HR Generalist & Benefits Specialist

Under the direction of the Director of Human Resources Operations, the HR Generalist & Benefits Specialist is responsible for administering employee benefit programs and coordinating leave management. This position will also and assist and provide support to the HR team in the day-to-day operations of the department.

Health and Welfare and Ancillary Plans (30%) :

• Administer and support the day-to-day operational aspects of the administration of the College�s health and welfare benefits (medical and dental), programs and services and all ancillary benefits, programs and services including life insurance, long term disability, vision, tuition programs and other voluntary benefits in accordance with applicable federal and state regulations, including ERISA reporting requirements.
  
• Coordinate, schedule and deliver regular new employee benefits orientations and programs and provide related support for new hire enrollments in benefits and new hire system troubleshooting.
  
• Coordinate and provide day-to-day assistance with employee benefit programs and services including responding to general employee benefit questions, processing benefit enrollments and changes, processing benefit invoices and payments, generating and processing benefit vendor files and auditing benefits plans and deductions.
  
• Coordinate and support the annual benefits open enrollment process and all related communications and internal processing. Serve as the primary point of contact for open enrollment questions and system troubleshooting, coordinate communications, processing changes, and coordinating with vendors.
  
• Coordinate and manage Worker�s Compensation claims processing and related communications with worker�s comp vendor, employees and supervisors. Coordinate annual worker�s compensation audit and all related annual filings. Serve on campus wide Safety Committee.
  
• Coordinate COBRA program including required notifications, enrollments and billing.
  
• Coordinate and manage tuition programs including annual communication, processing applications, maintaining export/imports data, liaison to tuition program service providers and annual reporting and invoicing.
  
• Coordinate with external vendor to process and generate 1095C�s and other required annual filings.
  
• Assist with the implementation, maintenance and troubleshooting of the College�s benefits administration system (WEX) and related electronic vendor file transmittals.
  

Leave Administration & Accommodation Requests (25%) :

• Manage and coordinate all employee (staff and faculty) leaves including FMLA, MPFL, STD and LTD.
  
• Serve as the primary contact to third party insurer on all leave related matters.
  
• Review and determine eligibility for leaves, communicate with employees and supervisors regarding leave benefits and status.
  
• Generate and prepare leave related resources including general leave related summaries, leave template letters, FAQs, etc., to support the understanding and communication regarding employee leaves.
  
• Maintain and track status of leaves and coordinate with third party insurer regarding leaves.
  
• Work closely with third party insurer and internal Payroll Office to calculate and manage employee leave pay and time off balances.
  
• Maintain and generate data and dashboards regarding leave usage, costs and relevant analytics.
  
• Coordinate and manage requests for ADA workplace accommodations. Consult with Director, HR Operations, as necessary.
  

Retirement Plan and Related Programs (25%) :

• Coordinate the day-to-day aspects of the administration of the College�s 403(b) and 457(b) retirement plans in accordance with ERISA guidelines and fiduciary obligations.
  
• Monitor and coordinate retirement plan enrollments, loans and withdrawals.
  
• Serve as liaison to retirement plan service provider (TIAA) and other third-party vendors.
  
• Develop, plan and coordinate a robust retirement education program.
  
• Coordinate all annual communications and required notifications related to the retirement plan.
  
• Coordinate and support external auditor on the audit of the 403b retirement plan, annual required testing and notices and preparation and filing of 5500.
  
• Provide support as necessary to Director, HR Operations on the maintenance of plan documents, SPDs and administrative needs of the Fiduciary Committee.
  

Payroll Processing/Data Management and HRIS (10%) :

• Assist with the data entry, processing and scanning of new hires and terminations as well as other general employee payroll related and benefit changes in accordance with the college�s regular biweekly and monthly pay cycles.
  
• Assist with the data entry and maintenance of other employment and demographic data and other Human Resources data processing including seasonal hires, leave accruals, annual salary adjustments and changes, adjunct faculty processing and other related changes.
  
• Generate and run standard and ad-hoc reports using WebFocus and other reporting tools.
  
• In collaboration with others, assist with the oversight and effective use and maintenance of the HR/Payroll system and sensitive employee data and information.
  
• Assist with the ongoing training and support of staff in the efficient use of the HR/Payroll system.
  
• Assist in the evaluation and implementation of processes and procedures related to the effective use of the HR/Payroll system.
  
• Assist with the testing of system upgrades and enhancements.
  

Health & Wellness Programming and Support (10%) :

• Assist with coordination of employee health and wellness programs that includes health education, wellness newsletter, information sessions, fitness and activity programming and online fitness challenges and events.
  

Plan and coordinate Annual Open Enrollment and Benefits* fair.

Minimum Qualifications:

• In-depth knowledge of and experience in all core human resources functional areas with a particular emphasis in benefits administration.
  
• Knowledge and experience with HR/Payroll systems required. Experience with Ellucian/Banner preferred.
  
• Excellent computer skills and knowledge of MS Suite including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
  
• Strong organizational and time management skills are essential
  
• Must possess strong interpersonal skills, diplomacy, and tact
  
• Must communicate effectively in writing and orally.
  
• Must be familiar with current issues and best practices in human resources
  

Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 2-3 years professional experience in human resource and/or benefits administration, preferably in higher education or equivalent combination of education and experience. Previous experience managing and administering employee benefits programs is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

Compensation and Benefits

To attract and retain the most talented individuals, Wheaton College maintains a flexible and competitive staff compensation and

benefits program.

When determining and establishing hiring rates or recruitment ranges for a position, the College considers a number of factors including the budget for the position, the range of the grade, the external market for the position or similar positions, level and scope of responsibilities, required education, skills and relevant experience as well as internal equity. All salary offers must have the prior approval of the Office of Human Resources.

The anticipated hiring or recruitment range for this position is $65,000 - $72,000.

The salary for this position will be commensurate with the qualifications, education and experience.

Physical Demands

ADA Statement:

Individuals must possess these knowledges, skills and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

Eeo Statement

Wheaton College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, or disability. In a continuing effort to maintain and enrich an intellectually diverse learning environment, the Department and the College actively encourages applications from women and members of underrepresented groups.

Wheaton’s core belief is that valuing diversity is pivotal to personal development, intellectual expansion, and societal equity. Our community is united by a shared dedication to equity and access that is essential to providing a transformative education in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Posting Date:

Closing Date:

Open Until Filled No

Contact(s):

Office of Human Resources

Contact Phone/Extension: 508-286-8206

Contact Email: careers@wheatoncollege.edu

Contact Fax

Special Instructions to Candidates:

The federal government and the state of Massachusetts have made the decision to end the COVID-19 public health emergency. Effective June 1, 2023, the college will no longer require COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for members of our community. Rather, we strongly recommend that everyone stay up to date on their vaccinations, including boosters, as recommended by their health care provider.

While we will no longer require COVID-19 vaccinations, we strongly encourage members of our campus community to adhere to public health recommendations for vaccination to protect against COVID-19, as well as influenza and other diseases.