Benefits Coordinator

Benefit Administration Support Under limited supervision, this position provides support to management regarding benefit administration which includes employee and retiree group insurance plans consisting of medical, dental, vision, life, short-term disability, deferred compensation, flexible spending accounts, COBRA and wellness programs. Reports to the Benefits Manager. Assists with the daily administration of employee and retiree benefit programs which include, but are not limited to, medical, dental and vision group insurances, life insurance, short-term disability, flexible spending accounts, COBRA, and wellness programs. Assists with the citywide benefit open enrollment to include assisting with the design and preparation of benefits materials and literature and organizing, maintaining and updating benefit records; participates in employee and retiree workshops; and presents benefits information and explains benefit policies and procedures to new employees during orientation. Serves as a liaison between employees and vendors; coordinates transfer of data to providers for services, premiums and plan administration; investigates, and analyzes and resolves a wide range of benefits issues. Reviews, reconciles, and resolves coverage and billing discrepancies. Performs regular in-depth enrollment audits and reconciliations to ensure accurate employee/dependent/retiree enrollments and premium deductions. Prepares and executes benefit documentation such as original and amended plan documents, benefit agreements and insurance policies. Assists with FMLA program in accordance with applicable laws, policies and guidelines; provides guidance and trains department managers on responsibilities and requirements in accordance with current FMLA laws. Research new and pending state and federal benefit regulations; documents and maintains administrative procedures for assigned benefit processes; ensures compliance with all federal, state and city requirements and laws. Performs other related work as required. Individual assignments will be determined by supervisor based on current workload and department needs. Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Has considerable knowledge of the principles and practices of human resources. Has considerable knowledge of federal, State, and local laws, rules and regulations governing human resource administration. Has considerable knowledge of the City's organization and operational policies and procedures. Has considerable knowledge of human resource and management principles, practices and techniques as they relate to benefits, manpower and planning, personnel law, employee relations, and related personnel and management functions and services. Has considerable knowledge of organization, functions and programs of municipal government. Has considerable skill in the collection and analysis of descriptive data and report writing. Has experience working with computers. Has considerable knowledge of the current literature, trends and developments in the fields of human resource administration and human resource management law. Is able to exercise tact and courtesy in frequent contact with employees, staff and citizens. Is able to understand and follow oral and written instructions. Is able to explain orally and in writing Human Resource Management policy and procedures to individuals or groups. Is able to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments Education, Experience & Special Requirements Requires a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Human Resources or a closely related field and 2-3years of benefit administration experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. An acceptable general background check to include a local and state criminal history check and a valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record. Physical Demands Must be physically able to operate a variety of machinery and equipment including a word processor, copier, calculator etc. Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects. Physical demand requirements are those for Sedentary Work. Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural or compositional characteristics (whether similar or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things. Requires the ability to speak and/or signal people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments or directions to subordinates or assistants; and receiving instructions, assignments or directions from superiors. Requires the ability to read a variety of reports, surveys, memos, forms, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, forms, and statistical analyses. Requires the ability to prepare EEO reports using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak before groups of people with poise, voice control and confidence. Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems; to deal with nonverbal symbolism in its most difficult phases; to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables; to comprehend the most abstruse classes of concepts. Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in standard college-level English. Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas; to add and subtract; multiply and divide; utilize decimals and percentages; interpret graphs and compute percentages and ratios, etc. and apply the theories of descriptive statistics. Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape. Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using office equipment and various hand tools. Requires the ability to handle a variety of items such as office equipment and hand tools. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination. Does not require the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color. Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under stress and when confronted with emergency situations. Requires the ability to talk and hear: (Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words. Hearing: perceiving nature of sounds by ear.) Must be able to communicate via telephone. Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Requirements The City of Portsmouth is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the City to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations. This is a class description and not an individual position description. A class specification defines the general character and scope of duties and responsibilities of all positions in a job classification but is not intended to describe and does not necessarily list the essential job functions for a given position in a classification. #J-18808-Ljbffr