The Assistant Director, Benefits is responsible for the administration of the University’s leave of absence programs, including short-term and long-term disability and Worker’s Compensation programs, while providing support and assistance in the strategic planning, administration, and management of all University employee benefits programs.

Additional guidance is provided through department procedures, HR Strategic Plan, established deadlines, and plan documents. Reports to Director, Benefits. Supervises full-time support employees in absence of the Director, Benefits.
As a condition of employment, Duquesne University requires all new employees —full-time and part-time, including adjunct faculty—to get a COVID-19 vaccine and provide proof of their vaccination upon commencement of employment.
New employees requesting a religious or documented medical exemption from the vaccine must complete and submit a Duquesne University exemption request form for review and approval. To receive the appropriate exemption request form, contact hrservices@duq.edu. Employees with approved exemptions will be required to be tested on a regular basis.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Manages all aspects of employee leaves of absences in accordance with Federal, State law and University policy and practices.

Provides counseling and coaching for managers and employees around taking leave, types of leave and eligibility, as well as modifying leaves to ensure a smooth transition and leave process.
Partners with HR and the Office of Disability Services when appropriate.
Maintains deep expertise and specialized knowledge of legal and statutory policies around leaves of absences.
Develops, recommends, and implements new or modified benefit procedures and policies to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
Enhances partnerships with benefits vendors and internal resources in order to promote and increase utilization of benefits that would enhance the leave experience.
Creates communication resources and tools, that are easy to access, to further engage and educate employees on leave of absence policies and associated benefits.
Maintains complete and accurate records of leave requests in accordance with specified legal requirements, best practices, and University policy and practices.
Maintains confidentiality of sensitive information; ensures compliance with HIPAA. Performs audits as needed on leave account balance information in the HRIS in relation to internal tracking of leave time to ensure the integrity of the information.
Prepares and presents various trainings on the FMLA in relation to the University’s leave policies, and practices in order to foster a well-informed workforce.
Identifies areas for continuous improvement within internal operations and processes.

Manages all aspects of the University’s long-term disability program.

Tracks and monitors employee leaves of absence to ensure appropriate enrollment in LTD based on classification and eligibility status.

Notifies employees of LTD program and reviews associated benefits and processes.

Submits information to benefit provider; follows up as needed to ensure a smooth transition to the insured paid benefit; problem solves with insured and insurer as needed.

Communicates with employee and supervisor on status of claims.

Serves as the Content Manager for the Benefits Office webpages, includes the creation and design of relevant web content and pages, updates time-sensitive material, website links and recommendations of changes to further enhance benefit resources, tools and information to further engage and enhance the employee experience.

Ensures student health insurance plan is compliant with plan directives established by the University. Provides guidance and supports internal stakeholders (Student Accounts, Student Health Center, Athletics, International Student Department) in the administration of the plan.

Maintains and builds partnership with TPA to ensure superior customer service is provided to students and their families.

Troubleshoot and resolve issues with student claims, billing and other miscellaneous items.
Completes other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:
Minimum qualifications:
Bachelors in Human Resources, Business Administration from an accredited institution and 3-5 years of progressively responsible experience.
Professional experience in and knowledge of FMLA, Worker’s Compensation, Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability, benefits and wellness programs with the ability to stay updated on industry changes, government requirements, and/or new government programs.

Preferred qualifications:
Masters in Human Resources, Business Administration from an accredited institution.

Knowledge of Human Resources and Payroll systems desired.

Alternately, the successful candidate may possess prior experience working in Higher Education setting, or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the essential job functions. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills.

Ability to work independently on complex and confidential issues related to the day-to-day operations of a department.
Strong verbal, written and computer skills, including knowledge of the entire MS Office Suite.
Proficiency in the use of MS Excel for the development of spreadsheets and management of reports using graphs and charts is required.
High-level attention to detail and accuracy with ability to maintain complex records and files.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with executives, administrators, faculty, staff, and students, as well as numerous consultants, brokers, insurance carriers, and sales people from all related businesses.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret manuals and instructions.
Ability to clearly explain benefit options, plan documents, premiums, and procedures in a cooperative, patient, and professional manner to a variety of individuals via telephone, email, individual, and group meetings.
Ability and willingness to report to work on time, take initiative, prioritize multiple projects, and adjust workload in an environment with frequent interruptions and changing or competing deadlines.
Demonstrate ability to perform work of increasing difficulty and complexity as experience is gained.
Considerable knowledge of the policies, regulations, procedures, and services of the Benefits Office.
Ability to identify possible abuses of leave policies and make management recommendations.
Sensitivity to the need of each individual to be treated with dignity and respect as it relates to diversity in general and the Mission of the University specifically.
Commitment to the University’s values of diversity, equity and inclusion, and recognition of the importance of treating each individual with dignity and respect consistent with the University’s Mission. Demonstrated experience with, and understanding of, the broad diversity of the University community (students, faculty, staff and others).

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with the University Community.
Ability and willingness to contribute actively to the mission of the University and to respect the Spiritan Catholic identity of Duquesne University. The mission is implemented through a commitment to academic excellence, a spirit of service, moral and spiritual values, sensitivity to world concerns, and an ecumenical campus community.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
Applicants are asked to submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references.
Catholic in its mission and ecumenical in spirit, Duquesne University values equality of opportunity as an educational institution and as an employer. We aspire to attract and sustain a diverse faculty and staff that reflects contemporary society, serves our academic goals and enriches our campus community. We particularly encourage applications from members of underrepresented groups and support dual-career couples through our charter membership in this region's HERC (http://www.hercjobs.org/oh-western-pa-wv/).
We invite applicants for this position to learn more about our university and its Spiritan heritage by visiting http://www.duq.edu/about/mission-and-identity/mission-statement. Those invited to campus for an interview may be asked about ways in which they see their talents contributing to the continued growth of our community and furthering its mission.
Duquesne University was founded in 1878 by its sponsoring religious community, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. Duquesne University is Catholic in mission and ecumenical in spirit. Motivated by its Catholic identity, Duquesne values equality of opportunity both as an educational institution and as an employer.