Benefits Manager jobs in Monterey, CA

Location: Main Campus
Job Code: 418
# of Openings: 1

OPEN UNTIL FILLED: application filing deadline September 23, 2022
DEFINITION

Under general supervision, performs a variety of complex and analytical duties in administering and communicating District pre- and post-tax benefit plans, including workers' compensation and employee leaves, in compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements; performs analyses, interprets District policies, plan provisions and legal requirements; advises employees on complex benefit plan options and requirements; represents the District in dealings with carriers and plan providers to ensure the best interests of the District and employees are being met; and performs related duties as assigned; performs related work as required.

Employees in this classification are designated as "confidential employees" as this term is used within the Educational Employment Relations Act (EERA), 3540.1(c). As such, employees in this classification assist management personnel with developing collective bargaining proposals and/or have regular access to information which contributes to the development of management's collective bargaining positions and/or labor relations strategies.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives general supervision from the Chief Human Resources Officer or other Human Resources administrator. May exercise technical and functional direction over assigned staff.
CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
This is a full journey-level professional classification that performs the full range of professional human resources work related to employee benefits, leaves, and workers' compensation. Positions at this level receive only occasional instruction or assistance as new or unusual situations arise and are fully aware of the operating procedures and policies of the work unit. This class is distinguished from Human Resources Specialist by the full scope of professional-level human resources work performed. A Benefits Analyst is distinguished from a Human Resources Analyst by the incumbent's specialization in benefits plan development and administration, and administering the District's workers' compensation program.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (Illustrative Only):

Administers various employee benefit programs for the District, including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance and medical flexible spending accounts.

Coordinates and administers the District's pre- and post-tax benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance plans and Flexible Spending Account plans; ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements including provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Affordable Care Act (ACA), contractual agreements and labor contract requirements; ensures a high level of customer service to employees, retirees and others on benefits program matters.

Compiles materials and conducts benefit orientation; provides benefit plan materials to new employees, answers questions; processes enrollments of employees and employees becoming benefit eligible or making benefit enrollment changes due to qualifying events, transmits information to carriers and third-party administrators and enters data into the payroll and/or HRIS system to maintain employee benefit files and records; conducts benefit meetings as required; processes employee benefit updates; acts as liaison with program administrators and insurance carriers to resolve problems.

Research, analyze and compile statistical data for completion pf benefit surveys and audits; research and project employees leaves for leaves of absence, disability plans and implementation.

Coordinates and administers benefit plans for eligible retirees, including medical, dental and vision insurance plans; notifies retirees of annual rate changes; receives retiree and self-pay benefits premium payments, enters data in the payroll and/or HRIS systems and transmits payments to Finance; notifies individuals of overdue or incorrect premium payments received.

Coordinates and conducts the annual open enrollment process; prepares and distributes benefit enrollment information to employees; explains available benefit options and any plan changes to employees; determines annual benefit eligibility for adjunct employees; coordinates with vendors to ensure eligible retirees, employees and dependents are accurately enrolled; updates deductions for any rate changes and enters benefit information and deductions for all employees in the payroll and/or HRIS systems; updates the Human Resources Benefits website.

Ensures District compliance with provisions of HIPAA, COBRA, ACA and required IRS reporting; adds new employees to the mandated ACA tracking system, responding to alerts, correcting errors and updating certification information; stays abreast of all state and federal regulatory requirements and makes recommendations for change as appropriate; develops recommendations and prepares responses to IRS penalty letters regarding potential errors; assists with completion and generation of 1095-C tax forms to employees; oversees and performs COBRA plan administration responsibilities.

Administers the District's workers' compensation program, including all regulatory reporting requirements; serves as first point of contact in the event of work-related injuries; provides required claim forms and refers injured workers to designated providers for evaluation and treatment; authorizes initial treatment; acts as liaison between the District and program administrators, medical providers and employees; monitors and tracks workers' compensation leave usage.

Assists with the design and implementation of the District's Return-to-Work program.

Interacts with employees and their managers to discuss injuries and assist with the interactive discussion process for ADA/FEHA and workers' compensation accommodation requests; coordinates employee returns to work; coordinates work restrictions and facilitates discussions related to accommodations and modified duties.

Ensures timely filing of all regulatory reports related to workers' compensation.

Works closely with Payroll to coordinate, track and administer employee leaves including processing benefit and leave of absence adjustments.

Ensures employees understand their rights regarding leaves; completes and submits required documentation to the plan carriers to arrange for determination of benefits and processing of leave benefit payments, including but not limited to disability benefits; discusses options with employees unable to return to work as their leave time nears exhaustion.

Attends meetings of the District Safety Committee; notifies employees of mandatory safety training as required under the District's Illness/Injury Prevention Program and Bloodborne Pathogen Program.

Coordinates and schedules a variety of workshops on health, wellness and retirement planning topics including STRS and PERS retirement eligibility and plan designs; completes required forms for STRS and PERS reporting.

Conducts research and prepares proposals/input regarding benefits for the collective bargaining process.

Ensures compliance with applicable government regulations. Assures timeliness and accuracy of required filings. Assists in the development of long-range objectives regarding benefit programs.

Develops recommendations to improve department processes and procedures.

Ensures a high level of customer service to employees, retirees and others on benefit program matters.

Coordinates ergonomic evaluations of employee work stations with the District's safety consultant; provides summaries of evaluation results to the employee and supervisor; prepares purchase orders for the purchase/installation of recommended/approved workstation equipment or other accommodations.

Files benefit-related information in employee benefits files and maintains separate confidential medical files.

Demonstrates sensitivity to and understanding of diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty and staff.

Performs other relevant duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Knowledge of:

Principles and practices of human resource benefits management.

Trends in benefit plan design, delivery and cost management.

Insurance agreements, claim processing, and adjustment procedures.

Worker's Compensation regulations and practices.

Interactive process for FEHA and ADA accommodation requests.

Standard office procedures and equipment; computer proficiency and technical aptitude utilizing MS Word, Excel, Power Point, etc.

Operations, uses and functionalities of the District payroll system, NeoGov/NeoEd and other standard enterprise and human resources systems software and their functionalities for administering employee benefit plans.

Benefit contract language.

Pertinent federal and state regulations, filing and compliance requirements affecting employee benefit programs, including ERISA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, CFRA, FEHA, Medicare, HIPPA, OSHA, and California Education Code, Title 5, and DOL

Methods and techniques of research and basic report preparation.

Proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Methods and techniques of business letter composition.

Basic accounting principles.

Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public, vendors, contractors, and District staff.

Ability to:

Participate in the development and administration of a comprehensive program of employee benefits to meet employee and District needs within the District's benefits and financial objectives.

Organize, coordinate and participate in day-to-day administration of the District's pre-and post-tax benefit plan offerings.

Understand, interpret, explain and apply provisions of workers' compensation laws and proactively administer the program.

Organize, set priorities and exercise sound, independent judgment and initiative within areas of assigned responsibility.

Analyze complex benefits issues and problems, gather relevant data, evaluate alternatives and make appropriate decisions and recommendations.

Understand, interpret, explain and apply complex insurance and benefit plan laws, regulations, contract provisions, policies and procedures.

Represent the District effectively in dealings with carriers, vendors and third-party administrators on a variety of benefits issues and employee situations.

Prepare clear, concise and accurate records, reports, correspondence and other written materials.

Handle sensitive and complex employee situations with compassion, tact and confidentiality.

Organize and maintain specialized employee benefits and medical files.

Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Understand and follow written and oral instructions.

Establish and maintain effective working relationships.

Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner; organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.

Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software applications programs.

Understand scope of authority in making independent decisions.

Review situations accurately and determine appropriate course of action using judgment according to established policies and procedures.

Establish, maintain, and foster positive and effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Demonstrate sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, linguistic, ethnic backgrounds and disabilities of community college students and staff.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Any combination of training and experience that would provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in human resources management, business or public administration, or a related field, and three (3) years of professional experience in human resources, preferably in employee benefit plan administration, including workers' compensation programs.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Regular, full-time, 12 months per year confidential position. Weekly Schedule: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Starting salary is $6,014 (Step A). Salary range 28 on confidential salary schedule: $6,014 to $7,310 per month (5 Steps). District provides health benefits, which currently consist of full medical, dental, and vision insurance for employee and a high percentage of coverage for eligible dependents. District-paid life, accident and income protection insurance is provided for the employee only. Must become a member of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS).

COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT

Board Policy 7330 Communicable Diseases-Employees requires that all newly hired and current employees of the Hartnell Community College District be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. All new employees must be fully vaccinated by the first day of employment. An exemption may be requested by individuals who cannot be vaccinated due to medical and/or religious reasons. Employees who receive an exemption will be required to wear a mask or face covering while on District property and/or facilities and will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing twice weekly. For more information about Hartnell CCD's vaccine requirement, please visit the District COVID-19 Information Website.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The following documents MUST be uploaded as attachments to your on-line application:

1. Resume

2. Cover letter

3. Transcripts

It is the policy of the Hartnell College Community District that no person shall be discriminated against in any employment procedure on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability. The College actively seeks applications from candidates who have multi-cultural experience. Contact the Office of Human Resources and Equal Employment Opportunity if you need any special accommodations to complete the application process.

To apply, visit https://phe.tbe.taleo.net/phe02/ats/careers/v2/viewRequisition?org=HARTCOMM&cws=38&rid=418

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