Position Type :
Professionals and Supervisors / Generalist Benefits
Date Posted : 12 / 9 / 2024
Location : BENEFITS
Bargaining Unit : Exempt
Work Year : 12 months
Work Day : 8 hours per day
FTE : Full time, 1.0 FTE
Salary : $77,250 - $80,897, DOE
Job Summary
The Benefits Generalist supports the Anchorage School District's benefits and compensation programs through complex data analysis and monitoring and managing compliance with state and federal legislation such as FMLA, AFLA, ACA, and others. The Generalist responds quickly and accurately to requests and solves complex data problems, collaborating with the Budget, IT, Payroll, Labor Relations, and Talent Management Departments as needed. Generalists collaborate with Human Resources staff in the management and maintenance of employee records and information systems, including confidential information relevant to benefits, employment actions, and collective bargaining. Generalists are responsible for ensuring confidentiality and compliance with laws and procedures. The position has a retirement association with the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS).
Job Requirements
The following are required :
- A bachelor's degree. Equivalent experience, education, and training may be considered in lieu of the degree requirement.
- Possession of one of the following certifications within 12 months of date of hire : Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) certification, Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Professional Human Resources (PHR), or Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR) certification or equivalent, such as SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP.
- Three years of experience with creating technical documentation and providing systems support.
The following are preferred :
Thorough knowledge of ASD's benefit plans / provisions and prior experience with human resources information systems.Knowledge of Alaska statutes of the Teachers' and Public Employees' Retirement Systems (TRS and PERS).Experience with 403(B) and 457(B) retirement plans.Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word including high proficiency with spreadsheets and HRIS management tools.Experience working within a large organization with a unionized workforce, particularly in a public school district or public higher education setting.Prior project management experience.Essential Job Functions
Benefits & Compensation
Oversees Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliance and required reporting tools; serves as primary contact for ACA, collaborates with the Payroll and IT Departments as needed to produce accurate annual 1095C and 1094C filings; researches and responds to ACA marketplace appeals and IRS tax penalty notifications.Assists with implementation of new programs including acting as the primary Benefits Department contact with oversight on new systems (such as implementation of a new benefits platform) or when new functionality is required on existing applications.Assists with creation of training materials, internal / external benefit department communications, responding to inquiries from employees on applicable benefits, support department reporting needs.Recommends processes and procedures to ensure ACA compliance and mitigates organizational exposure to penalties, and is responsible for synthesizing complex information related to penalties and providing necessary updates to department leadership.Supports the annual open enrollment process, including testing file feeds for carriers and testing implementation of tier or premium changes in conjunction with IT and Payroll as neededProvides data during district bargaining for employee benefits or responding to union requests; obtains cost data for District and / or union proposals.Works with benefits carriers, vendors, and brokers to resolve systems related issues.Provides data to participate in geographic / industry compensation and benefits surveys; provides benefits and compensation reports as requested.Retirement
Serves as liaison between the Anchorage School District and the Division of Retirement and Benefits (DRB) local and Juneau offices and the record-keeper for ASD's voluntary retirement plans.Reconciles and prepares biweekly and monthly state reports and turnaround documents for the DRB, responds to DRB's requests for information regarding report questions and discrepancies, and distributes ASD contributions to appropriate funds.Prepares state TRS / PERS reports specifying status changes of employees during the year and calculates cost to obtain requirement credit while on leave, transmitting all new hires and terminations to DRB.Interprets federal and Alaska state statutes and regulation changes related to retirement issues and communicates changes to affected parties.Provides estimates of retirement benefits and survivor options for certificated and classified employees. Verifies and corrects salary and service credit for DRB upon request.Counsels employees and prospective retirees in the areas of occupational and non-occupational disability, military service credit, and other various retirement options available; assists in the completion of required forms.Develops and presents pre-retirement workshops and counsels new hires regarding retirement options including state retirement and 403b and 457b plans.Plans retirement events and required communication throughout the year such as National Retirement Security Week and TRS / PERS fall and spring on-site seminars and voluntary retirement plan presentations.Manages annual census audit and periodic DRB audits.Assists beneficiaries of deceased employees in the application and processing of defined benefit survivor options.Provides support as needed for the leave, benefits, and retirement functions through cross training ensuring continuity of workflow and exceptional employee experience.Responds to inquiries from employees, administrators, and the general public, interpreting state laws, Anchorage School Board policies, negotiated agreements, and benefits business practices.Exemplifies and ensures a department service culture of excellence in customer service and collaboration with Benefits internal and external customers.Collaborates with the senior director in review and monitoring of benefit business practices, including, but not limited to, department operations, onboarding practices, contract / law compliance, and records management, supporting with collaborative counsel in these areas to Benefits staff and customers.Collaborates with the senior director in the management, maintenance, and auditing of benefits data and required reports.Collaborates with the Labor Relations Department as assigned.Develops, prepares, generates, and analyzes ongoing and ad-hoc reports pertaining to benefits information.Adapts established procedures to practical situations, makes decisions, develops recommendations for system improvements, manages multiple tasks, organizes, plans, prioritizes and implements / completes assignments.Assists in development of departmental goals, objectives, and systems.Communicates effectively verbally and in writing with all levels of management, supervision, and other ASD personnel.Establishes and maintains productive working relationships with others, especially from a consultative perspective.Physical / Mental Demands
The physical demands of this job require frequent standing, walking, sitting, speaking and hearing. Specific visual abilities are also required. The employee is regularly required to reach with his / her hands and arms and occasionally lift items weighing less than 40 lbs. Additionally, the employee must be able to understand vague and implicit instructions, be able to readily recall facts and details, handle conflict and make effective decisions under pressure. The employee must have the ability to effectively manage the stress of working with students, parents, and other employees representing diverse cultures, personalities, and work styles in a dynamic work environment.
The Anchorage School District is committed to providing reasonable accommodations, according to applicable state and federal laws, to all individuals with a qualified physical or mental disability.
Work Environment
Work is performed in a professional environment with a wide variety of individuals having differing functions, personalities and abilities, including working with diverse groups of people in a variety of different settings.
While performing the duties of this job the employee may be regularly exposed to a video display. The employee may be exposed to outdoor weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
Additional Job Information
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job related duties as requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.
Anchorage School District (ASD) employees must possess the ability to read and write in English. This also includes the ability to communicate in English with school staff, co-workers, and the public; as well as have the ability to comprehend and carry out oral and written directions and understand and follow English instructions and written documents.
Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a satisfactory criminal background check. For certificated positions, this is in addition to the background check conducted through the certification process with the Alaska State Department of Education and Early Development (DEED).
This position may be required to work in ASD facilities on the military installations (JBER). Please visit the government REAL ID website for additional information.
The Anchorage School District is an equal employment opportunity employer.
Salary : $77,250 - $80,897
