Upstate Niagara Cooperative-posted 2 months ago
$70,000 - $90,000/Yr
Full-time
Lancaster, NY
Animal Production and Aquaculture

Join a team that nourishes life from farm to table! Upstate Niagara Cooperative, proudly owned by 200+ local family farms, is one of America's largest and most stable dairy cooperatives. Guided by farmer- and employee-led values, we process and market high-quality milk, yogurt, dips, sour cream, cottage cheese, and more under our trusted brands: Upstate Farms, Bison, Milk for Life, and Intense Milk. Here, you'll support sustainable farming, strong communities, and the mission to deliver fresh, local dairy to families every day. The Employee Wellbeing and Benefits Specialist promotes and oversees the coordination of daily operations of the organization's group benefit plans and wellness/wellbeing programs. This role ensures that employees receive excellent support and education on benefits, retirement, and wellbeing offerings. Reporting to the Director of Total Rewards, this role manages vendor relationships, supports benefits and retirement administration and compliance, and provides analytical support to leadership. Additionally, this role develops and coordinates wellness and wellbeing initiatives and programming to promote healthy lifestyles among employees.

  • Administer a wide range of benefit programs including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, wellness, and other voluntary benefits across union and non-union populations.
  • Support benefits invoicing process by reviewing, reconciling, and processing monthly vendor invoices for accuracy and compliance across multiple plans; conducts regular and annual audits; collaborates with Finance to ensure timely payment and proper cost allocation.
  • Support 401(k) plan administration, including employee enrollments, contribution changes, loans, and distributions.
  • Manage COBRA administration and processing.
  • Serve as a resource for employees and HR team members regarding benefit inquiries, eligibility, and issue resolution.
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and union-specific benefit regulations (e.g., ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, ACA).
  • Interpret and apply collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) related to benefits.
  • Collaborate with labor relations and HR team members to ensure accurate administration of union-negotiated benefit and retirement plans.
  • Assist with the negotiation and implementation of benefit and retirement programs.
  • Support and assist employees in understanding group benefit and 401(k) retirement program offerings.
  • Coordinate and support new hire, life event and annual open enrollments, including employee communications, systems configuration and vendor collaboration.
  • Oversee and promote wellness and wellbeing program initiatives and onsite activities aimed at improving employee health and productivity.
  • Maintain knowledge of trends, developments, and best practices in benefits and 401(k) administration; provides recommendations for changes and improvements.
  • Maintain systems with accurate employee data.
  • Update and deliver reports and dashboards to support compliance, budgeting, and strategic planning.
  • Identify trends and recommend enhancements to improve program effectiveness and employee experience.
  • Bachelor's degree in business administration, Human Resources, or a related field.
  • Minimum 3 years of experience in complex employee benefits administration including health, dental, vision, life insurance, disability and medical reimbursement accounts.
  • Experience executing wellness initiatives and programming across union and nonunion populations.
  • 401(k) retirement plan administration and support.
  • UKG or similar HR platform experience required.
  • Strong attention to detail to maintaining accuracy in benefits administration and compliance.
  • Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret and communicate data.
  • Advanced Excel skills required.
  • Customer service oriented with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to work independently.
  • Adept at creating and delivering wellness-related programming across multiple channels.
  • Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS)
  • Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or SHRM-CP
  • Participation in group health and/or dental insurance
  • Retirement plan
  • Wellness program
  • Paid time away from work
  • Paid holidays
© 2024 Teal Labs, Inc
Privacy PolicyTerms of Service