Benefits Manager

Title: Benefits Manager





Position Purpose:

The Benefits Manager is responsible for the administration of our employee health and welfare programs. The Benefits Manager will use an innovative and inclusive approach to administering a total rewards program that will allow Bates to attract, retain, engage and motivate its workforce by ensuring that our programs are inclusive, innovative, cost-effective, efficient, and competitive.



Job Duties:

Benefits Program Management

• Manages the health and welfare benefits and retirement programs, which include 401(a), 403(b) and 457 retirement plans, group medical, dental, and life insurance plans, disability plans, flexible spending accounts, work/life services, etc., from a strategic and plan design perspective.
• Evaluates, plans, and administers the college’s benefits programs; analyzes benefits plan design; assesses the effectiveness of programs.
• Working with our benefits broker, tracks market innovations, gathers quotations, develops cost estimates, and makes recommendations to management of additional, and alternative benefits (employer and employee-paid options).
• Leads the development and implementation of changes and improvements to benefits programs.
• Assess and recommend any revisions to benefit plans and programs to ensure equitable access to and benefit from plan designs and programs.
• Monitors the benefits budget and reports on trends and variances.
• Manages the college’s relationship with benefits consultants, vendors of benefits plans, legal and actuarial consultants, record keepers, etc.
• Oversees and ensures the quality of benefits proposals, negotiations with insurance carriers, and administration of contracts or other agreements involving employee benefits.
• Counsels faculty on the early retirement and career transition plan and the post-retirement medical benefits plan.
• Oversees the college’s participation in benefits surveys conducted by other organizations (e.g. CUPA-HR, Colgate, The Survey Group, etc.)
• Regularly reviews and improves workflows to ensure accurate and efficient processing of all benefit changes.
• Conducts periodic audits of benefits policies and procedures, plan documents, and summary plan descriptions.
• Oversight of all employee leaves, including FML and ADA.

Benefits Reporting and Compliance

• Ensures all benefits programs, policies and practices are in compliance with ERISA, COBRA, FMLA, ACA, GINA, Maine leave programs, HIPAA, and other applicable federal and state laws and regulations.
• Maintains up-to-date plan documents for all benefit plans.
• Organizes the preparation of reports and applications required by law to be filed with federal and state regulatory agencies (5500s and SARs, etc.)
• Reviews and analyzes changes to state and federal laws pertaining to benefits, and reports necessary or suggested changes to College leadership and trustees.

Communication

• Develops procedures and programs to facilitate proper, complete and equitable access and utilization of all benefit programs for all employees.
• Handles unique or complicated benefit inquiries and resolves concerns and complaints to ensure quick, equitable, courteous resolution for employees.
• Establishes regular protocol for communication of benefit plans to ensure employees remain aware of all appropriate plans, updates and changes.
• Drafts appropriate benefits communication documents to market and highlight the relative value of the benefits package to aid in the recruitment and retention of the best possible faculty and staff such as the annual benefit brochure, total compensation statement annual enrollment communications, etc.
• Leads employee benefit seminars as appropriate.

Wellness Program

• Supports and oversees the development, marketing, implementation, and administration of the campus wellness program.
• Integrates wellness activities with the overall benefits program and facilitates coordination with other college department efforts to support a healthy and safe campus community.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Master’s degree in HR, Statistics or other related field preferred.
• Graduate course work in job related topics helpful.
• Certified Benefits Professional (CBP) or Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation preferred.

Experience

• 6+ years of experience in benefits design, implementation, administration, and compliance.
• Familiarity with the academic environment and higher education is helpful.

Skills and Knowledge

• Unwavering dedication to customer service, innovation, and having fun at work.
• Excellent communication (written, verbal and presentation) skills.
• Strong presentation skills and ability to develop dynamic presentations.
• Excellent analytical and problem solving skills; ability to synthesize complex or diverse information.
• Ability to work independently and handle multiple priorities with minimal supervision.
• Impeccable organizational (time, task, project management) skills and ability to coordinate resources and staff within the college community.
• Proficiency in basic data management systems and basic computer applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Willingness and ability to learn additional applications as needed.
• Ability and willingness to work weekends, evenings and other non-traditional schedules.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusivity and to serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse and inclusive community.

Benefits:

Bates College offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits (health, dental, sick leave, 24 days of vacation, 2 personal days, 12 paid holidays, dependent care subsidy, free parking, access to library and athletic facilities & more) and a supportive, collegial environment in a drug- and smoke-free workplace.



Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. All college faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.

Inquiries concerning the college’s policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII, Title IX, and ADA/Section 504), and complaints may be directed to Gwen Lexow, Title IX Officer, 207-786-6445 or via email at glexow@bates.edu .

About Bates:

Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world.

Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. Committed to opportunity and excellence, Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin.

Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world. Bates engages the forces — intellectual trends, demographic changes, and technology — that are transforming higher education and the world into which our students graduate.

Bates has highly competitive admissions, graduates over 90 percent of its entering students, and more than half of its alumni earn graduate degrees. Bates employs 200 faculty members and 550 staff.

The college is proud of deep roots in the Lewiston/Auburn community, Maine’s second-largest urban area with a population of approximately 65,000. Bates is located on a beautiful, 133-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, an emerging city with an entrepreneurial climate, a lively arts scene, and a dynamic business community. Bates is 35 miles north of Portland, 140 miles north of Boston, and 350 miles north of New York City.

Advertised: Aug 02 2022 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: