Benefits Assistant

Benefits Assistant

The Benefits Assistant is responsible for assisting with the administration of employee benefits programs within the school district. The position is responsible for assisting with the maintenance of various benefit programs including, but not limited to flex spending accounts, health insurance, dental, vision, life insurance short- and long-term disability, Cash in Lieu in compliance with laws, regulations, plan documents, Board of Education policies/procedures and contracts.

Essential functions under the Americans with Disabilities Act may include any of the following duties, knowledge, and skills. This list is illustrative only and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by employees in this position. Regular on time and in person attendance is an essential function of this job. Other essential functions may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Maintain a working knowledge of all benefit programs.
• Assist in the development of employee benefit procedures.
• Assist with coordinating training of the district office and school-based personnel in the understanding and utilization of employee benefits information.
• Ensure the retention and accuracy of all benefit enrollment information in the HRIS.
• Perform quality checks of benefit related data.
• Assist new hires by providing benefits information and responding to enrollment related questions.
• Determine eligibility and assist in the distribution of all benefit enrollment materials.
• Assist with responding to questions and issue resolution regarding the administration of leaves of absence requests and disability paperwork: medical, personal, disability, FMLA with vendors.
• Respond to 403(b) inquiries from manages and employees relating to enrollments, plan changes and contribution amounts.
• Assists the Benefits Coordinator with all annual benefit enrollments.
• Maintain a working knowledge of all employee agreements, plan documents and other pertinent information.
• Prepare deduction/contribution reports for each payroll.
• Process payroll data reports and assist with collection of data for required state and federal reporting.
• Develop spreadsheets for financial analysis, as requested.
• Organize, maintain, and scan records.
• Tuition Reimbursement processing.
• Interact with all stakeholders in positive, supportive, and cooperative ways and provide courteous and accurate customer service.
• Complies, tracks, and reports data as requested.
• Assist with front desk and customer service.
• Perform Notary Public duties.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience:

• Associate degree.
• Minimum of 1 year of employee benefits experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a school system or a large business entity with complex benefits plans
• Demonstrated experience with an automated benefits system, including employee information set-up and maintenance

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Consistently demonstrate dependable attendance and punctuality.
• Demonstrated excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ability to problem solve (listen, identify problems and solutions), collect data, establish, and analyze facts, and draw valid conclusions.
• Demonstrate excellent internal and external customer service.
• Ability to work collaboratively and be a team player.
• Ability to work in a diverse environment and understand cultural competence.
• Ability to organize and compile data.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, handle multiple tasks at the same time, and meet deadlines in a timely manner.
• Ability to become a Notary Public.
• Demonstrated ability to read, organize and produce accurate written correspondence.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize workload, excellent organization skills, including filing and records maintenance.
• Demonstrated ability to retain complete and accurate files.
• Demonstrated accurate data entry skills.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality.

ADA REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands, work environment factors, and mental functions described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl, talk, hear (in a quiet or noisy environment). Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and ability to adjust/focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

MENTAL FUNCTIONS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to compare, analyze, communicate both orally and in writing, copy, coordinate, instruct, compute, synthesize, evaluate, use interpersonal skills, compile, and negotiate.

Non-Discrimination

The Grand Rapids Public Schools will not discriminate against any person based on race, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, height, weight, color, religion, national origin, age, marital status, pregnancy, disability, veteran, or military status.