Benefits Representative

Under the direction of the Benefits Manager, the Benefits Representative is responsible for administering, maintaining and determining eligibility for employee benefit plans offered to full-time faculty and staff and other benefits eligible employees. This position assists in developing and distribution of various communications pertaining to new hire benefits onboarding, benefits offboarding and open enrollment; processes insurance carrier invoices; coordinates FMLA related leaves; assists with ongoing and annual ACA related responsibilities and COBRA administration. The Benefits Representative reviews and approves tuition remission applications in accordance with the University’s policy each semester. In addition, the Benefits Representative must remain up to date on industry trends, regulatory requirements to ensure compliance and understanding of University policies and procedures affecting benefit programs offered. This position will also assist with any ongoing Colleague (HRIS) enhancements, as needed.

• Manage day-to-day administration of medical, dental, vision, and voluntary benefit plans.
• Facilitate new employee benefit onboarding to inform and enroll new employees in University benefits plans.
• Review personal notification forms for changes that impact benefit enrollments.
• Process enrollment changes for active employees and eligible retirees during annual open enrollment.
• Execute initial and qualifying life event elections within Colleague and with benefit carriers, ensuring premium adjustments are made as needed.
• Manage offboarding communications, providing separating faculty and staff with COBRA and retirement plan options.
• Conduct ongoing audits of benefit deductions and enrollments to ensure data integrity between the HRIS and carrier systems.
• Review weekly TPA invoices for FSA claims and submit to Financial Affairs for payment support.
• Oversee TPA deposits and reconcile monthly reports for COBRA, leave administration, and retiree medical/life insurance.
• Process monthly benefit plan invoices and coordinate wire transfers for timely payments.
• Verify eligibility and process tuition remission applications for employees and dependents in accordance with the University policy.
• Assist with the preparation and filing of Form 5500s and the distribution of Summary Annual Reports (SAR).
• Support the annual review of Plan Documents and Summary Plan Descriptions (SPD) to ensure regulatory compliance and policy accuracy.
• Administer FMLA compliance and University leave policies, covering workers’ compensation, parental leave, and Long-Term Disability (LTD).
• Review bi-weekly leave reporting in Colleague and collaborate with supervisors to resolve outstanding leave requests.
• Generate monthly Colleague reports for Affordable Care Act (ACA)/1095-C reporting.
• Configure and maintain leave plans (vacation, sick, and spiritual leave) in Colleague for new staff.
• Serve as the primary liaison between employees and insurance carriers for all health, welfare, and retirement plans.
• Manage system configurations in Colleague for monthly and annual benefit enrollment periods.
• Provide technical support to resolve benefits-related inquiries or process issues within Colleague.
• Maintain accurate benefit records for active, terminated, and retired participants, ensuring all correspondence is documented.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Assist with preparing employee communications, including but not limited to the open enrollment guide, email communications and  webpage updates.
• Assist with annual ACA/1095-C processing.
• Rotate minute taking at the Fringe Benefits Committee (FBC) meetings. 
• Assist in evaluating current and new benefit plans with benefit consultant.
• Report generation as needed.
• Review bi-weekly payroll reports for retirement plan deductions and prepare wire transfer to transmit contributions to TIAA.
• Assist with planning and administering wellness benefits and programs.
• Assist with annual health fair and benefits events.
• Remain up-to-date on changes and updates to Colleague.
• Document and maintain administrative procedures for benefits processes.
• Perform other duties or special projects as assigned.

Required Education, Experience, Skills & Abilities:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Minimum 2 years of experience in benefits administration, human resources, payroll and/or employee benefits consulting
• Must be detailed oriented, assume responsibility, and able to work independently without close supervision. 
• Effective planning and priority setting. Ability to manage complex projects simultaneously.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to reconcile monthly insurance premiums and benefit general ledger accounts. 
• Experience working with vendor benefits databases.
• Proficient with Microsoft applications, such as Word, PowerPoint, and Excel for correspondence, presentations, database analysis and spreadsheet design.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, exercise discretion, good judgment, tact and diplomacy in communicating with coworkers, University community and the public.

Additional Desirable Qualifications:

• PHR/SPHR/SHRM certification.
• Experience with mid to large volume benefits administration.
• Experience working in higher education.
• Familiarity with HR Enterprise Resource System(s)/HRIS systems and report writing.
• Prior experience with an ERP or HRIS implementation.
• Experience with website development software.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to complete the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.
• Ability to lift up to 20 pounds and carry for five feet.
• Ability to sit and work on a computer for long periods daily.