Human Resources Specialist III

Purpose and Scope University of Missouri Human Resources provide leadership in the planning, integration, and implementation of human resource services and programs for faculty and staff across all campuses and the health system. Collectively with campus colleagues, we serve as a strategic and trusted advisor, and pursue continuous improvement through knowledge, collaboration and leadership. The UM HR Shared Administrative Service (SAS) team is responsible for providing support, education, and stewardship to University of Missouri faculty and staff, and manages the transactional administration of Human Resources processes. This position will have key responsibilities in the daily administration of human resources transactional processing of the University’s Retirement and Benefit plans carried out on behalf of the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri. As part of a fully cross‑trained team, this position shares responsibility for benefit, retirement, tuition assistance, unemployment, leave‑related benefit administration, reporting, documentation review and customer inquiry functions. These responsibilities are performed by the SAS team and serve as part of the overall Human Resources Service Delivery Team, serving over 50,000 active and separated employees, retirees, beneficiaries and dependents. Responsibilities 55% Provide Customer Service, Problem Solving And Tier‑two Support To Routine And Non‑routine Inquiries Related To Administrative Functions Within SAS, Including Benefits, Retirement And Tuition Assistance Transactional Processing. Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To: Review, approve and process active and retiree benefit enrollment forms, including new enrollments, annual enrollment changes, mid‑year changes and changes due to qualifying life events. Review proof of relationship, sponsored adult dependent documentation, loss of coverage documentation, court orders and other supporting documentation to determine whether enrollment changes can be processed. Process HSA and FSA enrollments or changes, Evidence of Insurability (EOI) reviews, life and disability plan approvals based on vendor reporting, and Qualified Medical Child Support Orders (QMCSO). Review retirement election forms for accuracy and completion and initiate reach out as needed to support timely pension benefit processing with awareness of payroll deadlines. Analyze tuition assistance applications, apply written policy to approve or deny requests, and respond to tuition assistance inquiries through the dedicated resource inbox and ticketing system. Process additional pay taxation letters accurately and promptly, ensuring the payroll adjustment team receives required taxation details for proper processing. Communicate with employees, retirees, beneficiaries or dependents to request corrected forms, missing documentation or clarification as appropriate. Provide retiree Medicare support, including Medicare eligibility questions, University retiree benefit plan offerings, annual enrollment inquiries, claims assistance and newly Medicare eligible retiree/dependent processing. Utilize reporting to create and mail Medicare Age‑In packets to retirees and dependents who are newly Medicare eligible, ensuring all required forms and documentation are returned timely. Complete processes for removing aged dependents, including communication with affected individuals and accurate COBRA entry. 20% Monitor SAS assigned tickets, resource inboxes and imaging workflows Monitor and reply to incoming inquiries via the HR ticketing system, SAS inboxes and dedicated resource inboxes, providing timely and professional responses. Deliver accurate information to address employee, retiree, and dependent inquiries related to benefits, retirement, tuition assistance, Medicare, leave‑related benefits and related SAS functions. Identify and elevate inquiries as appropriate to tier‑three subject matter experts within the Centers of Expertise, including the retirement team, benefits team, payroll, leave administration or other appropriate partners. Process and route key documents through workflows within the University’s document imaging system (Perceptive Content), including documents pertaining to retirement, benefits, tuition assistance, and related HR processes. Cross train and support all SAS team members with assigned responsibilities as needed to maintain service continuity and consistent processing across the team. 15% Reporting, data integrity and corrective processing Process and complete corrections as applicable for daily, weekly, monthly, statistical or ad‑hoc reports regarding eligibility, system errors, enrollment discrepancies and transactional processing. Review and resolve discrepancies between University benefit records, vendor records, Medicare records, PeopleSoft data and other applicable sources based on assigned report or workflow. Investigate and resolve Health Savings Account contribution discrepancies, over‑contributions or override adjustments, ensuring proper documentation and corrective action. Analyze and work FSA discrepancy reporting, identifying and resolving discrepancies related to contributions and eligibility. Maintain accurate documentation of customer communications, enrollment decisions and processing actions, and identify opportunities for process improvement and consistency. 5% Leave‑related benefit administration and unemployment support Prepare and send initial communication packages to employees on Long‑Term Disability (LTD), explaining benefits, payment responsibilities and required actions. Manage and update benefit enrollments for LTD recipients and coordinate with the Benefits Team regarding billing adjustments. Serve as a point of contact for benefit‑related questions for employees during LTD periods. Manage and respond to unemployment claim requests and collaborate with internal departments to collect required information for unemployment claims. Escalate complex unemployment claims or benefit‑related issues as appropriate following established guidelines. 5% Other duties as assigned As with all positions, involvement with other duties and responsibilities may be expected in order to support the mission and purpose of the University of Missouri. Shift Monday – Friday, 7:30am- 4:30pm Minimum Qualifications A bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 2 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary. Preferred Qualifications 3 years of human resources, benefits, retirement administration, or related administrative experience. Strong analytical, organizational, customer service, and communication skills. Ability to independently apply policies, resolve complex issues, manage multiple priorities, and exercise sound judgment. Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, and experience with HR systems and reporting tools. Demonstrated attention to detail, accuracy, and ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced team environment. Familiarity with university systems (PeopleSoft, Perceptive Content, Zendesk, etc.) and policies or equivalent. Anticipated Hiring Range Salary Range: $22.10 - $25.00 per hour Grade: GGS 009 University Title: Human Resources Specialist III Internal applicants can determine their University title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR. Sponsorship Information Employment visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Community Information Columbia offers small‑town friendliness with big city features and a high quality of life for people of all ages and interests. Founded on education and known as an ideal college town, its location also makes it an attractive spot for businesses and travelers. Located on Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 63, Columbia is right in the middle of the state and the nation. Just a couple hours’ drive from St. Louis and Kansas City, Columbia is Boone County’s largest population center offering big‑city culture, activities, and resources with a low cost of living. Columbia is home to a variety of restaurants and entertainment venues and hosts more than a dozen festivals each year. If you want to grow your career, continue your education, raise a family, and retire, Columbia is a good place to be! Benefit Eligibility This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short‑and long‑term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at Equal Employment Opportunity The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer. To request ADA accommodations, please call the Director of Accessibility and ADA at View phone number on click.appcast.io. #J-18808-Ljbffr University of Missouri-Columbia