Benefits Specialist

Job Title:

Benefits Specialist

Pay Grade:

P1

Reports To:

Director of Payroll and Benefits

Work Schedule:

230 Days/12 Months

Department:

Business Services

FLSA Status:

Exempt

Position Summary:

The Benefits Specialist manages the day\-to\-day operations of employee benefit programs, including health insurance and other voluntary benefits, retirement plans, leave administration, and workers' compensation, ensuring compliance and providing expert guidance to employees.

Essential Duties:

Benefits Administration:

• Lead and manage annual open enrollment, including planning and executing benefits fairs, conducting employee presentations, and assisting with enrollment.
• Administer State Health Benefit Plan and voluntary benefits (enrollment, changes, terminations, COBRA, and claims resolution).
• Conduct new hire orientations and provide ongoing employee benefits guidance.
• Process death benefit claims and ensure regulatory compliance for all benefit programs.
• Assembles and distributes benefits packets to all new employees.
• Complete Medical Support Notices and update coverage as required.
• Coordinates with vendors to ensure timely activation and termination of employee benefits.

Retirement:

• Calculate and process sick and annual leave payouts for retiring employees.
• Handle retirement applications and complete required forms (e.g., TRS\-8\).
• Counsel employees on retirement plan options (state plans, 403(b), 457, Roth IRA).
• Complete and submit TRS Sick Leave Certification forms for retirees.
• Process 403(b) withdrawal requests.

Leave Administration:

• Manage all aspects of employee leave, including processing leave data, tracking balances, coordinating with school clerks and departmental administrative assistants for accurate recording, and verifying school payroll leave reports.
• Adjust leave accruals and generate leave verification reports.
• Track long\-term substitute hours for CPI reporting.
• Facilitate sick leave transfers for new employees transitioning from other Georgia public school districts, including posting their initial leave requests.
• Process short\-term/long\-term disability claims and update leave status accordingly.
• Adjust pay and benefits during leave periods.
• Collect and track benefit premiums and notify employees of payments due.
• Process benefit cancellations due to non\-payment, following established procedures.
• Apply leave policies consistently to ensure compliance and accuracy.

Benefits Reporting and Billing:

• Submit required file feeds and data transfers to all benefits vendors.
• Reconcile monthly benefit payments to ensure accuracy within the established deadline.
• Manage and verify accurate billing and payroll deductions for State Health and voluntary benefits, resolving any discrepancies and communicating adjustments to employees.
• Review and resolve all benefit discrepancy reports with vendors and employees.
• Ensure compliance with State Health and Georgia Department of Community Health reporting and audit requirements.
• Independently conduct accurate month\-end reporting for state retirement plans (ERS/PSERS/TRS), ensuring all files are formatted and submitted according to state\-mandated technical specifications.
• Enter employee benefit deductions into the payroll system, verifying accuracy and updating as needed.

Workers’ Compensation:

• Receive, process, and verify workplace injury reports, ensuring timely and accurate documentation.
• Schedule initial medical appointments and submit claims to the Third\-Party Administrator.
• Manage claims, including logging, tracking, monitoring work status, and collaborating on return\-to\-work plans.
• Partner with the TPA on investigations, medical treatment, and all aspects of claim management.
• Provide support and guidance to injured employees, explaining benefits and procedures.

Other Duties:

This job description is not exhaustive and may not include all activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee. The employee may be asked to perform other related duties as assigned.

Performance Responsibilities:

• Demonstrates prompt and regular attendance.
• Attends relevant meetings and/or trainings.
• Collaborates effectively with stakeholders and colleagues, demonstrating a commitment to providing excellent customer service.
• Exhibits a high degree of professional integrity and maintains a 'leadership\-by\-example' approach to district policies, specifically regarding personal leave and attendance standards.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field preferred, with a minimum requirement of a High School Diploma or GED equivalent and two years of relevant coursework or experience.
• Three to five years of experience in human resources or benefits administration is required.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel is required, including the ability to perform complex data reconciliations to identify payroll and billing discrepancies.
• Experience working in a school district or government entity is highly preferred.
• Certification/License Required: None
• Physical Activities: Routine physical activities required to fulfill job responsibilities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to export raw data from payroll systems (NextGen) and state portals (TRS/ERS/SHBP) and manipulate that data in Excel to perform month\-end reporting and discrepancy resolution independently.
• High\-level aptitude for mathematical calculations and a proven track record of maintaining 100% accuracy in financial transactions to prevent wage overpayments or underpayments.
• Understand various employee benefit programs such as health insurance and voluntary benefits, retirement plans, leave policies, and workers' compensation.
• Familiarity with federal and state regulations governing employee benefits, including COBRA, FMLA, ADA, and ERISA.
• Ability to effectively communicate benefit options, policies, and procedures to employees during orientations, presentations, and one\-on\-one interactions.
• Skill in conducting benefits fairs and presentations to educate employees about available benefits and assist with enrollment.
• Strong organizational skills to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, prioritize workload, and meet deadlines.
• Attention to detail in processing benefit\-related paperwork, claims, and data entry to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Ability to provide excellent customer service to employees, responding promptly and courteously to inquiries and concerns related to benefits.
• Skill in resolving benefit\-related issues and discrepancies with tact and professionalism.
• Proficiency in using benefits administration software and tools for enrollment, data management, and reporting.
• Ability to navigate and utilize payroll systems to accurately process benefit deductions and adjustments.
• Capability to analyze benefit utilization data, claims reports, and billing statements to identify trends, discrepancies, and opportunities for improvement.
• Skill in reconciling benefit payments and deductions to ensure accuracy and compliance with regulations.
• Aptitude for identifying and resolving complex issues related to benefit eligibility, claims processing, and compliance requirements.
• Ability to troubleshoot benefit\-related problems and collaborate with vendors, employees, and other stakeholders to find solutions.
• Capacity to collaborate effectively with internal departments, benefit vendors, third\-party administrators, and other stakeholders to coordinate benefit programs and resolve issues.
• Skill in building and maintaining positive working relationships with colleagues and external partners.
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive employee information with discretion and integrity.
• Adherence to ethical standards and regulatory requirements in managing benefit programs and interacting with employees.
• Willingness to adapt to changes in benefit regulations, policies, and technology and continuously update knowledge and skills through training and professional development.
• Ability to quickly learn and apply new procedures and software tools related to benefits administration.

Essential Physical Requirements: The physical demands described here represent those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Sufficient personal mobility, flexibility, and balance, with or without reasonable accommodation, which permits the employee to work in various office/school locations with computer equipment, lifting or moving objects that weigh up to 15 lbs. occasionally.
• Sufficient vision or other powers of observation, with or without reasonable accommodation, which permit the employee to review, audit, and analyze small\-font numerical data in both digital and printed formats; distinguish between subtle color\-coded cells in spreadsheets (e.g., error flags); and maintain focus for extended periods while performing detailed data reconciliations.
• Sufficient clarity of speech and hearing or other communication capabilities, with or without reasonable accommodation, which permits the employee to understand verbal instructions and communicate effectively on the telephone and in person.
• Positions in this classification work indoors and may sit for long periods of time.
• Work involves operating a computer, calculator, copier, and other equipment and involves repetitive arm and hand movement, hand\-eye\-arm, and finger dexterity to use a personal computer keyboard, ten\-key, and other common office equipment.

Disclaimer:

This job description is not to be considered an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements, or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned.