Benefits Consultant - Contracting & Compliance

SUMMARY
Oversees the compliance and contracting processes for the University’s health and retirement programs. Provides compliance oversight and education with respect to benefit plan documents, federal, state, and local retirement and health and welfare benefits law. Performs retirement and health and welfare compliance reviews for the University’s plans, helps address a variety of ad hoc compliance questions, stays current with new legislation and leads implementation of new regulatory requirements. Leads the vendor contracting process for Total Rewards, and oversees the benefit plan audit process.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Works with internal partners to complete vendor contracting process. Coordinates with the Office of General Counsel (OGC) to ensure contracts meet the University’s legal requirements.
  
• Provides vendor management of audit vendor. Develops benefits audit schedule and communicates it to staff.
• Works with the external benefit audit vendor to conduct vendor audits. Coordinates with University vendor manager to schedule audit and review findings.
  
• Works with internal and external legal counsel to update plan documents as needed. Coordinates with vendor manager.
  
• Provides vendor management of COBRA vendor. Works with COBRA vendor to define working relationship, makes sure appropriate systems are established, guarantees the University’s objectives are met, and ensures that monitoring and reporting processes are in place.
  
• Conducts annual compliance processes such as non-discrimination testing.
  
• Leads the records retention process for the Total Rewards team. Ensures retention schedule is followed.
  
• Establishes a schedule for compliance reviews and conducts the compliance reviews.
  
• Helps review and respond to ad hoc requests for compliance assistance as needed.
  
• Maintains a working knowledge of federal benefits in support of Extension employees and Benefits Administration.
  
• Ensures compliance with company policies and controls, and with the laws, regulations and rules issued or enforced by state and Federal regulatory authorities on the subject of program administration, reporting, disclosure and filing requirements.
  
• Oversees the preparation and submission of required filings; assists with the preparation, review and distribution of plan notices.
  
• Ensures program policies, procedures, and provisions are documented, effective and followed. Recommend changes to reduce incidence of error.
  
• Ensures consistent application of provisions and compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Escalates issues to management team as needed to assure prompt and accurate resolution. Identifies root cause of issues and leads issue resolution efforts.
  
• Performs additional responsibilities or special projects as assigned.
  
  

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources or a related
  
• Six or more years of professional benefits experience administering the compliance of health and welfare and retirement plans.
  
• Proven ability to apply principles of logical thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
  
• Proficient in reading, analyzing and interpreting insurance policies, plan documents, state statutes and federal regulations. Ability to summarize these types of documents into easily understood documents.
  
• Demonstrated ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers and employees, and on a one-on-one basis.
  
• Ability to lead the total rewards vendor contracting process while partnering with the vendor manager, purchasing and office of general counsel.
  
• Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical materials such as state statutes, federal regulations, insurance policies, etc..
  
• Ability to learn and understand the fundamentals of employer-provided group health, retirement plans and fringe benefit programs.
  
• Effective time management skills including the ability to prioritize and organize workload.
  
• Ability to work effectively on a team and independently under general supervision.
  
• Strong relationship builder and partner
  
• Must be proficient using the Microsoft Windows platform and the following standard software programs: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
  
  

Apply Here: https://hr.myu.umn.edu/jobs/ext/361545