GMHEC Benefits Shared Services Leader - Shelburne, VT

GMHEC Benefits Shared Services Leader - Shelburne, VT

Benefits Shared Services Leader: Green Mountain Higher Education Consortium
The Green Mountain Higher Education Consortium located in northern Vermont was founded by Champlain College, Middlebury College and Saint Michael's College in 2013. The Consortium aims to help its members to lower costs, increase the quality of services and add strategic value to our members.

The Consortium and its members strive to leverage shared technology, create best processes and service our member organizations. We are building a shared service organization to support each College's strategic plan.

We provide a meaningful benefits program including health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement with a generous match, paid time off and a wellbeing program. This position provides a unique learning and career growth opportunity in an innovative environment.

Job Description:

Engagement Summary
The Green Mountain Higher Education Consortium (GMHEC) operates in service to our member Colleges. We are expanding to provide shared services for people related initiatives including Payroll and Benefits. In this newly created role, you will be the Benefits Shared Services Leader.

The Benefits Shared Services Leader is responsible for the design, management and administration of benefit programs for the Colleges and the Consortium. This includes strategic leadership and implementation to build best business processes, control costs, deliver quality customer service to employees and meet service level agreements. Inherent in all programs and services is wellbeing to strengthen the health of our employees and create cultures of wellbeing.

Benefits administration encompasses retirement, health and welfare, wellbeing and excellent customer service. It includes the appropriate compliance management, testing, auditing and reporting as well as preparation of benefits budgets, ongoing tracking and review as well as cost analysis. Vendor management as well as alignment with the HR leadership at the respective Colleges is another important aspect of this position.

Managing a team of benefits professionals, this position reports to the People Services Strategic Leader and will be located in Shelburne, Vermont.

The successful candidate will be a part of an organization servicing three very successful higher education institutions. We are guided by our principles which recognize that our member organizations come first, continuous process improvement is a given, communication is transparent and visible and we value our unique culture which includes being innovative, flexible and focused on wellbeing.

Requirements:
The Benefits Shared Services Leader's responsibilities include:

Program Management

• Provide strategic leadership and day to day management of benefits programs for member institutions
• Administer the retirement, health and welfare and voluntary benefit programs of the member Colleges and the Consortium
• Strategic oversight, direction and partnerships with the Colleges on wellbeing initiatives
• Ensure all benefit plans either new or as a renewal are soundly implemented and managed
• Manage relationships with benefit vendors
• Manage annual and ongoing benefits calendars to ensure proactive planning, partnership with member Colleges and effective implementation of changes

Compliance

• Ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, DOL, IRS, HIPAA and regulations in all applicable states where member institutions have presence including testing
• Ensure accurate and timely submission of appropriate federal and state reporting
• Respond to governmental and institutional audit requests
• Develop and monitor internal controls
• Ensure timely and accurate compliance management
• Ensure adherence to data governance

People Management and Partnerships

• Direct people management responsibilities including hiring, development and retention of benefits and wellbeing staff
•  Foster a collaborative benefits team to develop and maximize strengths, bring forth ideas in service to the institutions
• Develop and foster a cross training plan to ensure knowledge across the member institutions and across benefits
• Partner and regularly meet with the Colleges' HR/Finance leadership to ensure strategic and administrative alignment
•  Work collaboratively with College HR/Finance teams on benefit management
• Work collaboratively with the Payroll Shared Services Leader
• Work collaboratively with the HCM Business Analyst to coordinate all actions taken in system

Process/Technology Management

• Ensure the Open Enrollment process adheres and is executed to a well defined project plan
• Ensure information to employees about benefits programs is effectively marketed and communicated to provide excellence in employee service
• Continuous review to provide recommendations for integrating technological tools to enable the Benefits Shared Services Team to function effectively and efficiently
• Efficient and accurate benefits data management working with technology resources to ensure configurations are accurate, updated and maintained
• Project managing implementation of new functionality
• Prepare budgets and reviewing actuals to budgets on a regular basis for each College
• Process of invoices, reconciling and providing supporting information to College finance teams
• Actively participate in Oracle upgrades, new configuration and enhancements, to include testing, training and documentation
• Serve as back-up for benefits team
• Other Duties as assigned

Knowledge & Abilities & Education
Knowledge of:

• Microsoft Office: Word, Excel (including pivots and VLOOKUP), Outlook, Access a plus
• Google Suite: Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar and Adobe Acrobat
• HRIS solutions including payroll/benefits technology, Oracle or other large, cloud based technology
• Basic knowledge of general accounting principles
• Employee benefit plans including retirement, health welfare, voluntary and wellbeing programs; ideally in mid-size or larger organization
• Employment practices, payroll taxes, and wage and hour laws
• Internal Review Service and federal and state regulations, e.g., FLSA, HIPAA, Federal and State Family Leave Act; W-2 reporting
• Data collection, data entry and reporting

Ability to:

• Organize and prioritize work, take initiative, resolve problems, and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
• Recognize several likely causes of events, analyze relationships among several parts of a problem or situation, and formulate a multi-step response if required
• Build strong, positive relationships with external and internal contacts
• Demonstrate commitment to wellbeing
• Coach and mentor employees
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Manage and analyze financial data accurately
• Interpret and apply company policies and procedures
• Maintain confidentiality and appropriately handle sensitive information with tact and discretion
• Work closely with others in a small cooperative office, open office environment
• Meet deadlines for daily, weekly, annual, and project workload goals
• Independently achieve results and self-direct work responsibly
• Deeply commit to continual process improvement and learning
• Contribute to a leading edge, creative team that is highly focused on success for our College partners

Education and Experience:

• A related bachelor's degree
• 5-8 years of benefits experience
• Management experience of professional teams
• Background in finance a plus
• PHR or SPHR a plus; CBP or CEBS a plus

Additional Information:

• The successful completion of a criminal background check is required as a condition of employment.
• Application materials must include a resume and a letter of interest (Cover Letter) specifically addressing the desired qualifications.
• The Consortium does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, place of birth, ancestry, religion, age, sexual orientation, sex, gender identity, veteran or military service status, HIV-positive status, qualified disability, or on the basis of any other status protected by law, and does not discriminate in the administration of its employment practices or other Consortium-administered programs. The Consortium will make reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified applicants for employment and employees. Please contact the Executive Director at 802.443.2304 with questions concerning the hiring process or future employment at the Consortium and if auxiliary aids or services are needed to apply for employment at the Consortium.
• The Consortium is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse community. Recognizing that diversity is both a reflection of our world and a source of rich education, the Consortium strives to be diverse and inclusive in ways that reflect the world in which we live and work. All members of the Consortium community are valued as individuals.
• The Consortium seeks candidates who, through their work and life experiences and service to the community can contribute to the diversity, inclusivity and customer service excellence of the Consortium. Please include information about how you would contribute to these efforts and help to further this goal in your letter of interest/cover letter.

Application Instructions:
In order to be considered for the position, you must upload a resume. To apply, please go to
https://champlain.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp;jsessionid=13B45E59A0EAAA7773D8D374F6C39CEB?JOBID=124618

EU Employee Data Protection Notice:
https://www.champlain.edu/privacy/eu-employee-data-protection-notice

EOE