BENEFITS SPECIALIST

Number of Vacancies: 1

Recruitment #240129-050965-001

Department	Human Resources
Open Date	1/31/2024 1:00:00 PM
Filing Deadline	2/14/2024 11:59:00 PM
Salary	$34.18 – $51.26/hour; $5,924.53 – $8,885.07/month; $71,094.40 – $106,620.80/year
Employment Type	Full-Time
Type of Recruitment	Open

NATURE OF WORK

The employee in this class performs tasks of more than average difficulty relating to City benefit programs including but not limited to health, dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary benefits. The employee will have a role in developing and administering City wellness initiatives. Requires strong written communication skills and excellent interpersonal skills, as considerable interaction with city personnel and outside professionals is required. The employee must be able to apply and explain appropriate laws, rules, regulations, and procedures. Duties require the exercise of considerable initiative and independent judgment in ensuring that tasks are completed with a high degree of accuracy and on a time basis. Work is reviewed through conferences, reports submitted, and results achieved.   

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Under the direction of managers and supervisors, this position participates in the planning, development, coordination, and presentation of the annual benefit enrollment. 

The position will support the oversight and operation of benefit plans by performing activities such as review of benefit plan documents and collateral material, review of invoices, initiation of service requests to benefit plan contractors, participation in benefit and wellness team meetings, and in meetings with the staff of benefit plan contractors.

Advises and consults with employees, retirees and covered family members regarding benefit plan provisions and eligibility, referring requests to the supervisor or manager as appropriate.

Coordinates retiree health premium deductions with pension offices and with direct billing vendor.

Serves in a primary role providing professional support for the retiree health, dental and vision programs.

Works closely with wellness program initiatives to assure content is aligned with City benefit plans and vendor resources.

Coordinates the long-term disability claim filing process including interaction with the disability carrier and if necessary, City worker compensation staff and third-party administrator to facilitate early intervention to control costs.

Reviews LTD claim reports and employee lost time reports to identify trends in LTD claims for purposes of controlling costs related to such claims.

Participation in producing Benefits communication material such of benefits booklets, brochures, flyers, and other related print material.

Responsible for benefit and wellness invoice review and processing for payment.

Utilize various HRIS and Benefit and Wellness programs for City programs.

Stay current on changing Federal and State regulations and legislation that may affect employee benefits.

Manages benefit eligibility for employees on an approved leave of absence including receiving/monitoring premium payments, communicating with employees, terminating coverage and reinstating coverage as necessary.

Assists employees and family members with processing death claims for life insurance benefits serving as a liaison with the provider to provide necessary documents.

Performs related work as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Knowledge of: Group health, Medicare Advantage, dental, vision, life and disability insurance plans, coverage features and provisions; Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Outlook, and/or other tools; computer systems; ability to apply knowledge of Federal laws, State statutes including COBRA and HIPAA, and regulations pertinent to municipal personnel/payroll processing.  

Ability to: Work independently and complete activities assigned; maintain accurate records, collect, research, and analyze data and draw sound conclusions; formulate and present recommendations and implementation methods; effectively communicate and maintain working relationships with supervisors and managers, peers, and other employees; counsel employees; speak effectively in team or vendor meetings or as part of enrollment meetings.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Graduation from an accredited college or university with an bachelor’s degree in human resources, public or business administration or a related field and a minimum of three (3) years of experience in a professional role supporting the delivery of benefit and wellness programs with emphasis on analyzing results and reporting to management. 

An equivalent combination of education (not less than possession of a high school diploma/GED), training and experience that would reasonably be expected to provide the job-related competencies noted above. 

A Working knowledge of Oracle Advanced Benefits or a comparable system is preferred.

LICENSES OR CERTIFICATIONS

Possession of a valid driver’s license is required.

Preference will be given to individuals with professional designations such as Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), or other benefit specific education or certification.

EXAMINATION

Evaluation of education and experience. Drug testing is included in all pre-employment processing.

COMMENTS

Employees may be required to work rotating shifts, including nights, weekends, holidays and overtime as needed. During periods when the Mayor issues an emergency declaration for the City of Tampa, all employees may be required to work in preparation, response or recovery activities related to the stated emergency.

CONCLUSION

HELPFUL HINTS FOR COMPLETING YOUR APPLICATION: Please register before you begin the application process. This will enable you to view and re-use information from previously submitted applications to complete and submit any future applications. Please make certain your application is complete and the information you provide clearly demonstrates that you possess the minimum job qualifications as stated in the job announcement. Resumes can be submitted in support of an application, but not in lieu of an application. Resumes and copies of certifications or other required documents may be attached to your online application.

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