Benefits Specialist

Maryland Connect•Frostburg, MD

8d•$60,000 - $78,000

About The Position

Responsible for implementing the benefits package for staff and/or faculty, such as medical, dental, long‑term disability, retirement, and accidental death. Benefits Specialist Frostburg State University (FSU), Office of Human Resources (OHR), is accepting applications for a full-time, exempt Benefits Specialist. Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Position includes the robust University System of Maryland benefits package, which is comprised of annual, personal, and sick leave, holidays, tuition remission, health, dental, vision, and life insurance, and retirement plans.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
2–3 years of experience in benefits administration or HR with strong regulatory knowledge
Proficiency in Workday or equivalent HRIS, Microsoft Office
Excellent interpersonal, communication, analytical, and organizational skills
Ability to manage confidential information with discretion and sensitivity

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, or a related field (or equivalent experience) with 4–5 years of experience in benefits administration or HR with strong regulatory knowledge
Experience with the State of Maryland’s Employee and Retiree Health Benefits Program.
Experience with the State of Maryland Retirement and Pension System

Responsibilities

Benefits Administration: Provides details regarding the retirement plans available to new employees as appropriate to the position. Provides information regarding the State of Maryland (SOM) Medical, Dental, Prescription, FSA, Term Life, and AD&D plans. Provides information regarding FSU/USM benefits to include Tuition Remission, Term Life, and Long-Term Disability plans. Provides instruction on the use of the SOM Workday system for new enrollment and life-event changes. Deliver empathetic, accurate guidance, resolving complex benefits cases. Develop and lead benefits communications—onboarding, new hire orientation, training, and newsletters. Supports on-site Open Enrollment Benefit Fairs in coordination with the SOM Employee Benefits Division. Coordinates with retirement vendors to provide seminars and webinars.
Leave Administration: Advise on leave eligibility and procedures. Maintain confidential records for leave eligibility, medical certifications, accommodations, and return-to-work plans.
Retirement Management: Serve as the retiree benefits contact, handle inquiries and discrepancies. Maintain retiree and beneficiary records, ensuring compliance with applicable regulations.
Workers’ Compensation/IWIF: Manage claims—from intake to return-to-work and accommodations. Collaborate with the Safety Officer to monitor risk and compliance.
Training & Development: Lead new hire orientations, Open Enrollment, and training sessions (FMLA, IWIF, injury reporting, onboarding/offboarding, SOM Workday, etc.). Create engaging training materials and assess effectiveness.
Offboarding: Clarify final benefits, retirement decisions, and payout details with departing employees. Coordinate systems access and asset recovery with IT and Payroll. Conduct exit interviews for process improvement.
Additional Duties: Support HR initiatives, projects, events, and serve on university and system-wide committees. Perform other duties as assigned.