Benefits Specialist

Department: Human Resources

Classification: Admin Office Specialist 3

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: After training is completed may be eligible for hybrid

Pay Band: 03

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

Human Resources supports the university’s mission through the development and implementation of benefit policies and programs that help to attract and retain faculty and staff, and administers the University’s sponsored benefit plans.

About the Position:

The Benefits Specialist administers and manages benefit programs while providing a high level of customer service to applicants, staff, and faculty of George Mason University, provides support, guidance, and information to employees on benefit-related topics and options available, and advocates on behalf of employees and help to resolve issues.

Responsibilities:

• Benefits Administration:
  • Conducts classified new hire orientations;
  • Administers and manages benefit programs, including open enrollment, new hire enrollments, mid-year changes, and benefit terminations;
  • Guides employees in benefits programs including group health, dental, life, disability, retirement, and other programs offered at Mason to faculty and staff;
  • Manages the Benefits Department’s email inbox and ensures that all inquiries are acknowledged and addressed timely, accurately, and in a customer-friendly manner;
  • Answers detailed questions from employees and/or vendors and provides information on health insurance, retirement, and other benefits inquiries;
  • Works within a cross-disciplinary team of human resources, payroll, human resource data management, human resource information systems, and vendors to ensure coordinated management of employee benefits;
  • Works independently and within the team on special nonrecurring and ongoing projects;
  • Communicates benefits to employees individually and in groups, explaining how the benefits work and helping employees understand how to select, use, and maximize their options;
  • Effectively answers questions and provides guidance to employees who have questions related to their benefits;
  • Provides excellent customer service to faculty and staff in a friendly and courteous manner, following established guidelines and procedures; and
  • Navigates the George Mason and vendor administration websites to conduct data entry and problem solve.

• Data Entry and Auditing:
  • Processes new enrollment forms and terminations for all benefits as needed, employment transactions that require benefit adjustments (i.e., full-time equivalent increase/decrease; faculty to classified), and contacts employees if necessary to discuss impact;
  • Generates biweekly and monthly reports to audit benefit transactions to correct database discrepancies. Conducts data audits, research, problem solves, and resolves discrepancies;
  • Oversees maintenance of employee benefits records and partners with the payroll team to update employee payroll records;
  • Audits entries on payroll adjustment spreadsheets to verify accuracy before sending to payroll for processing;
  • Processes transactions and adjustments accurately with substantial attention to detail; and
  • Troubleshoots and problem solves as needs arise related to transactions.

• Reconciliation:
  • Regularly reconciles health insurance and Virginia Retirement System transactions to ensure employee benefit coverage and payroll deductions are accurate;
  • Reviews reconciliation reports, researches, and resolves discrepancies using internal and external systems;
  • Determines necessary accounting adjustments to resolve the discrepancies;
  • Calculates deduction to process retroactive salary adjustments;
  • Regularly and proactively reviews audit reports; and
  • Works closely with Payroll to process discrepancy adjustments in a timely manner.

• Data Analytics:
  • Generates and processes various quality ad hoc reports using MicroStrategy analytics software;
  • Assists with benefits queries through multiple channels including Email, Cardinal, Banner, and utilizing the benefit providers’ administration portal;
  • Runs and prepares enrollment reports for activity analysis and review;
  • Forms ideas from unstructured data to present information in a visualization format (i.e., charts, tables, diagrams); and
  • Presents topics or issues using data-driven insights in a comprehensible and engaging manner. 

Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent;
• Some professional human resource experience or training;
• Experience providing customer service;
• Skill in the use of computers and related software, including Microsoft Office Suite and Microsoft Teams;
• Skill in providing effective customer service, including analysis of issues through independent judgement and decision making;
• Ability to develop strategies to improve customer service and benefits process efficiency;
• Skill in effective and respectful verbal, written, and interpersonal communication;
• Ability to concisely report solutions to internal and external contacts;
• Ability to demonstrate tact and diplomacy when communicating with individuals at all levels of the organization;
• Ability to demonstrate significant attention to detail and perform work with a high degree of accuracy;
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize daily activities;
• Ability to remain organized while working on multiple, simultaneous projects;
• Ability to work effectively with others both in the department and to external colleagues;
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a collaborative team environment;
• Ability to exercise integrity and maintain confidentiality in working with sensitive information; and
• Ability to learn applicable state and/or federal regulations, policies, and/or procedures;

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in benefits administration;
• Experience extracting reports from Human Resource Information Systems and/or Business Intelligence Solutions;
• Knowledge of employee benefits administration and programs;
• Knowledge of applicable state and/or federal regulations, policies, and/or procedures;
• Knowledge of various health and welfare benefits;
• Proficiency in Excel and spreadsheets, including creation and use of pivot tables, basic calculations, VLOOKUPs, and compiling, organizing and analyzing multiple data sets;
• Skill in data analytics; and
• Ability to handle large amounts of data and simplify information into manageable summary reports.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Benefits Specialist at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.

Posting Open Date: June 27, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by: July 12, 2024

Open Until Filled?: Yes