Associate Director, Human Resources & Benefits

Wheaton is a leading private, coeducational, liberal arts collegeof 1800 students located in Norton, MA and within easy commutingdistance of Boston and Providence. Posting Details Posting Details Posting Number: 0601294 Position Title: Associate Director, Human Resources & Benefits

FLSA:

Exempt Job Type: Full-Time Staff Term: 12 Months Staff Work Schedule (hours/dates): Monday through Friday, 8:30- 4:30 Academic Year Schedule (dates): Faculty Term: Position Type: Staff Department: Human Resources Job Summary/Basic Function: Reporting to the AVP, HR, the Associate Director of Benefitsprovides functional expertise and strategic oversight and hands-onmanagement of the College’s comprehensive benefits programs andrelated policies including medical, dental, life, STD / LTD and403(b) retirement programs. The Associate Director will alsooversee and manage the leave of absence program and the ADA/disability accommodations process. This role is responsible forensuring regulatory compliance, managing complex vendorintegrations, and serving as the functional lead for benefitssystems and technology. The Associate Director also serves as amember of the human resources leadership team and as such willassist the AVP of Human Resources in the management and oversightof the Office of Human Resources and the day-to-day delivery of allgeneral human resources services, programs and support. Essential Functions: Benefits Strategy & Administration Direct the administration of all health and welfare plans,including medical, dental, life and LTD plans, tuition programs andworkers compensation, ensuring accurate enrollment, changes, andterminations. Manage and oversee the benefits budget and all benefit relatedexpenditures. Ensure prompt payment of all benefit invoice Conduct benefits orientations and develop and manage allbenefits related communications and resources. Lead the annual open enrollment and benefits evaluation andrenewal process, from plan design consultation to employeecommunication and system setup. Manage day-to-day vendor relationships and develop and maintaineffective partnership with benefits broker. Ensure that the College is offering a competitive and costeffective benefits program. Assist in the review of new benefitsand programs, implement and communicate new benefit planofferings. Develop ongoing employee education programs that ensure maximumutilization of benefits programs. Draft and develop benefits related policies andprocedures. Ensure appropriate development and maintenance of all planrelated records and documents, summary plan descriptions andbenefit summaries. Oversee the day-to-day administration of 403(b) retirementplan, including managing enrollments and remittance ofcontributions, employee communication and education, annual auditand testing, and serving on the fiduciary committee. Leave Administration & ADA /Workplace Accommodations Manage the full lifecycle of leave administration for staff andfaculty, including FMLA, MPFML (Massachusetts Paid Medical andFamily Leave), Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability.Maintain records and documentation, communicate with employees,coordinate payments and effectively manage a third partyvendor. Manage the ADA and disability accommodations process includingdeveloping processes and procedures, communicating with employees,engaging in interactive processes, and maintaining documentationand records. Develop and maintain LOA and ADA related policies andprocedures. Wellness & Benefits Education Develop and lead a comprehensive Employee Wellness Program thatpromotes physical, mental, and financial well-being, tailoringinitiatives to the unique needs of a campus community. Design and deliver educational workshops and communications(e.g., “Lunch and Learns,” webinars, and newsletters) to increaseemployee benefits literacy and understanding. Coordinate with vendors (health carriers, retirement advisors,EAP ) to bring high-value onsite or virtual wellness programming tofaculty and staff. Systems, Data & Funding Serve as the functional administrator for the benefitsadministration system (Wex); lead implementation, ensure dataintegrity, manage upgrades, and troubleshoot technical integrationsand file feed errors. Develop and maintain SOPs and user documentation of allbenefits related systems and processes. Develop training materialsand train new HR staff on benefits systems. Ensure the timely and accurate transmission of vendor files andfunding files to carriers and financial institutions. Conduct regular audits of billing and enrollment data to ensureaccuracy and fiduciary compliance. Develop and maintain regular reports, metrics for assessing andmonitoring effectiveness and utilization of benefits and programsand develop dashboards and executive summaries. Compliance & Reporting Ensure all benefits programs comply with federal and stateregulations (e.g., ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and IRSguidelines). Coordinate the preparation of required filings, such as Form5500s and ACA 1094/1095-C reporting. Monitor legislative changes affecting benefits and highereducation HR to proactively recommend policy adjustments. Minimum Qualifications: Education: Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or a relatedfield (Master’s or professional certification such as CEBS, SPHR,or SHRM highly preferred). Experience: 5+ years of progressive HR experience inbenefits administration; at least 2 years of experience in asupervisory or team-lead capacity, preferably within highereducation or non-profit environment. Strong knowledge in employee benefits administration andrelated benefits laws including ERISA / ACA and a deepunderstanding of 403(b) regulations, FMLA / ADA coordination, andACA compliance. Direct experience managing and configuring HRIS platforms(e.g., Ellucian/Banner, ADP, or UKG ) and/or specialized BenefitsAdministration systems (e.g., Wex, PlanSource, Benefitfocus, orEmpyrean). Proven ability to manage the implementation and troubleshootingof benefit-related modules, including EDI file feed management anddata mapping. Advanced proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, complex formulas,and data auditing) to ensure integrity between HRIS data andthird-party vendor platforms. Broad general knowledge of all HR core functional areas andemployment related laws and best practices. Exceptional discretion when handling confidential data; theability to explain complex benefit concepts to a diverse workforce;and a “roll-up-your-sleeves” attitude essential for a smallteam. Attention to detail, strong customer service and organizationalskills. Ability to work independently and sound judgement areessential. Strong interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills and solidoral and written communication skills. Preferred Qualifications: Previous experience in higher education. Experience with Ellucian/Banner HR/Payroll module. Compensation and Benefits To attract and retain the most talented individuals, WheatonCollege maintains a flexible and competitive staff compensation and benefits program. When determining and establishing hiring rates or recruitmentranges for a position, the College considers a number of factorsincluding the budget for the position, the range of the grade, theexternal market for the position or similar positions, level andscope of responsibilities, required education, skills and relevantexperience as well as internal equity. All salary offers must havethe prior approval of the Office of Human Resources. The anticipated hiring or recruitment range for this position is$100-$125K. The actual salary offered will be commensurate with thequalifications, education and experience of the candidatehired. Physical Demands ADA Statement: Individuals must possess these knowledges, skills and abilities orbe able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can performthe essential functions of the job, with or without reasonableaccommodation, using some other combination of skills andabilities. Eeo Statement Wheaton College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employerand does not discriminate against any individual or group on thebasis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,age, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status,genetic information, or disability. In a continuing effort tomaintain and enrich an intellectually diverse learning environment,the Department and the College actively encourages applicationsfrom women and members of underrepresented groups. Wheaton’s core belief is that valuing diversity is pivotal topersonal development, intellectual expansion, and societal equity.Our community is united by a shared dedication to equity and accessthat is essential to providing a transformative education in theLiberal Arts and Sciences. Posting Date: 05/14/2026 Closing Date: Open Until Filled Yes Contact(s): Office of Human Resources Contact Phone/Extension: View phone number on click.appcast.io Contact Email: View email address on click.appcast.io Contact Fax Special Instructions to Candidates: References Supplemental Questions Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*). Optional & Required Documents Required Documents Cover Letter Resume Optional Documents #J-18808-Ljbffr The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.