Under the direction of the Director of Human Resources Operations, the Benefits & HR Specialist is responsible for providing support to the Director and coordinating the day-to-day operations of the College’s employee benefits programs and services including health & welfare benefits, ancillary benefits, leave programs, retirement plan. Will also provide other general Human Resources support including data processing and employee events.
Benefits Administration Support (45%):Provide support to the Director of Human Resources Operations with the day-to-day operational aspects of the administration of the College’s health and welfare benefits (medical and dental), programs and services and all ancillary benefits, programs and services including life insurance, long term disability, vision, tuition programs and other voluntary benefits in accordance with applicable federal and state regulations, including ERISA reporting requirements.
- Coordinate, schedule and deliver regular new employee benefits orientations and programs and provide related support for new hire enrollments in benefits and new hire system troubleshooting.
- Coordinate and provide day-to-day assistance with employee benefit programs and services including responding to general employee benefit questions, processing benefit enrollments and changes, processing benefit invoices and payments, generating and processing benefit vendor files and auditing benefits plans and deductions.
- Provide support with the administration of the College’s 403(b) retirement plan. Process monthly and bi-weekly contribution, remittance and enrollment files to vendors. Track and monitor eligibility. Monitor and coordinate retirement plan enrollments, loans and withdrawals.
- Support the annual benefits open enrollment process and all related communications and internal processing. Answer open enrollment questions and system troubleshooting, processing changes, and coordinating with vendors.
- Coordinate and manage Worker’s Compensation claims processing and related communications with worker’s comp vendor, employees and supervisors. Coordinate annual worker’s compensation audit and all related annual filings.
- Coordinate COBRA program including required notifications, enrollments and billing.
- Coordinate and manage tuition programs including annual communication, processing applications, maintaining export/imports data, liaison to tuition program service providers and annual reporting and invoicing.
Leave Program Administration (25%):
Serve as the first point of contact for employees requesting or inquiring about leave programs, respond to general questions, communicate policies, coordinate written communications, and maintain employee leave files and related records.
- Administer leave of absence programs with third party vendor, coordinate with vendor and internal payroll, communicate with employees and supervisors, prepare necessary correspondence and coordinate return to work.
Wellness Program (15%):
- Assist with coordination of employee health and wellness programs that includes health education and information sessions, fitness and activity programming and online fitness challenges and events.
Payroll Processing/Data Management and HRIS (15%)
- Assist with the data entry and processing of new hires and terminations as well as other general employee payroll related and benefit changes in accordance with the college’s regular biweekly and monthly pay cycles.
- Assist with the data entry and maintenance of other employment and demographic data and other Human Resources data processing including seasonal hires, leave accruals, annual salary adjustments and changes, adjunct faculty processing and other related changes.
- Ensure data validation and data integrity and conduct regular audits and reviews of data.
- Generate and run standard and ad-hoc reports using WebFocus and other reporting tools.
- In collaboration with others, assist with the oversight and effective use and maintenance of the HR/Payroll system and sensitive employee data and information.
- Assist with the ongoing training and support of staff in the efficient use of the HR/Payroll system.
- Assist in the evaluation and implementation of processes and procedures related to the effective use of the HR/Payroll system.
- Assist with the testing of system upgrades and enhancements.
Employee Events & Programming Support: Plan and coordinate Annual Open Enrollment and Benefits fair.
- Assist and provide support to the HR team on the delivery and planning of an engaging and effective employee events programming plan that meets the needs of a diverse workforce and that serves to provide opportunities for employee engagement, recognition and celebration, and community building.
Minimum Qualifications:
- In-depth knowledge of and experience in all core human resources functional areas with a particular emphasis in benefits administration.
- Knowledge and experience with HR/Payroll systems required. Experience with Ellucian/Banner preferred.
- Excellent computer skills and knowledge of MS Suite including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
- Must possess strong interpersonal skills, diplomacy, and tact
- Must communicate effectively in writing and orally.
- Must be familiar with current issues and best practices in human resources.
Education/Experience:
Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of three to five years’ professional experience in human resource management, preferably in higher education or equivalent combination of education and experience. Previous experience managing and administering employee benefits programs is preferred.
Preferred Qualifications:
Compensation and Benefits
To attract and retain the most talented individuals, Wheaton College maintains a flexible and competitive staff compensation and benefits program.
When determining and establishing hiring rates or recruitment ranges for a position, the College considers a number of factors including the budget for the position, the range of the grade, the external market for the position or similar positions, level and scope of responsibilities, required education, skills and relevant experience as well as internal equity. All salary offers must have the prior approval of the Office of Human Resources.
The anticipated hiring or recruitment range for this position is $60,000-$65,000.
Physical Demands
ADA Statement:
Individuals must possess these knowledges, skills and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.
Eeo Statement
Wheaton is a private coeducational liberal arts college within easy
commuting distance of Boston and Providence. We have nearly 1,700
undergraduates from 40 U.S. States and more than 70 countries. Nearly 23%
of our undergraduates are U.S. students of color and 11% are international
citizens. Wheaton College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action
employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group on the
basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age,
race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, genetic
information, or disability. In a continuing effort to maintain and enrich
an intellectually diverse learning environment, the Department and the
College actively encourages applications from women and members of
underrepresented groups.