Manager Benefits & Leaves IQR

JOB SUMMARY:
Responsible for administration and communication of US IQR employee health & welfare plans, 401k plan, worker's compensation, leave of absence policies and procedures, while managing Benefits & Leaves Specialist. May also provide support to external administration vendor and assist retirees with pension, health care and life insurance benefit issues. Assures compliance with all applicable state and federal regulations. Responsibilities include explaining benefits and assisting in the business development and planning processes with service providers. Compiles, analyzes, and reports data including employee, plan financials for strategic benefits planning and evaluation. Serves as an employee contact and advocate for the resolution of benefit questions and issues and provides guidance to the HRIS representatives for plan setup and responsible for completing benefit actions in Workday. Serves as a liaison with service providers in business planning and benefit program interpretation. Compliance and technical interpretive discussions with benefit counsel and enrolled actuary or consultants.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
(Responsibilities that are central to the job and MUST be performed either unaided, or with the assistance of a reasonable accommodation, ref. ADA.)

• Manage all aspects of employee benefits programs including health, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement plans, as well as leaves and workers compensation programs. Responsible for the day-to-day benefit program administration: communication, enrollment (New Hire and annual Open Enrollment), processing of benefit change activities, and partnering with internal/external business partners to troubleshoot and resolve issues, both system and process related. .
• Develop and implement strategies to improve employee engagement and satisfaction with benefits programs.
• Ensure compliance with all federal and state laws and regulations related to employee benefits and leaves.
• Manage the administration of all leaves of absence including FMLA, ADA, state leave programs and workers' compensation.
• Provide guidance and support to managers and employees regarding leave requests and accommodations.
• Develop and implement policies and procedures related to employee benefits and leaves.
• Manage vendor relationships and negotiate contracts related to employee benefits programs.
• Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of employee benefits and leave programs and make recommendations for improvements.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting and record-keeping related to employee benefits and leave programs.
• Responsible for the administration of worker's compensation policies. Processes and maintains all worker's compensation claims and regularly follows-up on active claims. Ensures compliance with OSHA by maintaining the proper documentation, submitting the necessary documentation to the carriers for processing, and posting the annual OSHA log at each facility.
• Responsible for the Leave of Absence policies, STD/FMLA and LTD policies and practices within federal and state regulations and coordinates with Cigna and Payroll.
• Manage the Benefit meetings and vendor relationships for all benefits including health & welfare, wellness, 401k, Pension and leaves, WC, and the annual benefit open enrollment process.
• Responsible for reconciling monthly billing statements for timely payment and accurate enrollments.
• Monitors eligibility, limitations, and restrictions of plan participations and ensures compliance with both plan provisions and government requirements.
• Provides guidance and counsel to employees, HRIS representatives, and managers on the requirements and provisions of benefit programs and assist with the resolution of potential problems.
• Coordinates the design and communication of annual benefit enrollment materials.
• Develops, conducts, and participates in a variety of presentations to inform and educate management and employees about changes to benefit plans, administrative practices and legislated requirements and programs.
• Responsible for data necessary to complete government compliance activities (5500s, audits, 40l(k) NDT etc.), employee mailings, vendor billings, coordinating data collection and updating numerous reports for management. Assures processes and procedures are in place to capture and maintain consistent and accurate benefit related data. Assists with employee data auditing and reporting.
• Ensures that company procedures and policies are communicated and federal and state required postings are kept up to date.
• Oversees/directs the administration of COBRA compliance.
• Responsible for the handling of all benefit related tasks in Workday (create, complete, process benefit transactions, manage Evidence of Insurability (EOI), collaborates with the HRIS team to review error reports and resolve errors, ensures accurate processing and status in Workday Leave Absence Management System, support annual benefit open enrollment, ACA reporting compliance, and provides assistance to the HRIS team during Workday updates as a functional user for benefits to ensure that the business processes are functioning correctly.
• Compiles, analyzes and reports benefit data including employee, benefit plan and financial for Benefit's strategic planning and evaluation, best practices, and benchmark surveys.
• Responsible for Pension benefit requests and communication to actuaries.
• Primary contact for all retiree claims (Pension and Retiree Medical eligible employees) and questions.
• Responsible for the handling of life insurance/disability claims
• Provide recommendations for new plan offerings and design changes.
• Direct contact for all benefit related questions.
• Oversight of benefit audits and testing.
• Continually researches methods to continue to automate and streamline benefit processes resulting in a more efficient manner to access all benefit information.
• Manages the employee education reimbursement program.
• Conducts the benefit portion of the new hire orientation.
• Responsible for coordinating wellness events and encouraging participation.
• Prepares special reports as needed.

REQUIREMENTS:
(Bona Fide Occupational Requirements, such as education, certification, and/ or skills that are necessary to do the job.)

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, or related field.
• Minimum of 7+ years' experience in a benefits leadership position.
• Maintains current knowledge and understanding of regulations, industry trends, current practices, new developments, and applicable laws regarding human resources.
• Workday experience on benefit module and understanding of integrations is required.
• Establishes credibility throughout the organization with management and employees (including interfacing with global colleague) by being an effective listener and problem solver including interfacing with global colleagues.
• Introduces and encourages "best practices" to Company where appropriate.
• Demonstrated effective leadership skills including sound judgment and strong influencing skills.
• MS Office including advance skills with Excel and Word and intermediate skills with PowerPoint and Access.
• Excellent communication and decision-making skills.
• Ability to maintain the highest confidentiality and work independently and as a team player.
• Ability to prioritize and provide feedback and observations as it relates to departmental performance.
• Ability to research information on various subject types and provide concise reports.
• Must have strong quantitative, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to multitask, prioritize and work effectively during periods of high pressure.
• Self-starter that's able to perform in a fast-paced change environment.

• Proficient knowledge of state and federal employee benefits, leave laws (HIPPA, COBRA, STD/FMLA/LTD, ADA, W/C, OSHA, ERISA) as well as tax rules for FSA and HSA plans
• Project management experience preferred
• Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) certification preferred
• SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) or SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credential preferred

The annual pay range for this position is $120,000 - $150,000
The pay offered for this role may be influenced by factors such as job location, scope of role, qualifications, education, experience, & complexity/specialization/scarcity of talent.
This position is also eligible for a performance bonus or sales commissions. ZEISS also offers robust benefits, including medical plans, retirement savings plan and paid time off.
Your ZEISS Recruiting Team:
Debra Ann Rybolt