Benefits Specialist - Resource Employee

Company: Human Resources
Location: Los Angeles
Posted on: January 27, 2023

Job Description:

The Benefits Specialist - Resource Employee will partner with various stakeholders to audit and review USCs benefits and programs offering. This role will gather information and conduct regular analysis of benefits and programming to identify areas for improvement and ensure benefits are aligned with USC policy, employment law, and state and federal regulations. Additional responsibilities include coordinating with external audit vendors and maintaining standard operating procedures. An ideal candidate for this role will bring excellent organizational and analytical skills to generate reports on benefits compliance and quality assurance data to analyze trends and recommend quality or compliance improvements. This role will help enable USCs vision while championing USCs culture and values.Minimum Qualifications The candidate for the position of Benefits Specialist - Resource Employee must meet the following qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business, economics, psychology, or another related field.
• Five or more years of experience in benefits administration and/or auditing of large market benefits programs.
• Extensive experience conducting analysis of benefit programs to identify non-compliance and recommend improvements in policy, process, operations, and technology.
• Extensive knowledge of employee benefits and applicable laws.
• Experience effectively interpreting FMLA and ADA implications as they relate to benefits and disabilities.
• Experience distributing benefits enrollment materials and determining eligibility.
• Experience entering benefits enrollments in HR systems to provide accurate eligibility information.
• Experience generating reports and reports for management personnel.
• Experience integrating information from various HR database sources.
• Experience reviewing documentation and keeping updated records.
• Experience running regular reports and disseminating information.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to think strategically and creatively.
• Excellent organizational skills and written and verbal communications skills.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills and ability to thrive in a highly collaborative environment.
• Team-oriented self-starter with the ability to work independently and proactively and prioritize competing assignments.
• Ability to provide support and guidance as needed on projects.
• Ability to exercise discretion with confidential information.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).Preferred QualificationsThe ideal candidate for the position of Benefits Specialist - Resource Employee has the following qualifications:
  • Advanced degree in business, economics, psychology, or another related field.
  • Seven or more years of experience in benefits administration and/or auditing large market Benefits programs.
  • Experience with insurance carrier markets, including deep knowledge across marketing, underwriting, account management, and claim resolution.
  • Experience in higher education.
  • Experience with conducting benefits compliance and quality assurance checks at an institute of higher education.
  • Outstanding follow-through skills with a strong sense of urgency.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and relationship-building abilities.
  • Ability to use sound judgment in making decisions with minimal supervision.
  • Leadership experience and/or experience identifying and applying process improvements.
  • Experience in underwriting.
  • Able to educate employees on programs and compliance.
  • Experience with HRIS.
  • Certified Benefits Professional, Certified Employee Benefit Specialist, or Life & Health Insurance License, or other similar certifications.
  • SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) or SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) certification credential, or other similar certification.Job ResponsibilitiesThe candidate for the position of Benefits Specialist - Resource Employee will be responsible for:
    • Conducting analytical projects to assess the quality and compliance of benefits programs at the university. Identifying areas of improvement through data analysis of benefits and programs. Creating and maintaining standard operating procedures for benefits administration audits. Facilitating audits and quality assurance checks with benefits specialists.
    • Understanding how to evaluate benefits compliance and apply analytical principles to improve the quality of benefits and programming at the university. Seeking information and feedback from benefits customers to understand which benefits create the most value. Creating plans to refine quality assurance and audit processing. Maintaining and improving the quality assurance and audit process that ensures compliance with labor laws, creates policy consistency across the university, and increases transparency.
    • Conducting regular annual external and internal benefits audits. Collecting data on benefits and programs to analyze and draw insights from related to quality assurance and compliance with university policy, federal and state regulations, and employment law. Displaying professionalism, discretion, and courtesy when advising on sensitive matters.
    • Managing communication and collaboration with benefits specialists to ensure smooth compliance checks. Maintaining open lines of communication and strong relationships with external audit vendors for annual external audits. Communicating with team members openly and transparently to maintain efficiency, resolve challenges, and socialize current progress. Communicating with HR Systems & Data Analytics team and other stakeholders as needed to ensure accurate data reporting and tracking.
    • Updating knowledge of laws and policies that can impact benefits compliance. Maintaining currency with data analytics and benefits quality assurance leading practices. Soliciting feedback from managers, peers, and other employees and working to continuously improve as a teammate and advisor. Sharing improvements to processes and procedures with the broader team.
    • Analyzing benefits compliance data and identifying issues, trends and/or opportunities for improvement. Using proprietary vendor reports and website data to track and report on benefits program audits. Creating and socializing various program reports, integrating information from various HR database sources as needed. Interpreting trends in reports to suggest program improvements. Demonstrating fairness, impartiality, and integrity in decision making.
    • Developing trusting, credible relationships from demonstrated ethical judgment, behavior, and practiced confidentiality. Promoting an environment that fosters inclusive relationships and creates unbiased opportunities for contributions through ideas, words, and actions that uphold principles of the USC Code of Ethics.
    • Understanding alignment between benefits compliance and overall HR strategy. Demonstrating, through words, actions, and ideas, alignment to USCs strategic plan and the HR organizations strategic plan. Enabling the university to fulfill its academic and people missions through enhanced HR service.
    • Performing other related responsibilities as requested and when necessary. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.The hourly rate range for this position is $40.49 - $65.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidates work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer
      Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree Additional Education Requirements Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 2 years Minimum Skills: Directly related experience in benefits/human resources specialization. Knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations related to benefits. Demonstrated interpersonal skills. Preferred Education: Bachelor's degree Preferred Experience: 3 years

Keywords: Human Resources, Los Angeles , Benefits Specialist - Resource Employee, Other , Los Angeles, California