Human Resources Associate

Are you a dedicated and hardworking professional equipped with a variety of people, analytical, and technical skills? Is communication one of your strengths? If you enjoy helping others and are a stickler for details, this opportunity could be a great fit! The State of Connecticut, Department of Administrative Services (DAS), Shared Services Center of Excellence has an exciting opportunity for you to join us as a Human Resources Associate for the Workers' Compensation Unit. This role provides operational support for high volume, complex caseloads across multiple agencies. WHAT WE OFFER Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page! Find out more about the benefits of being a Manager! Professional growth and development opportunities Competitive starting salary and structure A healthy work/life balance to all employees POSITION HIGHLIGHTS Full time, 40 hours per week Monday through Friday schedule First shift hours Hybrid schedule- combination of in office and telework in accordance with the Telework Policy. Central Office located at 450 Columbus Blvd in Hartford, CT, with modern amenities and easy access to all major highways THE ROLE The Human Resources Associate will work within a Workers' Compensation team responsible for the day-to-day management of employee injury claims. You will adhere to timely and compliant claim handling and be a liaison to the State's Third-Party Administrator, the injured employee and Agency personnel in the return-to-work process. The successful candidate will be committed to supporting injured employees throughout the claims process, helping them navigate their recovery and return to work in a fair, efficient, and compassionate manner. This Human Resources Associate plays a key role in maintaining statutory compliance, promoting safe and efficient return to work outcomes, engaging with labor and agency partners, and ensuring accurate and consistent execution of Workers' Compensation operations across the State. ABOUT US DAS is a state agency whose mission is to provide efficient and effective administrative services to state agencies, departments, and other governmental entities. DAS leads procurement, information technology, human resources, and other administrative functions. As a DAS Center of Excellence, the Benefits and Leaves Division has an administrative focus of employee leaves and retirements. This employer may participate in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your form I-9 information to confirm work authorization. PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK) In the Department of Administrative Services (DAS) this class is accountable for performing professional duties within a specialized service delivery team or unit with statewide impact. EXAMPLES OF DUTIES Assists in interpreting, administering and ensuring compliance with human resources, employment and equal opportunity laws, regulations, policies and procedures; Communicates with agency human resources business partners and other stakeholders to ensure cooperative relationships; Assists administrative officials in strategic planning to ensure alignment of activities with organizational goals and strategies; Assists in developing materials for recruitment programs; Screens, refers and recommends candidates for employment; Maintains records related to recruitment and selection; Assists in training operations; Processes human resource records and transactions; Prepares and maintains human resource records; Revises job classifications and conducts research in support of new or revised job classifications; Prepares reports, manuals and correspondence; Assists in processing workers' compensation claims; Provides assistance to employees in areas such as leaves (e.g., family, medical, military), and tuition reimbursement; Assists in maintaining human resource information systems and recommending changes to take advantage of technology; Conducts audits of agency transactions to ensure business rules are followed; Participates in the recruitment and hiring of staff, including outreach, interview and selection; Ensures all records, files and folders are maintained, updated and digitized, where applicable; May serve on human resources project teams involving the conduct of best practice research and the development and implementation of new systems, training initiatives and other projects with statewide impact; May assist in implementing and developing training programs; Performs related duties as required. KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY Knowledge of human resources management; relevant state and federal laws, statutes, regulations, policies and procedures; employment practices related to civil rights, equal employment opportunity, job classification, recruitment and selection, compensation and benefit programs, pay administration, workers compensation; labor relations; Skills interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills; conflict resolution skills; Ability to analyze and balance partners need with laws, regulations, policies, procedures and collective bargaining agreements. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE Six (6) years of professional experience in human resources management or equal employment opportunity/affirmative action or labor relations management. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - SUBSTITUTIONS ALLOWED College training may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equaling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree. A Master's degree in human resources management, labor relations, business administration, public administration or a closely related field or a law degree may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Experience managing workers' compensation claims within an HRIS environment. Experience with OSHA regulations and reporting requirements. Experience communicating with a third-party administrator and other key stakeholders. Experience interpreting and applying statutes, regulations, policies, and collective bargaining agreements. Experience processing employees returning to work and coordinating modified duties. SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS Incumbents in this class may be required to possess and retain a valid Motor Vehicle Operator's license. Incumbents in this class may be required to travel. Conclusion AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility. #J-18808-Ljbffr