Department:

Human Resources

Normal Work Schedule:

8:00 am – 4:30 pm Monday-Friday, some evenings and weekends required

Anticipated Start Date:

April 1, 2025

Job Summary:

The Benefits Manager is responsible for the strategic development, administration, and communication of employee benefits programs, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations while enhancing employee well-being and satisfaction. This role oversees health and wellness benefits, retirement plans, tuition assistance, and other employee perks, working closely with HR leadership, vendors, and internal stakeholders to optimize offerings and control costs. Also this position will support the institution's accreditation standards compliance. The Benefits Manager serves as a key resource for faculty and staff, providing guidance on benefits enrollment, changes, and claims resolution. Additionally, they will lead annual open enrollment, analyze benefits data for continuous improvement, and contribute to the overall employee experience. This position requires strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills to ensure benefits programs align with institutional goals and employee needs.

Essential Functions:

• Oversee daily administration of employee benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement plans, and tuition assistance.
• Ensure benefits programs comply with federal and state laws (e.g., ACA, ERISA, HIPAA, FMLA). Update policies as needed.
• Maintain benefit and retirement records by ensuring the data integrity of University and State recordkeeping systems; initiating new-hire benefits; recording changes and enrollment expirations.
• Facilitate JSU Leaves program, works closely with payroll to ensure the accurate and timely recording and maintenance of all leaves, including FMLA, in accordance with established policies, regulations and laws.
• Oversee the administration of RSA retirement plans, ensuring employees are properly enrolled and understand their benefits.
• Manage the Employee Separation Processes by ensuring impacted employees are provided with necessary information; ensures the monitoring, tracking, and reporting of separation trends.
• Provide guidance to employees on RSA retirement options, eligibility requirements, service credit purchases, and benefit estimates as well as other benefits options, enrollment, and changes. Address employee inquiries and concerns.
• Ensure University compliance with provisions of Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Affordable Care Act. Prepares reports and applications required by law to be filed with federal and state agencies, such as Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, insurance commissioners, and other regulatory agencies.
• Plan and execute the annual Open Enrollment process and Health & Wellness Fair including communication, presentations, and assistance.
• Ensure accurate reporting and remittance of employer and employee contributions to RSA, maintaining compliance with state regulations.
• Serve as the primary liaison between the college/university and RSA, addressing plan updates, audits, and policy changes.
• Organize retirement planning workshops, seminars, and individual counseling sessions to help employees prepare for retirement.
• Assist in ensuring the institution maintains compliance with relevant HR regulations, practices, and accreditation standards. Responsibilities include but are not limited maintaining a working knowledge of related SACSCOC requirements, providing narratives for accreditation reports, timely follow-up on action items and report submissions and timely collection of evidence through document management.
• Deliver high-quality customer service by assisting faculty and staff with benefits-related inquiries in a professional, courteous, and timely manner. Foster a positive and supportive environment by actively listening, addressing concerns with empathy, and ensuring employees feel valued and informed about their benefits options. Maintain a solution-oriented approach to problem-solving while demonstrating patience, responsiveness, and a commitment to employee satisfaction.
• Oversee the University's Services Awards
• Facilitate New Employee Orientation and Lead benefits presentations for new employees as part of the onboarding process, providing clear and comprehensive information about health insurance, retirement plans, tuition assistance, and other benefits. Ensure new hires understand enrollment deadlines, eligibility requirements, and available resources. Answer questions, provide guidance on benefits selections, and support a smooth transition into the institution’s benefits programs.
• Other duties as assigned

Required Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum of four (4) years of related experience, two (2) of which must be in an HR field
• Valid Alabama state driver’s license.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in in Personnel, Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Industrial Psychology or closely related field
• PHR or SHRM certified

Employee Benefits:

JSU strives to provide great quality of life to our employees through an attractive, competitive benefits package for our full-time faculty and staff. These benefits enhance your salary as a JSU employee and are part of your total compensation package.  Benefits include:

• Retirement Plans
  • Alabama Teacher’s Retirement System (TRS)
  • RSA-1 Deferred Compensation
  • 403-B Retirement Annuity (TIAA)
• Health Insurance
  • Medical (PEEHIP)
  • Optional plans:  vision, dental, flexible spending plan, dependent care, cancer and hospital indemnity
• Long-term disability and life insurance
• Tuition assistance
• Paid and unpaid leave
• Employee Assistance Program
• Prescription assistance

For additional information regarding benefits, please visit our website.

Clery Notice: In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act,  https://clerycenter.org/policy-resources/the-clery-act/ the Jacksonville State University Police provide information on crimes statistics, crime prevention, law enforcement, crime reporting, and other related issues for the past three calendar years. The JSU Annual Campus Security and Fire Report is available online at: http://jsu.edu/police/docs/CleryAnnualReport.pdf

Equal Employment Opportunity: JSU is an Equal Employment, Equal Opportunity, and Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, genetic information, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.