Benefits Specialist

House of Representatives • Washington, DC

1d

About The Position

The Benefits Specialist serves in the Office of Payroll and Benefits within the Office of Finance, under the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Office of Finance provides financial management services to House Leadership, Members, Committees, Officers, and Support Service offices. The CAO organization provides operations support and business solutions to approximately 10,000 House Members, Officers, and staff, supported by more than 700 technical and administrative employees.

The position provides information and advisory services to current and former House employees about Federal and House-specific benefits and enrollment. The specialist maintains proficient knowledge in one or more benefits specialty areas, distributes communications, and assists with training and briefings for the House community. Customer contact occurs by email, telephone, and in person in a high-volume, fast-paced customer-service environment. The position has access to Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and does not have day-to-day supervisory or managerial responsibilities. Grade at initial appointment is determined by past experience.

The work involves advising employees and management on benefits and entitlement programs; researching and applying relevant laws, rules, regulations, policies, processes, and procedures; analyzing data; and using financial systems and software to research and troubleshoot issues. Depending on specialty assignments, duties include processing benefit applications and adjustments, reviewing forms and agreements, calculating payroll adjustments and service computation dates, coordinating benefits with other federal agencies, verifying prior federal service, preparing reports, and responding to correspondence. The specialist may also instruct, train, and mentor peers and perform other official duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED plus two or more years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Excellent communication skills for customer interactions by email, telephone, and in person.
• Organizational skills and high attention to detail.
• Proficient use of Adobe and Microsoft products, including Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work in a high-volume, fast-paced customer-service environment.
• Continued employment is contingent upon satisfactorily completing a criminal history records check or other applicable security clearance and, for pre-identified positions, a pre-employment drug test.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with federal employee benefits and compensation programs, particularly Legislative Branch programs.
• Specialized training in relevant human resources areas, such as federal benefits, through college coursework, independent courses, or comparable on-the-job training.
• Bachelor’s degree.
• SHRM, APA, or OPM certification or accreditation.

Responsibilities

• Provides advisory services to management and current and former House employees on benefits and entitlement programs, including TSP, FEHB, Affordable Care Act health coverage, FEGLI, retirement options, beneficiary information, debt collection, and creditable civilian or military service.
• Distributes communications, including monthly newsletters and information about initial benefit enrollment, to assigned customers.
• Assists with regular training and briefings for the House community.
• Participates in developing and carrying out plans and special projects related to technical support and customer services.
• Maintains proficient knowledge in one or more benefits specialty areas and answers general questions about how different areas are interrelated.
• Counsels employees on the advantages of participating in the TSP and explains enrollment, change, and cancellation procedures.
• Provides general retirement information and guidance to employees and benefits information to survivors of deceased employees.
• Researches, interprets, and accurately applies relevant laws, rules, regulations, policies, processes, and procedures.
• Analyzes data using appropriate methods and tools, and uses financial systems and software to research and troubleshoot issues.
• Processes health insurance applications and enrollment adjustments, including determining eligibility and required documentation.
• Reviews TSP enrollment forms for accuracy and calculates payroll adjustments related to TSP, health, or life insurance when required.
• Coordinates benefits for concurrent employees with other federal agencies, including issuing correspondence and adjusting benefits as needed.
• Calculates Service Computation Dates for newly appointed employees with prior federal service and verifies prior federal service and benefits.
• Provides employees with information about retirement eligibility.
• Reviews student loan program agreements, checks submitted loan service provider information, and validates data entry.
• Prepares reports and statistical compilations and researches and responds to correspondence in areas of expertise.
• Instructs, trains, and mentors peers as needed.
• Performs other official duties as assigned.

Benefits

• The posting states that federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: High school or GED