---
title: 'Benefits and Leave Operations Specialist at Golden Hippo'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/benefits-and-leave-operations-specialist-golden-hippo-woodland-hills-w8a8hyzmvwj7'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-15'
---

# Benefits and Leave Operations Specialist at Golden Hippo

- **Company:** Golden Hippo
- **Location:** Woodland Hills, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-09-09
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-15
- **Apply:** https://www.golden-careers.com/jobs/4731253005?gh_jid=4731253005

## Job description

Where A-Players Thrive.

We’re an employee-owned, vertically-integrated builder of some of America’s most popular health & wellness brands. With over 1,000 team members across multiple companies, we create best-in-class products that help make the world healthier and happier. Our creative content educates the world on making smarter health choices, while the brands we own generate over $600 million of revenue annually. [Learn more about our brands.](https://www.goldenhippo.com/whatwedo)

We’re Looking For A: Benefits and Leave Operations Specialist

Location: Woodland Hills, CA

What You’ll Be Doing: We are seeking a detail-oriented Benefits and Leave Operations Specialist to support day-to-day administration of benefits and leave management. This role serves as a key point of contact for employees navigating enrollments and leave programs, while ensuring accuracy and compliance across HR systems. The ideal candidate is highly organized, comfortable working across multiple platforms, and able to manage sensitive employee data with discretion.

## Benefits Administration

- Administer COBRA and other benefit transactions that require manual processing outside of automated system workflows
- Review and approve new hire and life event benefits enrollments
- Manage employee-facing benefits communications throughout the enrollment lifecycle
- Support administration and funding processes for Health Savings Account (HSA), retirement, and other benefit-related accounts
- Perform invoice and payroll deduction reconciliations for benefits vendors

Leave of Absence Administration

- Track and administer intermittent, continuous, and other leave types in compliance with applicable federal and state regulations
- Complete state unemployment insurance, disability, and other leave-related claim documentation
- Interpret and apply Company leave policies to individual employee circumstances, exercising discretion and independent judgment in resolving non-routine situations

Worker’s Compensation:

- Monitor, coordinate, and process Workers Compensation claims; receive and review claim forms; maintain an adequate supply of forms; provide forms to employees, supervisors, and others as requested.
- Monitor and record appropriate leave usage relative to Workers Compensation benefits; notify payroll and other appropriate personnel regarding adjustments.

General HR Operations

- Handle incoming and outgoing HR-related mail
- Partner with benefits team on employee wellness events
- Support special projects, process improvements, and open enrollment planning, testing, and execution
- Support the interpretation, administration, and consistent application of HR policies, exercising discretion and independent judgment in matters of significance to the business
- Contribute to general business operations by identifying and recommending improvements to existing processes and procedures

Qualifications (Note: We strongly encourage you to apply even if you don’t tick ALL of these boxes.):

- 1–3 years of experience in HR operations, benefits administration, or a related HR support role
- Working knowledge of FMLA, COBRA, and state disability/UI processes
- Familiarity with benefits enrollment platforms, leave management, and payroll systems (experience with Paycor and New York Life a plus)
- Experience with HRIS platforms (e.g., Paycor, ADP, Workday, or similar) preferred
- Strong organizational and time-management skills
- Discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential employee data
- Ability to exercise discretion and independent judgment with respect to matters of significance in support of Company policies and general business operations
- Strong customer service orientation with a responsive, employee-first approach
- Problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and resolve data or process discrepancies
- Comfort working independently in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
- Bachelor's Degree
- 1-3 years in HR Ops, benefits admin, or related HR support role
- Bachelor's Degree in HR, BA, or related field (preferred)
- Paycor and Benefits Advisor experience (preferred)
- SHRM-CP or HR Certification (preferred)

Golden Perks & Benefits:

- Comprehensive Healthcare Coverage – We cover 100% of premiums for employee-only medical, dental, and vision plans.
- Bonus Opportunities – Earn more with both annual and monthly bonus programs tied to performance.
- Investing in Your Future – We match up to 3.5% of your 401(k) contributions and offer a company-sponsored Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), helping your retirement savings grow alongside the company. [Learn more.](https://www.linkedin.com/safety/go/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoldenhippo%2Ecom%2Fesop&urlhash=q3W6&isSdui=true)
- Work-Life Balance – Start your first year accruing up to 15 days of vacation, plus 6 paid sick and mental health days.
- Well-Being Support – Take advantage of our Employee Assistance Program, company closure dates, free weekly yoga and meditation classes, and expanded mental health benefits—we take a holistic approach to your well-being.
- Career Growth – Grow with us through our mentorship program, continuous learning opportunities, and performance-based pay increases designed to help you advance.
- Make an Impact – Give back through our charity sponsorships. Together, we’ve donated over $9 million to communities worldwide.
- Additional Benefits - Cell/internet reimbursement, free employee products, annual events, and more!

To read more about our Perks & Benefits, click [here](https://www.golden-careers.com/goldenhippo-perks-benefits).

The hourly range is $25.24 - $33.65, plus annual & monthly KPI bonus potential.

The posted hourly range in this job posting reflects data based on California's cost of labor analysis. This hourly range is subject to change per state; please click [here](https://www.golden-careers.com/Nationwide-Salary-Transparency) to find the pay differential in your state of residence if the role is remote.

Pay is based on a wide range of factors that include relevant experience, knowledge, skills, other job-related qualifications, and geographical location. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and make employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable law.

A Note to Recruiting Agencies: At Golden Hippo, we handle all hiring through our internal Talent Acquisition team. Occasionally, we might use staffing or recruiting agencies to support our internal team in finding the right candidates. Agencies are not authorized to contact our hiring teams directly to present candidates. Our internal Talent Acquisition team is responsible for all candidate presentations to our hiring managers. Golden Hippo will need written approval and a signed agreement before submitting any candidate info for a specific job opening. Without this, we won’t pay any fees for placements. Thank you for your understanding.

[Click here to learn more about general internet safety and our hiring practices.](https://www.goldenhippo.com/internet-safety)

[Click here to view our Privacy Notice to Job Applicants.](https://www.goldenhippo.com/privacy-notice-to-job-applicants)

## About Golden Hippo

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Golden Hippo is a vertically integrated, employee-owned health and wellness company that builds, markets, and fulfills a family of over 20 direct-to-consumer brands generating more than $600 million in annual revenue.
- **Entity Type**: Private (employee-owned via ESOP; bootstrapped)
- **Headquarters**: Woodland Hills, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2011
- **Founders**: Not publicly disclosed

## Core Business
- **Industry**: Health, wellness, beauty, and pet care (direct-to-consumer consumer packaged goods)
- **Target customers**: B2C consumers seeking vitamins, supplements, skincare, and related wellness products
- **Mission statement**: “To deliver the best in health, wellness, and beauty products to people all over the world.”

## Products & Services
Golden Hippo incubates, develops, and markets its own brands entirely in-house. The portfolio spans:
- **Doctor-formulated Vitamins & Supplements**: Evidence-based nutritional products developed with medical experts.
- **Innovative Skincare Solutions**: Science-driven topical and cosmetic offerings.
- **Beauty & Personal Care**: Additional branded items in the beauty space.
- **Pet Care**: Brands serving pet health and well-being.
- **Financial Brands**: Select financial products marketed via DTC channels (less focus than health/beauty).
- **In-House Capabilities**: All functions from brand ideation, product development, creative production (video, copy, design), digital marketing, IT/web development, customer service, and fulfillment are managed internally across facilities in Woodland Hills (CA), Salt Lake City (UT), Memphis (TN), and Chatsworth (CA).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not applicable (private, employee-owned)
- **Annual Revenue**: Over $600 million (per company website, 2024/2025)
- **Total Funding**: None raised – bootstrapped and self-funded
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: No external investors; company is 100% employee-owned through an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP)
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount has grown to over 900 team members across multiple companies (up from ~500 employees as reported on Built In, indicating significant recent growth)
  - Consistently incubates one to two new brands per year
  - Awarded “2024 USA Today Top Workplaces Award”
  - Over $600M revenue generated annually with no outside funding

## Competitive Advantages
- **Vertical Integration**: Controls the entire value chain – from brand creation and formulation to advertising production, order fulfillment, and customer service – allowing for rapid iteration and cost efficiency.
- **Employee Ownership**: ESOP aligns employee incentives with long-term company success, fostering retention and a culture of ownership.
- **In-House Creative & Marketing Machine**: A large, skilled team of copywriters, video producers, media buyers, and SEO specialists enables the company to launch and scale brands quickly without agencies.
- **Proven DTC Playbook**: Expertise in online video presentations, email campaigns, native advertising, and SEO has generated hundreds of millions in revenue across multiple brand categories.

## Strategic Focus
- **Brand Incubation**: Continuously developing breakthrough brand ideas and launching one to two new brands each year.
- **Product Innovation**: Partnering with doctors and leading experts to set industry standards for quality, efficacy, and innovation.
- **Philanthropic Integration**: Each brand is linked with a charitable organization, with a portion of every sale donated to global communities.
- **Talent Development**: Investing in employee growth through mentoring, management programs, and the “Golden Learning” platform to support internal mobility.

## Why Work Here
- **Workplace Flexibility**: Hybrid workspace allowing a mix of remote and on-site work; many roles are fully remote or location-flexible.
- **Compensation & Benefits**:
  - Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) – company equity for all employees
  - Monthly KPI-based performance bonuses
  - Home-office stipend for remote employees
  - 100% company-paid health, dental, and vision insurance premiums
  - Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and family medical leave
  - Free monthly products from any of the company’s health, beauty, or pet care brands
- **Culture & Development**:
  - Strong learning & development function with mentorship, “Hippo Talks,” and career advancement programs
  - “Hippo Buddy” program for new hires to build immediate connections
  - In-office perks including fully equipped kitchen and gym
  - Highly diverse management team and mandated unconscious bias training
  - Employee awards and recognition programs
- **Work Environment**: Described as collaborative, scrappy, and impact-driven. Employee testimonials highlight supportive leadership, genuine care for growth, and the ability to work across multiple initiatives.

## Sources
1. [Golden Hippo Official Website](https://www.goldenhippo.com/)
2. [Golden Hippo – What We Do](https://www.goldenhippo.com/whatwedo)
3. [Built In – Golden Hippo Company Profile](https://builtin.com/company/golden-hippo)
4. [LinkedIn – Golden Hippo Company Page](https://www.linkedin.com/company/golden-hippo)
5. [Golden Hippo – Hippo Life](https://www.goldenhippo.com/hippolife)

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