Benefits Manager

American University • Washington, DC

36d • $90,000 - $100,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Benefits Manager is responsible for the strategic development and management of comprehensive benefits programs for the university. The Manager will be responsible for providing competitive benefits program and support for 2,900 faculty, staff and retirees. The Manager will participate in the development of the Annual Open Enrollment, Digital Transformation of the Total Rewards Department, Retirement Portal and effective management and communication of Health & Welfare, Life and Disability, Retirement and Educational benefit programs. The Benefits Manager, in collaboration with the Director of Employee Benefits and Retirement, provides overall leadership and administration for benefits planning and administration for university faculty, staff and retirees. They recommend policy, oversee the benefits operations, and directly manage benefits and retirement administration. The Manager plans, negotiates and administers all University benefits programs and initiatives; develops long range and current planning proposals for budget; serves as contract liaison between benefits carriers, mutual fund companies, and consulting firms and university offices of procurement and finance; prepares and presents critical research and trend data and analyses on benefits and retirement programs; reviews and evaluates new and existing laws and regulations for retirement compliance; and designs and implements ongoing initiatives to enhance the effectiveness of the retirement programs and costs at American University.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least 5 years progressively responsible experience in benefits and retirement or equivalent in education, training and experience.
• Proficiency in consultation skills, executive coaching, customer service skills, strategic communications, collaboration, interpersonal and management skills, committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive community.
• Knowledge, understanding and application of Federal and State employment laws.
• Proficiency in financial analysis, modeling and budgeting.
• Proficiency in data analytics and use of Excel.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree, or Accounting, Economics or Finance Bachelor’s degree.
• 5 - 8 years of relevant experience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Power Point.
• CEBS certification or other benefit certification(s) or accounts / finance certification is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Health and Welfare Manage the day-to-day operational activities of AU’s health and welfare programs to ensure compliance with AU policies and applicable laws. Ensure high standards of customer service. Develop and implement initiatives to ensure high quality of service for the university, faculty, staff, and retirees. Interface with vendors on behalf of participants and HR staff to clarify vendor and AU policies and procedures, resolve claims, and provide direction to vendors. In consultation with Director of Employee Benefits and Retirement, make decisions on policy exceptions and special requests. Counsel faculty and staff members on benefits programs.
• Education Administers the university’s educational benefits to include tuition remission, Tuition Exchange Scholarship, and cash grant programs in accordance with university policies and processes, and in compliance with federal tax code. Responds to faculty and staff member questions and works closely with Financial Aid and Student Accounts to ensure tuition remission is posted in a timely manner. Maintain the applicant/participant databases for each of the educational benefits programs. Maintains and updates educational benefits information in benefit manuals and online.
• Retirement Manage administration and support systems of the University’s competitive retirement programs and support systems for faculty, staff, and retirees. Provide support and oversight for all university retirement planning and administration. Recommend policy changes and modernization. Plan, participate in negotiations, and administer all University retirement programs and initiatives. Develop current planning proposals, including budget impact. Serve as a liaison between retirement vendors and university offices of procurement and finance on contracts and coverage with insurance carriers, mutual fund companies, compensation vendors, and consulting firms. Prepare and present critical research and trend data and analyses on retirement. Review, evaluate and ensure programs remain in compliance with new and existing laws and regulations and align with university policies. Design and implement ongoing initiatives to enhance retirement offerings, ensure equity, and effectively manage costs.
• Programs and Engagement Develop content and present benefits information, updates and proposals for leadership, Benefits Advisory Project Team, events and stakeholders. Manage New Hire Enrollment processes. Process, investigate, and collaborate with vendors to resolve customer benefit issues.
• Leaves Support the day-to-day operational activities of the benefits team by investigating and resolving routine customer benefits issues relating to AU’s benefit programs and educating the HR Support / Employee Relations / HR Operations teams in a way that enhances their collective knowledge so they can better support their clients and customers. Benefit programs include health plans, dental plans, vision plans, Rx plans, flexible spending accounts, group legal plans, group pet insurance, group auto and home insurance plans, and others. Identify trends and issues with potential broad customer impact and report findings to leadership. Process corrections to coverage information and ensure prompt notification to vendors of errors. Answer plan issues inquiries, qualifying events, COBRA, and benefits for staff and faculty members on Leave of Absence or Long-Term Disability.
• Compliance Manage the annual audits, data and regulatory filings with the different agencies, committees, and institutions. Monitors and stays current on changes to state and federal laws. Partner with key stakeholders, including Finance, IT, and Legal, to support effective implementation and compliance.
• Supervision Serve as part of the Total Rewards team. Provide direction, supervision and mentorship to Benefit Analyst roles.
• Other Duties as Assigned

Benefits

• AU offers a competitive benefits package including a 200% matching retirement plan, tuition benefits for full-time staff and their families, several leadership development certificates, and has been recognized by the American Heart Association as a fit-friendly worksite.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees