Human Resources Benefits Manager

POSITION SUMMARY

The HR Operations & Benefits Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for UCP's employee benefits and assigned Human Resources operations. The Manager is responsible not only for accurate administration, but also for analyzing costs, utilization, vendor performance, employee needs, and operational data to recommend strategies that improve employee value, manage organizational cost, strengthen compliance, and improve the effectiveness of HR systems and processes.

The Manager owns benefits, leave administration, workers' compensation coordination, HRIS functions within assigned areas, vendor management, and the administrative infrastructure supporting UCP's performance evaluation cycle. Routine administrative work should be appropriately delegated to the HR Clerk or other assigned support staff, allowing the Manager to focus on analysis, problem-solving, process improvement, vendor accountability, and strategic recommendations. The Manager also coordinates ACA reporting, unemployment claims, retirement contribution reviews, and related compliance processes.

The Manager establishes and enforces effective verification, reconciliation, and audit controls to protect team members from coverage or deduction errors and to reduce financial and compliance risk. The Manager remains accountable for quality assurance even when processing is delegated to HR support staff.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Benefits Strategy, Cost Management & Employee Value
• Develop and implement benefits strategies that balance employee value, workforce needs, competitiveness, and responsible stewardship of organizational resources.
• Analyze benefit utilization, claims trends, participation, costs, renewal information, and available market data to identify opportunities to manage UCP's overall benefit costs while maintaining competitive offerings.
• Partner with the Vice President of Human Resources, Director of Human Resources, Finance, benefits brokers, carriers, and other partners to evaluate plan design, funding approaches, vendor performance, and cost-containment opportunities.
• Develop recommendations for annual benefit strategy and renewal decisions, including analysis of financial impact, employee impact, risks, and alternatives.
• Strategically manage carrier wellness funds, credits, incentives, and other available resources to achieve defined employee-health, engagement, utilization, or cost-management outcomes; establish measures to evaluate results.
• Identify strategies to increase appropriate use of preventive care, wellness resources, and cost-effective benefits and communicate recommendations to leadership.

Benefits, Retirement & Vendor Management
• Own the administration and continuous improvement of UCP's health, dental, vision, life, disability, flexible spending, retirement, and other employee benefit programs.
• Manage ongoing employee benefit enrollments and changes, including accurate eligibility and deductions, and ensure team members receive clear guidance on benefit options.
• Ensure timely and accurate monthly benefit invoice reconciliation, investigation and resolution of billing discrepancies, and coordination of payments with Finance.
• Coordinate COBRA administration and required notices in accordance with applicable plan requirements.
• Oversee 403(b) enrollment, payroll-contribution reviews, required reporting, and plan audits in coordination with Finance and plan partners.
• Coordinate life-insurance death claims with brokers and carriers, ensuring timely, sensitive communication and accurate documentation.
• Verify that life-insurance elections, coverage limits, dependent eligibility, carrier enrollment, and payroll deductions match, and resolve discrepancies before a claim whenever possible; coordinate timely escalation of disputed or denied claims.
• Lead annual open enrollment, including planning, system readiness, employee communication, vendor coordination, issue resolution, and post-enrollment review.
• Manage relationships and day-to-day performance with benefit brokers, carriers, and other HR vendors; identify service, cost, and performance concerns and recommend corrective action or alternatives.
• Ensure benefit billing, eligibility, deductions, enrollments, and vendor records are accurate and reconciled; delegate routine processing and reconciliation work to the HR Clerk or other assigned support staff as appropriate and provide quality review.
• Establish and document verification controls for initial elections, qualifying-life-event changes, dependent and spouse coverage, life-insurance coverage amounts and codes, payroll deductions, and carrier confirmations; verify that the employee election, HRIS record, payroll deduction, and carrier record agree.
• Conduct and document periodic risk-based audits and reconciliations, including independent or secondary review of high-impact coverage changes; promptly investigate exceptions, correct errors, communicate with affected team members, and escalate unresolved discrepancies or potential coverage losses.
• Coordinate required retirement-plan administration and audits within the role's assigned responsibilities.

Leave, Disability & Workers' Compensation
• Oversee administration of FMLA, ADA-related leave processes, short- and long-term disability, and other applicable leave programs, ensuring timely communication, documentation, consistency, and compliance.
• Oversee workers' compensation administration from initial reporting through return-to-work and claim resolution, partnering with Risk Management, campus/program leadership, carriers, and other stakeholders as appropriate.
• Analyze leave, disability, and workers' compensation trends to identify root causes, recurring risks, cost drivers, and opportunities for prevention or improved return-to-work outcomes.
• Ensure required OSHA and workers' compensation reporting assigned to Human Resources is accurate and timely.
• Coordinate unemployment claims, including timely responses, supporting documentation, protests, appeals, and participation in hearings as appropriate.
• Ensure assigned Affordable Care Act (ACA) data, reporting, and required notices are accurate, timely, and appropriately coordinated with payroll and benefits partners.
• Coordinate workers' compensation wage statements, medical documentation, work restrictions, transitional duty, and return-to-work communications with relevant partners.

HR Operations, HRIS & Performance Evaluation Administration
• Serve as a functional owner for benefits and assigned HR operations within the HRIS, ensuring accurate configuration, data integrity, workflows, reporting, and effective use of system capabilities.
• Maintain accurate, confidential benefits, leave, and workers' compensation records, with documentation and retention practices that support audits, claims, and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinate the HRIS administration of UCP's performance evaluation cycle under the direction of the Director of Human Resources, including system setup, assignment of evaluations, workflow monitoring, reporting, troubleshooting, and completion tracking.
• Delegate appropriate routine performance-evaluation administration and follow-up tasks to the HR Clerk while retaining accountability for accurate system setup, workflow, reporting, and timely completion.
• Oversee assigned employee transactions, records, benefit changes, and HR operational processes; delegate routine administrative work appropriately while retaining accountability for accuracy, timeliness, and controls.
• Develop and maintain efficient, documented HR workflows and service standards that reduce errors, unnecessary manual work, and employee or manager confusion.
• Maintain clear ownership, checklists, review evidence, exception logs, and corrective-action follow-through for high-risk benefits transactions; ensure appropriate separation of processing and verification duties when staffing permits.
• Use operational data to identify recurring issues, recommend process improvements, and strengthen the employee experience.

Employee Communication & Service
• Develop clear, timely, and accessible communication that helps team members understand and effectively use UCP's benefits and related HR programs.
• Serve as an escalation resource for complex benefits, leave, workers' compensation, and assigned HR operations questions while ensuring routine inquiries are handled efficiently at the appropriate level.
• Partner with the Director of Human Resources and other HR team members to provide coordinated, responsive service and cross-functional coverage as needed.

Financial Stewardship, Compliance & Continuous Improvement
• Monitor benefit and HR operational expenditures within assigned areas and partner with Finance to support accurate budgeting, forecasting, reconciliation, and cost analysis.
• Ensure assigned benefit, leave, retirement, workers' compensation, and HR operations comply with applicable laws, plan requirements, policies, and documentation standards.
• Regularly evaluate processes, vendors, programs, and employee feedback; bring forward data-based recommendations rather than simply maintaining existing practices.
• Remain current on benefits and HR operations trends and identify practices or technologies that could improve cost, service, compliance, or employee value.

What UCP Offers

Our mission at UCP is to empower children with and without disabilities to achieve their potential by providing individualized support, education and therapy services in an inclusive environment. When you join UCP of Central Florida you partner with a team that is making a positive impact on the futures of our children. For over 70 years, we have been dedicated to enriching the lives of children of all abilities across Central Florida as 8 campuses: Downtown Orlando, East Orlando (near UCF), Kissimmee, Pine Hills, Lake Mary, and Winter Garden.

UCP of Central Florida offers a competitive benefit package available to all employees! Some perks to being a UCP Team Member may include: health insurance (free option after the first year), dental insurance options, free life insurance, paid time off, discounted on-site childcare, 403B/Retirement match, short & long term disability, and support in continuing your education.

QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Benefits Administration, Finance, or related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
• Minimum three to five years of progressively responsible Human Resources, benefits, or HR operations experience, including demonstrated responsibility for benefits administration and HR systems.
• Working knowledge of applicable benefits and employment requirements, including FMLA, ADA, ERISA, COBRA, workers' compensation, and related compliance areas.
• Strong analytical, financial, problem-solving, communication, vendor-management, and HRIS skills. Experience with Paycom or comparable HRIS preferred.
• Ability to translate benefits and operational data into practical recommendations and to lead through delegation rather than personally performing all transactional work.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORKING CONDITIONS

The physical demands and working conditions described below are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

This position is primarily performed in a professional office and school environment and requires regular use of a computer, telephone, and other standard office equipment. The position requires the ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and electronically; sit for extended periods; stand and walk as needed; and perform fine hand and finger movements associated with computer and office work.

The position may require occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, or pulling of materials weighing up to 25 pounds. Regular travel between UCP campuses and other work locations, as well as occasional attendance at meetings or events outside normal business hours, may be required.

POSITION-SPECIFIC CORE COMPETENCIES

1. Benefits Strategy, Cost Management & Employee Value

Uses claims, cost, utilization, employee needs, and market information to proactively recommend and implement benefits and wellness strategies that improve employee value and responsibly manage organizational costs; defines measures and evaluates results.

2. Benefits, Retirement & Vendor Management

Ensures accurate and timely administration of health, dental, vision, life, disability, flexible spending, COBRA, and retirement plans; manages vendors, enrollments, billing, 403(b) contributions, and required reporting while delegating routine work appropriately.

3. Leave, Disability & Workers' Compensation

Manages compliant and responsive leave, disability, and workers' compensation processes from initial notification through resolution or return to work; identifies trends and opportunities to improve outcomes.

4. HR Operations, HRIS, Accuracy & Quality Control

Establishes and monitors reliable HRIS and benefits processes, including independent checks of employee elections, dependent and spouse coverage, life-insurance codes and amounts, payroll deductions, and carrier records. Conducts risk-based audits, documents and resolves discrepancies promptly, and maintains accurate performance-evaluation administration and reporting.

5. Financial Stewardship & Compliance

Monitors benefits expenditures, invoices, payroll deductions, vendor performance, and assigned ACA, OSHA, retirement, unemployment, and leave compliance requirements. Establishes documented controls, reconciliations, and escalation procedures to prevent and detect errors that could cause employee harm or organizational liability.

6. Data Analysis, Process Improvement & Results

Uses benefits, claims, cost, leave, workers' compensation, vendor, and operational data to identify problems, develop recommendations, implement improvements, and evaluate measurable results.

7. Employee Communication, Service & Accountability

Communicates clearly and compassionately with team members, responds to complex benefits and leave issues, ensures timely follow-through, and directs appropriate routine work to HR support staff while maintaining accountability for quality.