Benefits Administrator

Overview

POSITION TITLE (Oracle title)

ADMINISTRATOR

WORKING TITLE

Benefits Administrator

SCHOOL/DEPARTMENT

Compensation Services

LOCATION

Crossroads III, Cary, NC

PAY GRADE

Administrator Band 4

FLSA STATUS

Exempt

ELIGIBILITY FOR EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT

No

WORK WEEK SCHEDULE

Monday-Friday (occasional evenings and weekends) Position is eligible for hybrid telework workweek

POSITION PURPOSE:

Leads and oversees the Benefits Specialist team, ensuring the precise and timely administration of employee payroll deductions and employer contributions in alignment with federal, state, North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI), and Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) Board of Education regulations. Partners strategically with Human Resources to manage employee eligibility and enrollment processes, ensuring full compliance with the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Coordinates the seamless integration of employee benefits changes across HR, Technology Services, and external health vendors, ensuring consistency and accuracy throughout the monthly operational cycles.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES (KSAs)

• Extensive knowledge of various employee benefits programs (health, retirement, life insurance, etc.), including their structure, eligibility criteria, and administration;
• Comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations governing employee benefits, such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), ERISA, COBRA, and HIPAA;
• Comprehensive knowledge of with HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems), payroll software, and benefits management platforms; Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint);
• Considerable knowledge of payroll processes, particularly how benefits impact employee compensation, deductions, and tax implications;
• Knowledge of general HR policies and procedures, especially related to benefits eligibility, enrollment, communication, awareness of privacy laws and regulations regarding employee benefits data, such as HIPAA and other confidentiality standards;
• Strong organizational and project management skills to manage the coordination of multiple benefits programs and collaborate with various stakeholders;
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills;
• Ability to analyze and interpret complex benefits data, ensuring accuracy in payroll deductions, vendor invoicing, and regulatory compliance;
• Ability to identify issues in benefits administration, resolve discrepancies, and work cross-functionally to implement solutions;
• Ability to supervise and guide a team, fostering a collaborative and high-performance environment;
• Ability to focus on ensuring accuracy in benefits data, payroll deductions, and compliance-related documentation;
• Ability to make informed, confident decisions on complex issues related to benefits administration, often under time constraints;
• Ability to navigate changing regulations, organizational needs, and technology solutions;
• Ability to develop short and long-term initiatives;
• Ability to work independently and complete tasks in the absence of clear direction;
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both in oral and written form using a variety of communication techniques and tools to ensure the appropriate flow of information, collaborative efforts, and feedback;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with school officials, administrators, teachers, support staff, vendors, and federal and state contacts.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business Admin, Finance or Accounting; OR
• Five years of relevant supervisory experience;
• Other combinations of applicable education, training, and experience which provide the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform effectively in the position may be considered.

CERTIFICATION AND LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

• Must hold and maintain a valid motor vehicle operator's license according to the State of NC requirements.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), Certified Benefits Professional (CBP), Life and Health Insurance; License and/or other health benefits-related certifications;
• Experience working with Oracle-based accounting or payroll and benefits systems;
• Extensive knowledge of WCPSS or other state agency benefit offerings.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Directly supervises and supports the work of the Benefits Specialist position; serves as first point of contact for employee and/or vendor inquiries requiring escalation from the Benefits Specialist.
2. Leads the review and coordination of monthly payroll processing for benefits, ensuring accuracy across multiple payroll runs for over 20,000 employees.
3. Represents the benefits team during new employee orientation, assisting HR in addressing benefit-related questions and facilitating cross-departmental training, as necessary.
4. Partners with HR to analyze and manage ACA eligibility, ensuring accurate enrollment and record-keeping for eligible employees.
5. Oversees the maintenance and updating of benefit documentation, files, and forms within the departmental network directory; identifies the need for documentation of any new processes or procedures.
6. Reviews output reports from weekly inbound EDI deduction files to ensure all benefit changes are captured accurately; works directly with vendors and internal stakeholders to resolve errors/exceptions and identify root cause.
7. Ensures the accurate and timely processing of terminating/retiring employee requests to defer final payout amounts to their supplemental retirement account(s); calculates and provides employees with maximum amounts available for deferral.
8. Coordinates with inter-departmental teams to identify and determine impacts to benefits for hourly employees with no hours worked within a given processing period.
9. Collaborates with the Payroll Processing and Reporting teams in the accurate and timely collection or refund of benefit premiums based on the issuance of bank fund requests, AP checks, Payroll Action Forms and Benefit Action Forms.
10. Ensures the accurate and timely completion of all Benefit Team activities on payroll check day, including ensuring completion of multiple payroll runs by reviewing payroll error reports, and verifying that all audits have been processed accurately; works closely with Payroll Processing Team to identify and address any processing errors/fallouts.
11. Maintains records of employees entering a Leave of Absence, Worker's Compensation or Disability employment status and determines benefit impacts; serves as liaison between Benefits, Human Resources, School Administration and employee to assist with the overall understanding of benefit impacts while in a designated LOA status, including the auditing and collection of payroll deductions for benefits, auditing for direct billing of benefits, establishing direct bill/continuation of coverage with benefit carriers and sending related correspondence.
12. Coordinates benefit changes with HR, Technology Services, and external health vendors during multiple payroll runs, ensuring smooth integration and accuracy.
13. Collaborates with the Senior Administrator for Benefits to develop and refine well-defined procedures for benefit processing, analyzing issues and proposing process enhancements.
14. Manages inquiries received via the Benefits Team shared inbox; resolves employee benefit inquiries or escalates to appropriate contacts based on established standards and response times, documenting corrective actions taken for transparency and follow-up.
15. Assists in the strategic planning and coordination of the annual enrollment process, ensuring smooth execution.
16. Performs additional duties, as assigned, leveraging analytical skills to enhance operational effectiveness and support team objectives.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

This job operates in a professional office and school environment and has a noise level of mostly low to moderate. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, scanners, and copiers. The position, at times, must be able to come into direct contact with school system staff students, parents, external agencies, vendors, and the community. Work is considered light physical work, requiring the exertion of up to ten pounds of force. The work frequently requires driving automotive equipment.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 5/2025

DISCLAIMER: The above statements are intended to describe the general purpose and responsibilities assigned to this position. They are not intended to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required by the employees assigned to this position. This description may be revised by HR and approved at any time.