Position Summary:  The Benefits Administrator supports Stetson University by initiating programs and services that attract, retain, support and motivate a diverse work community.  The position provides management and administration of the University’s employee benefits and wellness programs.  Serving as a member of the People Operations/Human Resources Team, the Benefits Administrator educates and counsels employees and retirees on benefit options, resolves problems and concerns, and ensures the timely and accurate processing of all benefit actions.  It further provides support and guidance in evaluating and selecting benefits products and providers.  This position reflects the University’s One Stetson philosophy by providing ongoing support and services to all campuses and sites.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities: Employment duties include, but are not limited to:

• Maintain thorough knowledge of benefit plans, contracts, and vendor agreements and answer questions from faculty, staff, and University administration.
• Manage and maintain positive relationships with benefit providers and vendors.  Seek to enhance benefit offerings by exploring relationships with new vendors. 
• Provide guidance and support to active participants, new employees, and retirees in making benefit selections, open enrollment changes, and qualifying events for all campus locations, and provide information and resolve issues with benefits utilization and claims for members.
• Oversee the employee benefits portal including monitoring employee elections and changes, working with IT resources and benefit vendors to ensure file feeds process in a timely and accurate manner, and aiding employees in navigating the portal.
• Assist employees with retirements, separations, and terminations.  Provide proactive guidance and benefit support in filing appropriate paperwork and obtaining benefits at separation from the University including retirements and COBRA processes.  Manage the exit process for terminating employees, including exit interview data gathering and analysis.
• Serve as the point of contact for retiree benefit issues and provides management and oversight to ongoing retiree transactions (benefit changes, reconciling invoices, collecting premiums, and processing death claims).
• Process all worker compensation, disability and FMLA claims and accommodation requests.  Assists employees in determining eligibility, completing paperwork, and providing follow-up with University constituents (employee, supervisor, PO/HR staff).
• Under the guidance of the Associate Director, People Operations, manage and oversee the annual Open Enrollment process for the University and distribute the required legal notices to employees, coordinate and manage the Benefits and Wellness fairs and coordinate with representatives for all campus locations to ensure employee access to vendors. 
• Manage People Operations/HR benefits web presence, including web-based access to benefits information and forms, web announcements on benefits issues and updates, and vendor contact information.
• Analyze and recommend changes in benefits, benefit policies and procedures, and legal compliance issues with regards to the University’s benefits programs to the Associate Director and departmental leadership. 
• Maintain all benefits related information in the University’s Banner system for all campuses, including rule forms and employee specific information. 
• Perform annual audits and assist with 403(b) audits.
• Process reports and queries as requested and support the data gathering efforts of the University Benefits Advisory Council.
• Assist with People Operations/HR projects, events, and programs as assigned.
• Support other People Operations/HR areas as assigned.
• Maintain confidential employee information according to HIPAA guidelines.
• Perform other site and position specific functions as assigned.

Required Skills

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: The knowledge, skills, and abilities for this role include:

• Ability to provide service comfortably and compassionately to a broad range of constituents with a full spectrum of personal benefits issues.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment where deadlines, detail, and accuracy are essential.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion is necessary as this is a highly confidential position.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills, including the ability to manage conflict and effectively support employees who may be frustrated or experiencing personal challenges. 
• Ability to effectively manage multiple product vendors and broker relationships.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and customer service skills.  Ability to negotiate positive resolutions to difficult problems.
• Ability to exhibit a professional, courteous demeanor.
• Ability to make data informed decisions and recommendations.
• Demonstrated Commitment to supporting the University’s goals of being a diverse community of inclusive excellence.
• Support the University’s Mission and Values in their role.

Required Qualifications: This position requires:

• A bachelor’s degree and at least three (3) years of benefits experience or a combination of degree, human resources experience and management experience. 
• Demonstrated experience processing a high volume of employee records in an ERP system (Ellucian Banner, PeopleSoft, Workday, SAP, or similar) on matters of significance to the employee experience (employment, benefits, and/or financial transactions).
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple employee inquiries daily, while adhering to frequent, ongoing, rigid deadlines (payroll, billing due dates, or similar).
• Experience in some of the following areas: working with outside vendors, customer service and support (specifically advocating on behalf of employee groups), overseeing financial transactions and reconciliations, and utilizing IT resources to improve processes and user experiences.
• Proficiency in systems review, use of various technology applications (Word, Excel, etc.) and social media platforms.

Ideal Candidate Qualifications: The ideal candidate’s qualifications include:

• Experience with Ellucian/Banner ERP system.
• Experience in Benefits administration in a higher education setting.
• Fluency in Spanish, writing, reading and speaking.

Work Environment: Works in an office environment.  Some travel between campuses is required during peak periods (i.e. Open Enrollment, Benefits Fairs, Wellness events).  The position may be housed primarily on either campus and flexible work arrangements are available for the position.

Reports to: This position reports to the Associate Director, People Operations, (Total Rewards and Staffing).