Senior benefits specialist job description

The Washington Post is looking for an energetic, thorough, and forward-looking team player to revitalize our leave practices and wellness initiatives. You will spend the majority of your time administering and streamlining leave processes and will also have a large focus on helping administer other benefits (such as health and retirement plans, FSAs, HSAs, etc.), conducting new employee orientation and executing wellness initiatives. This position reports to the Manager, Benefits Administration.
Motivation:
You like the challenge of balancing day-to-day whirlwind with project work.You pride yourself in a high level of accuracy, attention to detail, and discretion.You strive for excellent customer service, can explain complex concepts to non-technical audiences, and enjoy helping employees maximize their benefits.You are exceptionally organized and thorough, yet capable of moving quickly, managing several projects at the same time, and meeting deadlines.You constantly reengineer your day-to-day processes to increase speed, efficiency, and effectiveness.You enjoy performing a variety of benefits-related tasks.

Responsibilities:
Drive successful resolution of leave cases by reporting and monitoring claims, drafting leave agreements, liaising with employees, managers, and vendors, administering accommodation requests, and coordinating return-to-work activities.Ensure proper pay and benefits coverage for employees on leave by preparing advice to pay for Payroll and coordinating benefits premium collection with a third-party administrator.Process contractual comp time, vacation, and sick time payouts for unions-covered employees.Educate employees and managers about leave, benefit and wellness programs by answering questions, developing and maintaining communication materials, designing employee workshops, and updating the company intranet.Research best practices and develop recommendations for implementing new or enhancing existing leave programs.Develop and streamline processes for efficiency while ensuring positive employee and manager experience, consistency, and compliance.Ensure timely payment of vendor invoices by processing, reconciling, and tracking bills.Execute wellness initiatives by coordinating with insurance carriers, scheduling events, developing employee communications, and driving engagement metrics.

Requirements:
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management, Finance, Business Administration, or a related fieldA minimum of five years of experience in benefits administration, with at least one year of experience in workers' compensation and leave of absence administration Strong Excel and data manipulation and presentation skills Excellent written skills, including ability to develop HR documentation, forms, templates, and communication materials Excellent interpersonal and verbal communication skills, including ability to establish credibility and trust with management/leadership and handle difficult situations with diplomacy and professionalism Experience working in a union environment preferred Experience with Workday and Workday leave configuration is preferred.CDMS (Certified Disability Management Specialist) or CCM (Certified Case Manager) preferred.

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The Post strives to provide its readers with high-quality, trustworthy news and information while constantly innovating. That mission is best served by a diverse, multi-generational workforce with varied life experiences and perspectives. All cultures and backgrounds are welcomed.

The innovation doesn't end in the Newsroom - dozens of teams power The Washington Post. We are now hiring the next innovator - how will you Impact Tomorrow?
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About A&M
Alvarez & Marsal is a leading independent global professional services firm, specializing in providing turnaround management, performance improvement and corporate advisory services. With almost 8,000 professionals based in 70+ locations across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, our firm excels in problem solving and value creation. Drawing on a strong operational heritage and hands-on-approach, our professionals work closely with organizations and stakeholders to help tackle complex business issues and maximize value.

Position Overview Under the supervision of the US Benefits Manager, the Benefits Specialist/Sr Specialist will assist with the day-to-day management of A&M benefit programs. Responsibilities
Responsible for ensuring all benefit plans are administered correctly and efficiently, while adhering to regulatory and corporate deadlines.Provide functional guidance and direction to employees, departmental managers, and insurance carriers.Work with Benefits Manager, insurers and internal departments to maximize plan performance and improve the employee experience. Identify and implement process improvements to maximize efficiency and accuracy in benefit administration.Develop benefits training materials, communications, and presentations to be shared with various corporate and business segments as well as our general employee population. Coordinate with Benefits Team to draft benefit policies and policy communications.Assist with the review, development, and implementation of any new benefits plans.Participate in reviewing current benefits programs to ensure compliance with legislative, regulatory and/or market practice changes.Assist with the analysis and integration of benefits programs within HRIS system.Communicate with employees, dependents and beneficiaries regarding eligibility, coverage, and other benefits matters.Prepare and analyze standard and ad hoc benefit related reports based on business need. Maintain benefits records and documents. Compile, analyze and maintain data to support and measure plan strategies and cost effectiveness.Project manager for annual benefits open enrollment: coordinate internal and external resources to ensure system updates, communications, and all materials are accurately and timely distributed.Respond to escalated benefit and claim issues by researching and resolving with insurers and communicate results to all parties.Partner with other members of Benefits and HRIS teams to resolve issues regarding enrollment, payroll contributions or carrier invoicing.Coordinate with other members of the Benefits Department to administer all health and welfare benefit plans.Partner with team members, brokers and vendors to provide a high level of benefits customer service.Support internal and external benefit plan audits and compliance reviews.Research the market for benefits best practices; perform benchmarking analyses and evaluate emerging market trends.

Qualifications
3-5 years benefits administration experience preferred Bachelor's degree in related field Experience with invoice/billing reconciliation, advanced Excel skills and exposure to self-funded plans is preferred Proven knowledge of benefits and plan administration Strong computer proficiency including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPointExceptional communication skills, both verbal and written Ability to multi-task and prioritize with a strong attention to detail.A self-starter, with proven ability to work effectively in a team environment, as well as independently Experience with Workday is a plus

Diversity & Inclusion

A&M's entrepreneurial culture celebrates independent thinkers and doers who can positively impact our clients and shape our industry. The collaborative environment and engaging work-guided by A&M's core values of Integrity, Quality, Objectivity, Fun, Personal Reward, and Inclusive Diversity-are the main reasons our people love working at A&M. Inclusive Diversity means we embrace diversity and we foster inclusiveness. It runs through how we recruit, develop employees, conduct business, support clients, and partner with vendors. It is the A&M way.

Voluntary Inclusion
It is Alvarez & Marsal's policy to provide and promote equal opportunity in employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, pregnancy, marital status, family status, religion, national origin, age or disability or any other non-merit based factor in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.

Unsolicited Resumes from Third-Party Recruiters

Please note that as per A&M policy, we do not accept unsolicited resumes from third-party recruiters unless such recruiters were engaged to provide candidates for a specified opening. Any employment agency, person or entity that submits an unsolicited resume does so with the understanding that A&M will have the right to hire that applicant at its discretion without any fee owed to the submitting employment agency, person or entity.

At Fairfield, we are proud to be a leader in the multifamily housing industry. We are passionate about creating exceptional and luxurious apartment living. Among the most experienced multifamily companies, Fairfield has developed and acquired over 1000 communities since 1985. We are an award-winning company that proudly employs nearly 1,300 associates who are dedicated to serving our customers at our apartment communities located in over 30 markets nationwide.

This position will have a Hybrid work schedule with a combination of working from home and on-site. Candidate must reside within commuting distance to our San Diego, CA office.
Education/Certificates:


Bachelor's Degree or High School Diploma with equivalent experience HR or Employee Benefit Certifications preferred



Experience:


4+ years of Human Resources experience with focus in Benefits Administration Experience with HRIS and/or Payroll systems, preferably Workday Experience working with multi-state, mid-sized or larger employer (1000+ Employees) Experience with a variety of health insurance plan structures and designs



Skills, Knowledge & Abilities:


Knowledge of standard Employee Benefit concepts, practices, procedures, and plans (Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D, Disability (LTD and STD), 401(k), Flexible Spending Accounts, COBRA, and LOA) Advanced skills and working knowledge of Microsoft Excel a must Intermediate to Advanced skills with MS Word, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook Ability to handle sensitive, confidential, and HIPAA protected information Strong verbal and written communication skills Able to work independently and multi-task with accuracy Must be customer service focused and comfortable with a high volume of benefits related transactions daily Must exhibit strong attention to detail



Essential Duties:


Partners with HR department to ensure accuracy of employee data for new hires, transfers, promotions, and other types of employee status changes Assist with annual Open Enrollment process Functions as a liaison between insurance company, third-party administrators, and employees Advises employees on eligibility, coverage, and other benefits matters Provides internal customer service to employee and supports internal/external benefit call center services to address benefit questions or unique circumstances Compiles and maintains benefits records and documents Performs account reconciliations, run audit reports, and processes vendor billings Works closely with Payroll, Recruiting, HR and Benefit accounting teams to manage New Hire / Termination / Leave of Absence workflow Assists with and creates communications material for Wellness program and Open Enrollment Participates in special projects as assigned



Why consider us?


Competitive Salary and Benefits Package. Careers are made at Fairfield- We are committed to developing our staff through our robust in-person, online and social training. Promotions from within are encouraged. Environmentally Aware- Fairfield leads the industry through our Living Green Program and our LEED Certified communities. Award Winning- Fairfield is recognized for our customer service, training and professionalism. Cutting Edge Technology- Fairfield utilizes innovative property leasing and accounting software that maximizes productivity.


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