HR Benefits Manager

Description

Examples of Duties

• Maintains strict confidentiality of information.
• Research, analyzes, and administers employee healthcare plans, including medical, dental, vision, and disability insurances.
• Develops, implements, and manages employee benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, retirement plans, wellness initiatives, and leave of absence programs.
• Partner with leadership to evaluate benefit offerings and recommend changes to ensure competitiveness and alignment with organizational objectives and provide regular reports on program utilization, employee satisfaction and cost impacts.
• Oversee benefits administration, including enrollments, terminations, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, and other leave management processes.
• Manage vendor relationships, and coordinate annual open enrollment’
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations (ACA, HIPAA, FMLA, COBRA, etc.).
• Provide guidance and training to employees on benefits programs, including creating communication materials and hosting information sessions.
• Designs and executes employee surveys and other feedback mechanisms to assess satisfaction and guide improvements to benefits programs and communications.
• Collaborate with payroll to ensure accurate benefits deductions and recordkeeping and coordinate closely with Finance to manage benefits-related expenditures and budgets.
• Stay up to date on industry trends, legislative changes, and best practices in benefits management.
• Supervise HR team members as assigned and provide coaching and professional development to build HR team expertise in benefits administration.
• Evaluates the costs and benefits of wellness programs, supplemental insurances, and employee assistance programs and recommends strategies to reduce costs while maximizing benefits.
• Build and maintain relationships with health and retirement plan providers.
• Serves as lead of wellness, DEIB and employee engagement committees.
• Performs related duties.

Typical Qualifications

• Knowledge of employee benefits administration principles and practices.
• Knowledge of basic accounting principles.
• Knowledge of computers and job-related software programs.
• Knowledge and level of competency commonly associated with completion of specialized training in the field of work, in addition to basic skills typically associated at college level.
• In-depth knowledge of benefits laws, regulations, and compliance requirements
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to interpret complex data.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain benefits to diverse employee groups and design clear, engaging communication materials for wide audience.
• Proficiency with HRIS and benefits administration systems.
• Skills in prioritizing and organizing work.
• Skills in the use of such office equipment as a computer, scanner, fax machine, and copier.
• Skills in oral and written communication.
• Skills in the provision of customer services.
• Ability to lead and develop staff, mentor team members and foster a culture of continuous improvement with the HR function.

Supplemental Information

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive HR or benefits administration experience; at least 2 years in a management or supervisory role preferred.
• Professional certifications (PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP) preferred.

The City of Lawrenceville offers a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, health savings accounts, life insurance, long-term disability, short-term disability, holidays, and personal time off.

Health

• Health insurance benefits become active on the 31st day of employment. Health benefits include major medical, dental, and vision. There are three options.
• PPO – Options A & B with HRA (HRA is City funded through wellness program initiatives).
• HDP with HSA (HSA is City funded through wellness initiatives and also voluntarily employee funded).

• Retirement plans are Defined Contribution (401a), and Deferred Compensation (457b).
  • The 401a (City makes a 4% contribution beginning on first pay period after hire date)
  • 457b (Employee contributions only)
• If an employee contributes at least 4% into the 457b, which is voluntary, the City will make an additional 6% contribution into the 401a, totaling 10% into the employee’s 401a.
• Each contribution is a percentage of the employee’s earnings for that pay period.
• There is a graduated vesting schedule into the 401a plan.
  • One year - 20%
  • Two years – 40%
  • Three years – 60%
  • Four years – 80%
  • Five years – 100%

• There is City paid short-term disability, long-term disability, accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) and life insurance that pays two times the employee’s annual salary. Employees can opt into supplemental life insurance for self, spouse and children and pay the premium.

• New Year's Day
• MLK Day
• Good Friday
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Juneteenth
• Labor Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Friday after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day
• Employees earn PTO in lieu of individual vacation and sick leave; PTO is earned as follows:
  • First year of service – 3.692 hours per pay period (Department Directors accrue PTO hours at a rate of 5.538 from first day and moving forward until after ten years of service).
  • 1-5 years of service – 5.538 hours per pay period
  • 5-10 years of service – 7.384 hours per pay period
  • 10-15 years of service – 9.230 hours per pay period
  • Over 15 years of service – 11.076 hours per pay period
• Salaried employees are given 40 hours of Comp Vacation on January 1st of each year, that must be used by December 31st of that same year.

• Employees are paid on a bi-weekly basis; pay periods begin on Sunday and payday is every other Thursday. There is a mandatory direct deposit requirement.

• Tuition Reimbursement towards associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s degrees, available to all full-time employees after one year of employment. (exclusions apply)