matters.
• Strong organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail across concurrent programs.

You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Carbon, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

At Carbon, we look at the person holistically and carefully consider a wide range of factors when determining salary. The compensation bracket for this position is $103,520 - $155,280 (per year). In order to maintain equitable internal pay practices, we aim to hire new employees near the midpoint of $129,400 per year taking into account your experience, work location, certifications, and the unique skills you bring to the role.

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