Position Type:
Human Resources/Benefits Specialist

Date Posted:
5/22/2024

Location:
Finance

Date Available:
May/2024

2023-2024 SCHOOL YEAR
BENEFITS REPRESENTATIVE
CENTRAL OFFICE

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The incumbent is an experienced partner providing subject matter knowledge for supporting Leave of Absence administration, and separately, delivery of programs and services intended to meet the needs of the Norwalk Public Schools retirees. Provides specialized, qualitative, and analytical consultative support in the administration of Leave of Absences and retiree benefit plans, assist and support with processing of medical bills, programs and projects, including strategy, philosophy and policy development; assists in the review and modification of specific programs, manages relationship with external service providers, plan provisions, tools, analytics and procedures. Develops and disseminates employee and retiree-related communication and educational materials, participates in audits; performs evaluative analysis of plans and their impacts; and facilitates district wide or Human Resource Office-sponsored special projects or initiatives.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Retirees/Leave of Absences

• Responsible for interfacing with employees and retirees to work through individual employee claims/cases.
• Provide feedback and recommendations regarding Leave of Absence requests balancing legal requirements, district policy, collective bargaining agreements and past practices.
• Subject matter expertise needed in Leave of Absence policy & practices, Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Families First Corona Virus Response Act (FFCRA) as well as American with Disabilities Act ADA)
• Ensure Leave of Absences are accurately represented in district 1) absence management system (aka Frontline AESOP) and 2) NovaTime FMLA Request module.
• Support HR responsibilities for any pandemic/health emergency programs, policies and protocols impacting district staff.
• Worker's Compensation
  • Coordinate and partner with Worker's Compensation vendor (CIRMA) on individual employee claims.
  • Consult with City of Norwalk Risk Manager about claims on an ongoing basis.
  • Responsible for FRI report coordinator as well as yearly OSHA report.
  • Provide initial communications and ongoing administration of COBRA programs for exiting employees.
  • Facilitate support for retirees' benefits administration based on state/district policy and programs as well as their collective bargaining agreement.

Data Analysis & Systems Management

• Develop reporting and dashboard analytics to support business needs.
• Analyzes detailed Leave of Absence cost data to understand cost and utilization trends and provides timely insight into cost drivers and identification of new improvement opportunities
• Utilizes relational databases, business intelligence and desktop analytical reporting tools to access data and develop standard and ad-hoc reports and summaries that support department projects and initiatives.
• Conducts analyses and modeling, accesses utilization trends, identifies risks, develops projections, determines opportunities and prepares summaries of findings.
• Lead collaboration with fellow HR team members as well as HRIS, Payroll, Finance and IT to ensure accurate, timely and efficient processing of business transactions.
• May lead project team(s) for system upgrades, enhancements, evaluations and data integration.
• Documents and maintains setup details for all system configurations.
• Analyzes current processes and makes recommendations/implement improvement.
• Identify new functionality and recommend/implement changes.
• Participates in audit processes to ensure data accuracy and plan administration compliance. Identifies information and system audit opportunities. Identifies trends and escalates potential issues.

Communication

• Develops, explains and disseminates related communication and educational materials. Engages colleagues in group presentations/seminars on programs, policies, changes or issues. Participates in measuring program effectiveness and service delivery efficiency.
• Reviews, updates, and communicates existing benefits policies to determine continued fit with the organization and provides recommendations for updates to most effectively administer consistent with collective bargaining agreements.
• Follow established policies and practices to resolve questions and issues on employee (disability) claims using resource information on policies, plans, employee data and claim data from the vendor.

Project Management

• Manages project management resources to meet project objectives for benefit programs, automated enrollment modules and related plan administration/information services. Identifies information and system audit opportunities; manages audit process to ensure data accuracy and compliance.
• Leads and participates in organization-wide or Human Resources-sponsored special projects or initiatives. Develops project plans with major milestones and critical paths to facilitate project control, as needed. Responsible for meeting scope, deadline and budget objectives. Reports project status to appropriate internal and external stakeholders to solicit administrative support for project success. Coordinates evaluation of project processes and outcomes, and participates in the design of corrective actions in order to maintain quality standards and increase probability of success initiatives.
• Manages vendors and service provider relationships to ensure the completion of assignments, resolution of outstanding claims and administrative disputes, and the effective and efficient reporting to Director of Human Resources.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Experience developing and implementing total rewards programs, policies and procedures preferred
• General knowledge of HR policies/processes, compensation and total rewards programs
• Knowledge of compensation and total rewards governance, compliance and reporting requirements
• Sensitivity in working with confidential information
• Proven teamwork capabilities
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Excellent project management skills, including planning and organizational skills
• Attentive to details and deadlines; ability to manage multiple initiatives
• Ability to effectively work independently and identify when to engage others
• Strong computer skills, including Excel, PowerPoint,
• Advanced level knowledge of trends and developments in benefits, policies, including relevant legal issues,
• Has developed conceptual and practical expertise in own discipline
• Capable of making decisions within guidelines and policies
• Impacts a range of standard and non-standard customer, operational, process, project or service activities
• Is accountable for small projects or programs with manageable risks and resource requirements
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with the clients to gain their trust and respect
• Must be able to drive continuous organizational effectiveness and improvement activities and best practices
• Experience with multiple clients, dealing with a broad range of HR-related functions
• Strong project management and organizational skills, bias for action and results orientation
• Strong problem solving and conflict resolution skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills required with strong customer service orientation. Ability to communicate ideas and directives clearly and effectively both orally and in writing
• Ability to think strategically and to understand underlying business and organizational issues.
• Ability to work autonomously with little daily guidance, but with others
• Ability to get along with team members, employees, staff, external and internal customers
• Proven ability to manage a wide variety of HR programs, change management and roll-out of HR initiatives
• Proven ability to build effective partnerships with leadership teams and employees
• Effective, active listening skills
• Organizational and problem-solving skills
• Proven ability to change the business through creative problem-resolution, policy creation or lean efforts
• Has the ability to perform complex analytics, identify trend analyses and interpret data, driving business recommendations
• Must be able to deal with ambiguity and cope with change
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Perform any other duties as assigned by Director of HR and his or her designee

QUALIFICATIONS

• Benefits experience is a plus
• Fluency in Spanish is an asset
• Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Superintendent and/or Board of Education may find appropriate

Days: Monday - Friday - Full-Time
Bargaining Unit: Position is Unaffiliated
Work Year: 12 Months/52 weeks
Benefits: Medical, Dental and Vision
Compensation: $60,000-70,000
Apply at
www.norwalkps.org/applynow Click "Employment"

NORWALK IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
It is the policy of the Norwalk Board of Education to ensure equal educational opportunity for all students and to prohibit unlawful discrimination because of race, color, religion, creed, age, marital status, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, transgender status or physical and mental disability in the school district's educational program and activities; and to prohibit unlawful discrimination in employment because of race, color, religion, creed, age, marital status, national origin, gender pregnancy, veteran status, gender identity or expression, transgender status, sexual orientation or physical and mental disability.
05.22.2024