Benefits Specialist - Doyle - 1.0 FTE

Madison Metropolitan School District • Madison, WI

7d

About The Position

The Benefits Specialist administers insurance benefits for active Madison Metropolitan School District employees under the general supervision of the Benefits Manager in Human Resources. Benefits include health, dental, vision, life, disability, flexible spending accounts, and long-term care. The role educates prospective and active employees, ensures accurate benefit enrollment and payroll deductions, and assists with compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations. The position requires attention to detail, excellent customer service, integrity, continuous improvement, and commitment to an inclusive work environment.

The work includes benefits operations; employee education and communication; operational effectiveness and data integrity; compliance; and other assigned duties. The specialist processes enrollments and qualifying life events, reconciles payroll deductions and vendor invoices, maintains benefits systems and resources, responds to employee and retiree inquiries, supports benefit presentations, evaluates workflows and data accuracy, and prepares required notices and reports. The position has no supervisory responsibilities. Work may involve travel to district locations and off-site meetings, and may require evenings, nights, and some weekends. Hybrid work flexibility may be available for a portion of the schedule depending on position and work-unit needs, as discussed during the interview process.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least three years of experience administering employee insurance benefits.
• Proficiency with Google and/or Microsoft Office suite products.
• Knowledge of HRIS and benefits enrollment systems.
• Knowledge of state and federal employee-benefits laws, including HIPAA, COBRA, and ACA.
• Knowledge of employee-benefit pricing, premiums, coverages, and delivery methods.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret insurance policies and guidance.
• Ability to analyze enrollment, utilization, deduction, and spending data and identify trends and patterns.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, solve problems, adapt, and maintain accuracy and quality.
• Ability to explain complex information clearly and communicate and present effectively in writing and orally, including to senior management and external audiences.
• Professionalism, maturity, sensitivity, respect, and composure under stress when serving employees and leaders.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, solve problems, resolve conflict, make decisions, and complete assignments on time.
• Ability to interact professionally with consultants, vendors, and stakeholders and establish relationships throughout the organization.
• Ability to promote and follow Board of Education and District policies and building and department procedures.
• Commitment to principles and practices that promote anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Willingness to travel to different locations for district purposes.
• Ability to work safely and comply with safety and work rules and regulations.
• Ability to lift up to 25 pounds occasionally and perform work involving walking, sitting, stooping, reaching, manual dexterity, and extended stationary periods.
• Ability to work in indoor and outdoor environments throughout the year, including inclement weather, spaces without air conditioning, and uncomfortable or rapidly fluctuating temperatures.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with a human resources information system (HRIS), payroll system, and/or benefits enrollment system.
• Experience running benefits deduction and enrollment reports, compiling data, and performing analysis.
• SHRM-CP, PHR, or CEBS certification.

Responsibilities

• Upload and reconcile benefit payroll deductions, resolve discrepancies, and process premium adjustments for onboarding and departing employees.
• Distribute enrollment materials to new hires and process qualifying life events, child support orders, J1 visa documentation, creditable coverage, and other employee requests.
• Determine variable-hour employee insurance eligibility and process enrollments, additions, changes, and terminations.
• Coordinate with vendors on accurate enrollments, evidence of insurability applications, and Waiver of Premium benefits.
• Reconcile vendor invoices against enrollment data and submit accurate invoices for payment.
• Update annual insurance rates in payroll and benefits enrollment systems and align web resources and communications.
• Calculate and summarize financial impacts of proposed benefit plan changes for management analysis.
• Respond accurately and promptly to employee and retiree benefit inquiries.
• Develop and maintain benefits resources, including digital guides, flyers, FAQs, videos, and benefits web pages.
• Facilitate individual and group benefits presentations for onboarding, Open Enrollment, and year-round education events.
• Evaluate and improve benefits administration workflows, standardize documentation, and maintain accurate data through audits, root-cause analysis, and data governance controls.
• Log employee interactions centrally to support consistent, high-quality service.
• Partner with HR, vendors, and the broker of record to monitor benefit utilization, evaluate plan designs and eligibility criteria, and recommend improvements.
• Maintain compliance with applicable federal and state laws, district policies, Section 125 regulations, and governance requirements while protecting confidential records.
• Prepare and distribute COBRA notifications and process elections and premium payments.
• Prepare and file required federal and state reports, including 1095 processing, PCORI fees, non-discrimination testing, and Group-Term Life tax reporting.
• Perform other assigned duties, attend district and school functions supporting district initiatives and values, complete required training, and build collaborative relationships with business partners.

Benefits

• The district states that it offers a great compensation package and directs applicants to its benefits and compensation pages for further information.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level