Description

About Forterra

Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. Amongst some of the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, Forterra is focused on building systems that protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base. Forterra is the go-to provider of ground autonomy solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, which harnesses the technology for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions.

About the role

• Forterra is rapidly scaling, and our People Operations team is building the benefits infrastructure that supports a high-performance, mission-driven workforce. We are looking for a Benefits Specialist who combines technical expertise, relentless attention to detail, and strong ownership. You will manage the administration of all Forterra benefit offerings and serve as the first line of support for employees navigating health, wellness, and leave programs.
• This role is ideal for someone who has worked in a scaling environment and knows how to spot compliance risks before they become issues. You'll work closely with our broker team, HRIS platform (Rippling), internal stakeholders, and external carriers to ensure accuracy, compliance, and an exceptional employee experience. If you thrive in fast-paced environments, move with urgency, and bring a deep understanding of benefits operations across multiple states, you'll excel here.

What you'll do

• Serve as the first point of contact for all employee benefits questions, providing timely and accurate guidance across health, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, wellness programs, and voluntary benefits.
• Resolve benefits-related issues by coordinating directly with our broker team and carriers, ensuring fast and effective problem resolution.
• Own annual open enrollment preparation and execution, including timeline management, plan comparison analysis, proposal summaries for leadership, system setup, and rollout logistics.
• Administer open enrollment communications, employee education sessions, FAQs, and benefits materials, ensuring all documentation is clear, accurate, and up to date.
• Routinely audit employee enrollments in Rippling against carrier systems to ensure accuracy across medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary products.
• Monitor EDI file connections and troubleshoot discrepancies or transmission issues that impact eligibility or payroll deductions.
• Manage leave of absence programs, including parental leave, medical leave, and other state-mandated programs, ensuring compliance, proper documentation, and timely employee communication.
• Identify compliance risks related to benefits administration, advising People Ops leadership on potential state-specific requirements (ACA, FMLA, PFL, disability programs, continuation coverage, etc.).
• Partner with Finance and Payroll to reconcile benefits deductions, vendor invoices, adjustments, and retroactive corrections.
• Maintain benefits documentation, SOPs, and employee-facing resources; continuously improve process efficiency and employee understanding.
• Support special projects, benefits strategy discussions, vendor evaluations, and initiatives that improve the employee benefits experience as the company scales.

Minimum Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in benefits administration, HR operations, or a similar role supporting a scaling organization (startup or high-growth environment preferred).
• Strong knowledge of U.S. employee benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, life, disability, FSA/HSA, wellness, and voluntary benefits.
• Experience auditing benefits enrollments, managing carrier relationships, and monitoring EDI connections.
• Proven ability to identify and mitigate compliance issues related to benefits and leaves of absence.
• Demonstrated knowledge of state-specific leave laws (e.g., PFML programs, pregnancy accommodations, parental leave regulations, disability programs).
• Ability to manage confidential information with the highest degree of integrity and discretion.
• Highly detail-oriented with strong follow-through and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to explain complex benefits concepts clearly to employees.
• Ability to work onsite in either Clarksburg, MD or Arlington, VA with occasional travel between the two.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Rippling or similar HRIS/benefits administration platforms.
• Past experience administering benefits at a multi-state employer, ideally one that has scaled quickly.
• Familiarity with defense tech, robotics, aerospace, or similarly fast-paced, mission-driven environments.
• Experience supporting benefits strategy, modeling plan changes, or presenting recommendations to leadership.
• Working understanding of ACA compliance, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other regulatory frameworks.
• Comfort managing vendor relationships, benchmarking benefits offerings, and supporting renewal negotiations.
• Strong analytical skills and comfort working with data sets, audits, and benefits reporting.

US Salary Range
 $80,000—$120,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra's overall compensation package. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:

• Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.  
• Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
• Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
• A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption. 
• A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
• Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires. 
• 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.

CLEARANCE ELIGIBILITY - This position may require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. For more information about U.S. Security Clearances: click here.   

Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in all personnel practices. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain.  

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any factor, including veteran and disability status, and criminal history, in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws.

Forterra is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. Please let your recruiter know if you need an accommodation at any point during the interview process.

To see Forterra's candidate data privacy policy, please visit Forterra Legal | Job Applicant Privacy Notice. 

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