Job details

Benefits Specialist

Position Overview

The University of Kansas Human Resource Management department is seeking a Benefits Specialist to work with current, prospective, and retired employees in benefit administration and planning. The successful incumbent must possess competency in the areas of customer service and employee focus, communication, time management, adaptability, and teamwork. Additionally, this position requires strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to analyze and resolve various issues ranging in complexity, as well as effective organization methods to successfully balance daily work tasks, various deadlines, and specialty program administration.

KU’s Benefits Specialists are employee-focused and experts in the benefits field, assisting throughout the lifecycle of the KU employee experience. Team members must be equipped to manage professionally, confidentially, and tactfully various complex situations and sensitive conversations regarding life events, benefits eligibility, and employment transitions. Benefits Specialists are also responsible for ensuring accurate paycheck deductions, while complying with federal, state and Kansas Board of Regents regulations and/or policies and communicating with employees if adjustments are needed.

The University of Kansas administers benefit programs provided by the state of Kansas, as well as benefit options provided by the Kansas Board of Regents. These programs include, but are not limited to medical, dental, vision, Basic Group and Optional Group Life insurance, long-term disability, Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS), Kansas Board of Regents 403(b) Mandatory and Voluntary Retirement plans, state of Kansas 457 Deferred Compensation plan, and various other programs offered to eligible staff, faculty, and graduate students at KU.

KU offers great benefits to employees with up to 176 hours of paid vacation per year, 72 hours of sick leave earned per year, nine paid holidays plus one discretionary day, a retirement program, medical & dental insurance, life and disability insurance, other benefit plan options and State of Kansas discounts offered by various vendors. KU also offers employees educational and professional development opportunities. KU is a great place to work! See benefits.ku.edu for more details.

Job Description

40% - Benefit Program Administration

Administer benefit programs, such as health insurance, life insurance, and retirement plans by utilizing various databases (MAP, KPERS, HR/Pay, Planwithease.com, UnitedHealthcare Partner Center, Empower Retirement) and monitor processing of enrollments and changes to ensure timely coverage and accurate paycheck deductions on data files.
Analyze anticipated paycheck deductions to ensure timely deductions and work with KU Payroll to handle necessary adjustments. Utilize payroll confirmation reports to ensure accuracy of paycheck deductions.
Follow policy, procedures, and deadlines while using individual acumen to analyze information to determine employee eligibility, documentation requirements, monitor employee enrollment through activation, change or termination of benefit coverage.
Maintain compliance with state of Kansas and Kansas Board of Regents statutes, regulations, and policies.

25% - Employee-Centered Support

Provide first line assistance and exceptional employee-centered support to KU staff, faculty, graduate students, departments, and leadership in support of the University’s mission.
Build and maintain professional relationships with KU benefit partners, Higher Ed institutions, state of Kansas agency contacts, and outside vendors.
Counsel employees and faculty candidates by providing accurate and complete information regarding benefit programs including: medical, prescription drug, dental and vision insurance; voluntary insurance offerings; Basic Group and Optional Group Life Insurance; Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), Health Savings Accounts (HSA), and Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA); Kansas Board of Regents Mandatory and Voluntary retirement plans; KPERS and the 457 Deferred Compensation retirement plans; long-term disability; and benefit impact for leaves of absence, change in appointment, or separation of employment. Provide one-on-one assistance through scheduled Zoom/MS Teams meetings as requested by the employee or department.
Counsel supervisors and departments by providing accurate and complete information regarding employee benefits eligibility and impact, due to a change in appointment.

25% - Administration of Graduate Student Health Insurance (GSHI) Program

Serve as first point of contact for GSHI questions and issues via email and phone; respond to students and departments timely with accurate information; research complex questions and consult with HRM colleagues and supervisors when necessary.
Independently design and maintain accurate GSHI eligibility records.
Determine eligibility for subsidized GSHI coverage by coordinating with HR/Pay, campus departments, and the insurance company for domestic graduate students.
Counsel students, faculty, and departmental personnel on GSHI benefits and eligibility and refer them to the appropriate resources if deemed ineligible for subsidized GSHI.
Work collaboratively with International Support Services to determine eligibility for subsidized GSHI coverage by coordinating with HR/Pay, campus departments, and the insurance company for international graduate students.
Approve Domestic GSHI enrollments that meet requirements of the GSHI plan in the student insurance company portal.
Process department subsidy in HR/Pay timely and accurately and handle any discrepancies identified; process department subsidy for international graduate students according to the timeline given by International Support Services Department.
Research student issues and work collaboratively with the insurance company on the resolution, while maintaining accurate and timely communication with the graduate student on the status of their issue.
Audit insurance company invoices and give approval to KU Payroll process KU employer payments for domestic graduate student health insurance.
Report program problems and recommend program changes to HRM supervisor and, if directed, to the Kansas Board of Regents. Attend, in person or by phone, KBOR Student Insurance Advisory Committee (SIAC) meetings. Participate as a member of KU’s SIAC sub-committee.
Maintain the HRM Benefits webpage for GSHI.

5% - KU Benefits Team Support

Provide assistance and support for special projects and KU Benefit programs including Graduate Student Health Insurance, Voluntary Retirement, payroll reporting, etc.
Actively participate in and attend in-person team meetings, professional development opportunities, and special projects including Pre-Retirement Seminars, Open Enrollment activities, and Retirement Luncheon events.

5% - Other tasks as deemed necessary by leadership.

Position Requirements

This position requires a professional, employee-centered support environment in a remote office setting, as well as occasional travel to the Lawrence, Kansas campus for in-person meetings, professional development training, and events. Due to the needs of those we support, employees are required to maintain standard business hours- 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday.

Required Qualifications

Bachelors degree OR Associates degree and 2 years of related experience OR High School diploma and 4 years of experience in Human Resources or a related field.
Demonstrated experience in providing excellent customer service, performing multiple tasks simultaneously while meeting deadlines, and maintaining confidentiality of sensitive information as outlined in application materials.
Effective communication skills as evidenced by application materials, interview, and references.
Experience working with MS Office products, particularly Excel, as outlined in application materials.

Preferred Qualifications

Professional experience working with the State Employee Health Plan and/or KPERS.
Experience and demonstrated mid-level competency utilizing MS Excel (performing tasks including Filter, Sort, Vlookup, and Conditional Formatting).
Ability to adapt to multiple ongoing tasks and deadlines with frequent interruptions.
Ability to critically assess and analyze complex issues and effectively communicate resolutions, both written and oral.
Experience working in a remote or hybrid setting in a team-based environment.

Additional Candidate Instructions

A complete application includes:

Cover letter addressing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
Resume.
Completion of the online application.
A list of three (3) professional references.

Application review begins Monday, June 12th, 2023 and continues until a pool of qualified applicants is identified. Apply by June 12th for priority consideration.

Contact Information to Applicants

Melissa Cole
mcole@ku.edu

Advertised Salary Range

Starting at $45,000

Work Schedule

The is designated as a remote position with a M-F 8-5 schedule.

Application Review Begins

Monday June 12, 2023

Anticipated Start Date

Monday June 26, 2023

Apply to Job

Posting Information

Posting ID: 25319BR
Department: Human Resource Management
Primary Campus: University of Kansas Lawrence Campus
Assignment: Telework
Reg/Temp: Regular
Employee Class: U-Unclassified Professional Staff
Review Begins: 12-Jun-2023

By The University of Kansas

The University of Kansas (KU) hawks an education to more than 30,000 students at its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, and three secondary campuses. The school (whose mascot is the Jayhawk) offers undergraduate and graduate programs through more th...

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INDUSTRY

Colleges & Universities

TEAM SIZE

10000+

LOCATION

Hybrid, based in Lawrence, KS

DATE POSTED

June 9, 2023