Benefit Administrator Under the supervision of the Human Resources Director, is responsible for benefit administration and development. Maintains employee's insurance benefits records and HRIS benefit systems. Monitors and tracks claims with access to confidential Human Resources and Labor Relations material. Conducts new employee orientations and the open enrollment process and explains insurance plans and benefits to employees and retirees. Responds to inquiries related to insurance coverage of employees and retirees and assists them in the processing of claims. Interacts with Financial Services and Treasurer's Office personnel regarding invoices and other payable issues. Works on behalf of employees and retirees to ensure timely and appropriate benefits delivery consistent with provisions of the plan document. Manages employee benefit programs, handling health, retirement, and wellness plans, ensuring legal compliance, processing enrollments and claims, and serving as the main contact for employee inquiries about their benefits, acting as vital link between employees, HR and benefit providers. Reviews and processes updates to employee benefit records, ensuring accurate data is maintained in the County's payroll system and with insurance carriers. Partners with Financial Services to ensure employee records are properly updated. Serves as the main contact for insurance carriers and third-party administrators, responding to employee inquiries regarding status changes, plan provisions, and general benefit questions. Provides guidance to employees and retirees on insurance coverage, billing, claims, and reimbursements, and acts as a liaison with vendors on their behalf as needed. Monitors industry trends in insurance and employee benefits, providing updates and recommendations to the HealthCare Coalition and Human Resources Director. Researches, evaluates, designs, and implements new benefit programs to ensure competitive value and options for employees. Maintains the payroll database for health insurance waiver payments and maintains all adjustments to employees' fringe benefit deductions. Works with retirees regarding payment of insurance premiums. Conducts orientation sessions with all new employees to explain and enroll them in County benefit programs. Collaborate with third party vendor to review RFPs as related to health, life, dental, vision, and employee assistance programs as provided by the County. Write and update the policy and procedure and administers the wrap-around plan for retiree health insurance. Reviews and processes benefit related invoices and prepares necessary payroll reports. Creates and disseminates reports for vendors related to employee accounts. In conjunction with Financial Services reviews monthly audit findings for health, dental and vision to maintain record accuracy. Maintains HRIS benefits related data and provides reports as needed. Build and maintains effective relationships with health, life, dental, vision and other benefit vendors. Administers health contributions on an annual basis for employees and retirees on an annual basis. Processes documentation for employees separating from County employment, maintains related records, and explains COBRA health insurance continuation options. Manages the annual employee and retiree open enrollment process. Designs enrollment information, conducts enrollment information meetings, maintains electronic enrollment system related documents and transmits to the County's payroll system and vendors. Facilitates the joint/labor management Health Coalition Committee. Process all life insurance claims on behalf of beneficiaries with County's life insurance carrier. Responds to questions regarding retirement and forms. Works with various departments in Ingham County and vendors to process retirement paperwork. Conducts internal audits to calculate payments and/or overpayments, as required. Performs internal audits for the retirement process and coordinates with MERS and Financial Services to ensure proper service credit and wages are reported for specific timeframes as warranted for each potential retiree as well as MERS audits of records. Communicates corrections in reporting to Financial Services. Maintains the integrity and confidentiality of human resource related information, files and records. Ability to meet deadlines in a timely manner, change focus on projects as needed and multitask. Dependable and regular attendance required. Ability to handle stressful situations on an occasional basis. Ability to maintain excellent customer service during stressful situations. Performs other duties as assigned. Must adhere to departmental standards in regard to HIPAA and other privacy issues. Education: A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources or a related field. Experience: A minimum of three (3) years of experience managing employee benefits programs, ideally within a public sector and unionized environment. Must have hands-on experience with health, dental, vision, life, and retirement benefit plans. Proficiency in administering benefit enrollment systems and HRIS platforms is required. Experience collaborating with insurance carriers, brokers, and third-party administrators is essential. Familiarity with interpreting collective bargaining agreements and benefit plan documents is preferred. Other Requirements: None listed. Demonstrates effective communication skills by engaging, interacting and working with all individuals to ensure clarity and understanding in all interactions. Working Conditions: This position works in an indoor environment. There is no planned exposure to prominent lights, noises, odors, temperatures or weather conditions. This position is required to travel for meetings and appointments. Physical Requirements: This position requires the ability to sit, stand, walk, traverse, climb, balance, twist, bend, stoop/crouch, squat, kneel, crawl, lift, carry, push, pull, reach, grasp, handle, pinch, type, endure repetitive movements of the wrists, hands or fingers. This position's physical requirements require little to no stamina in standing, walking, traversing, climbing, balancing, bending, stooping/crouching, squatting, kneeling, crawling, handling, and pinching. This position's physical requirements require regular stamina in twisting, lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, reaching, and grasping. This position's physical requirements require continuous stamina in sitting, typing and enduring repetitive movements of the wrists, hands or fingers. This position performs sedentary work requiring a negligible amount of effort in the physical requirements above. This position primarily requires close visual acuity to perform tasks within arm's reach such as: viewing a computer screen, using measurement devices, inspecting and assembling parts, etc. This position requires the ability to communicate and respond to inquiries both in person and over the phone. This position requires the ability to operate a PC/laptop and to enter & retrieve information from a computer. This position requires the ability to handle varying and often high levels of stress.
Job Title
Benefits Administrator