Benefits and Leave Coordinator

The Benefits and Leave Coordinator provides support and coordination for the College's comprehensive benefits and employee leave programs, including health, dental, life, disability, FSA, retirement and tuition plans; as well as, paid and unpaid leaves of absence, FMLA, short term disability and Workers' Compensation, New York Paid Family Leave and New York Paid Sick Leave. This position is also responsible for OSHA reporting. This position also provides effective communication of College benefits to all employees, retirees and their spouses and ensures accurate benefit elections are processed and that benefit invoices are reconciled and paid in a timely manner. Additionally, this position is responsible for developing new and revising benefit procedures as needed to ensure that benefit processes are completed accurately and consistently.

This position is responsible for maintaining the integrity of the benefits data in the HRIS and is the HR lead for benefits testing, working directly with the IT Department and other partners as necessary.

This position is expected to work independently and to use good judgment in decision-making and to serve as back up to the Assistant Director of Benefits when they are out of the office.

Primary Job Duties

1. Benefits Communication and Counseling – Serves as the first contact for benefit questions on new hire enrollment, qualifying life events (e.g., loss of coverage, marriage, birth, divorce, death of a loved one), retirement, disability, injury and leaves of absence.
2. Benefit Enrollments/Changes/Terminations – Processes new employee/current employee and retiree enrollment and changes as a result of qualifying life events using the Oracle Advanced Benefits system and the online benefit systems of the carriers.
3. Benefits Data Integrity/Open Enrollment - Ensures the integrity of the data in the HRIS and takes a lead role in testing benefits when upgrades/patches are applied .
4. Insurance Premiums Reconciliation and Payment - R econciles monthly billing using employee data for payment of benefit plans, as well as reconciling COBRA and Self-Pay premiums paid by employees and retirees to our TPA.
5. Workers' Compensation/NYS Disability/Paid Family Leave/NYS Paid Sick Leave/FMLA - Processes and tracks all worker’s compensation/disability claims using the TPA’s system, HRIS and the OSHA logs. Responsible for the coordination and administration of all the various types of leave of absence cases and workers’ compensation claims. Ensures employees are paid appropriately while on leaves and works with Occupational Medicine on employee releases to return to work.
6. State and Federally Mandated Programs – Ensures compliance by providing reports weekly to TPA for COBRA Administration (i.e., Terminations, Dependents aging off coverage) and New Plan Members for the Initial Rights Notice. Maintain OSHA Logs for required posting and for use in completing the annual NYS Department of Labor – Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, to avoid penalties. Completes as needed and submits in a timely manner, County Child Support Orders, etc. to avoid penalties.
7. Tuition Programs - Verifies eligibility, obtains approval and notifies appropriate departments on all internal tuition requests.
8. Annual Employee Benefits Fair & Open Enrollment – Serves as the project lead for the Annual Employee Benefits Fair in conjunction with Open Enrollment responsibilities .
9. Performs other related duties as assigned including, but not limited to, creating reports and compiling census data to assist with analysis and benefit proposals for renewals; working with and providing information to auditors, completing verifications of employment and working with the Assistant Director by participating in benefit or Wellness projects as assigned based, on annualized goals or departmental needs.

Must be able to actively listen to and otherwise understand employee inquiries related to benefit and leave programs and provide accurate direction in a reasonable amount of time. This role requires some interpretation of benefit plans and programs with escalation to the Assistant Director for decision on more complex issues. This role requires a working knowledge of state and federal laws related to benefit and leave programs such that administration is completed in a compliant manner. Confidentiality and sensitivity must be maintained at all times.

This position interacts with a diverse employee and retiree population and often serves as liaison with insurance carriers and other agencies such as, Third Party Administrators (TPA's), Workers ' Compensation carrier, WC Board, disability carrier, NYS Department of Labor, physicians / nurses, hospitals and billing offices, to help resolve issues . The position works closely with the College Payroll Specialists, as well as department supervisors to ensure that employees are paid correctly while out on disability, worker’s compensation and Paid Family Leave.

Education : An Associate’s Degree from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent in experience. A Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources or a related field is highly desired.

Experience : At least two (2) years of experience in Human Resources inclusive of experience with benefits administration is required. Must have a working knowledge of State and Federal laws with regard to any mandated program. Technical skills are a requirement, including database problem solving, with ability to work with a relational database e.g. Oracle, and proficiency in Microsoft Office with particular attention to Excel spreadsheet experience. Producing reports from HRIS systems, benefit processing, bill reconciliation, multitasking, as well as experience with streamlining processes is fundamental to success in this position. Must also be able to work in a team oriented environment and maintain a high level of professional integrity and demeanor.

Required Competencies : Must have the ability to work independently, with good judgment in decision-making, and the ability to handle sensitive issues in a professional and confidential manner is critical. Must possess strong organizational skills, exceptional customer service, and be able to manage a large volume of work with various deadlines while working with a diverse population. Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential to communicate Benefit plans and College policy and procedures, and the capacity to listen attentively and with empathy is very important. Must be comfortable speaking to groups of employees, e.g. Benefits Orientation meetings.

Required documents needed to apply:

• On-line application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• List of Three References

Pay Range: Commensurate with experience

In order to prevent or significantly reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission at Skidmore College and protect all members of the College community from infection, successful candidates will be required to submit proof of full vaccination as a condition of employment, unless exempted as a reasonable accommodation of a medical condition or sincerely religious belief or practice.

EEO STATEMENT

Skidmore College is committed to being an inclusive campus community and, as an Equal Opportunity Employer, does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, familial status, dating violence, or stalking, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

Employment at Skidmore College is contingent upon an acceptable background check result.

CREATIVE THOUGHT MATTERS.