Marisa Canina
Melbourne,FL
Summary
Benefits professional with 8+ years of experience supporting large organizations in benefits administration, leave management, and total rewards programs. Experienced in administering medical, retirement, disability, and leave benefits while ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations. Skilled in HRIS platforms including PeopleSoft, Workday, and KRONOS, with expertise in employee benefits education, vendor coordination, process improvement, and benefits program administration.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
Work History
Benefits Coordinator
Health First
Melbourne, FL
02.2025 - Current
- Administer medical, dental, retirement, reimbursement, and leave benefit programs for employees and physicians, ensuring compliance and effective support.
- Serves as primary point of contact for employee benefits inquiries including medical, dental, retirement plans, leave of absence, and reimbursement programs.
- Process benefit enrollments, changes, and qualifying life events through PeopleSoft and BenAdmin, ensuring accurate employee benefit elections and eligibility.
- Run PeopleSoft queries to validate new hire and rehire rows are accurately updated prior to scheduled benefit file feeds, helping ensure accurate and timely vendor data transmission.
- Coordinate employee leaves of absence, ensuring compliance with company policy and federal and state regulations while facilitating smooth transitions.
- Assist during new hire orientation sessions and educate employees on benefits and enrollment processes.
- Point of contact for newly hired physicians on benefit offerings, enrollment processes, and retirement plan resources.
Leave and Accommodations Specialist
Russell Tobin
Melbourne, FL
10.2024 - 01.2025
- Acted as a subject matter expert for HR teams regarding leave of absence processes and system-related issues.
- Provided employee-facing support for benefits and leave inquiries, ensuring clear communication of policies and procedures.
- Managed leave cases, updated employee status, adjusted timecards, and maintained employee documentation in Workday, ensuring accurate records and compliance.
Sr. Specialist, Total Rewards (Global Benefits)
L3Harris Technologies
Melbourne, FL
01.2020 - 10.2022
- Partnered with third-party disability vendors to ensure timely claim processing and accurate case management.
- Developed leave policy recommendations, integrating them with company benefit programs to enhance overall compliance and support.
- Created and maintained weekly disability absence reporting and PeopleSoft audit reports, enabling accurate tracking of employee leave status.
- Conducted monthly audits to monitor maximum leave durations, ensuring policy compliance and adherence to regulatory standards.
- Partnered with HR and payroll teams to coordinate benefit terminations for employees transitioning to long-term disability or exceeding leave eligibility limits.
- Acted as the enterprise point of contact for leave of absence programs including FMLA, state family leave, short-term disability, long-term disability, and paid parental leave.
Benefits Coordinator
Health First
Melbourne, FL
10.2018 - 01.2020
- Administered employee benefits and leave programs, supporting associates on paid and unpaid leaves of absence.
- Coordinated leave requests in accordance with federal and state regulations and company policies.
- Managed disability programs and coordinated with third-party vendors to ensure timely claim processing and resolution.
- Analyzed leave trends using Excel to inform decision-making and improve program effectiveness.
- Supported annual open enrollment activities and employee benefits education initiatives, including participation in company benefits fairs.
Disability Management Specialist
Citi
Tampa, FL
09.2017 - 10.2018
- Developed and updated disability management procedures to improve operational efficiency.
- Processed absence and payroll transactions, ensuring accurate leave coding, pay evaluations, and timely payments within PeopleSoft HRMS.
- Maintained employee data and records, adhering to service level agreements and compliance standards to support effective disability management.
HR Support Specialist (Ops Support 3)
Citi
Tampa, FL
07.2016 - 09.2017
- Acted as the first point of contact for HR inquiries from North American employees regarding benefits, payroll, disability, timekeeping, and garnishments.
- Generated HR reports using PeopleSoft to support HR operations and employee inquiries.
- Trained new hires on HR service center processes and workflow management, facilitating seamless integration into the team.
Account Management/Sales Intern
Orion Health
Santa Monica, CA
06.2015 - 08.2015
- Supported account management initiatives by fostering customer relationships and identifying potential sales opportunities.
- Created customer survey and analyzed results to inform sales strategy.
- Managed CRM data and collaborated on cross-functional projects with sales, marketing, and support teams.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
University of South Florida
Tampa, FLAssociate of Arts - General Studies
Eastern Florida State College
Melbourne, FLSkills
- Benefits Administration
- Benefits Education
- Data Reporting & Analysis (Excel),
- HRIS Systems: PeopleSoft, Workday, and KRONOS
- Leave of Absence Management
- Open Enrollment
- Payroll & Timekeeping Coordination
- Total Rewards Support
- Vendor Coordination
Personal Information
Title: Benefits Coordinator
Timeline
Benefits Coordinator
Health First
02.2025 - Current
Leave and Accommodations Specialist
Russell Tobin
10.2024 - 01.2025
Sr. Specialist, Total Rewards (Global Benefits)
L3Harris Technologies
01.2020 - 10.2022
Benefits Coordinator
Health First
10.2018 - 01.2020
Disability Management Specialist
Citi
09.2017 - 10.2018
HR Support Specialist (Ops Support 3)
Citi
07.2016 - 09.2017
Account Management/Sales Intern
Orion Health
06.2015 - 08.2015
Bachelor of Arts - Psychology
University of South Florida
Associate of Arts - General Studies
Eastern Florida State College