Scheduled Hours

40

Position Summary

This role will provide leadership for WashU HR Benefits function by managing the benefits service center in support of active, inactive, terminated and retired faculty, staff and trainees, and candidates/pre-hires; leading benefits projects; serving as technical writer and subject matter expert on benefits content, documentation and training.

This people-leader position provides a blend of strategic planning and hands-on expertise, oversight and coaching to the team that is responsible for inquiries regarding WashU’s HR processes and programs including health and welfare, wellness, tuition, retirement, leaves of absence, time off, and other HR policies.

This role will ensure that the Benefits People Service Team provides scalable, high-quality support that enhances the employee experience; issues are directed to the appropriate channel such as internal centers of excellence, website, Workday system, vendors etc. and are resolved timely.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Performs the following activities with regards to servicing the university’s plans and policies:

• Manages day-to-day operations of the Benefits People Service Team resulting in a high-level of support and superior customer service, which includes process improvements, workflow efficiency, monitoring of transactional processing for compliance and accuracy, handling projects, and escalated customer concerns.

• Acts as a point of contact to resolve escalated or complex cases and communicate benefits to employees and managers on behalf HR.

• Leads and motivates the team through performance coaching, team building, training and employee development to provide accurate and timely customer service for complex transactions, escalated issues, and customer requests. 

• Develops work procedures, assigns duties, oversees work schedules, establishes performance metrics and monitors function and team performance, to ensure team member effectiveness.

• Ensures processes are documented. Drives continuous improvement to promote team efficiency.

• Manages internal partnerships and vendor relationships, as needed.

• Participates on project teams to provide subject matter expertise.

• Responsible for maintaining compliance such as data privacy and HIPAA, data accuracy and security.

Manages set up and/or access to tools used by the Benefits People Service Team for success including Workday, ServiceNow CRM, and the softphone application, and other applications as needed.

Defines metrics and service level agreements with business partners. Ensures team meets service level agreements.

• Consults with HR Centers of Excellence on issues, metrics, trends and opportunities.

• Manages technologies and tools that improves the employee experience, and helps the service center representatives, as well as adapts to business changes and improves operating efficiencies.

• Creates dashboards, queries and reports, with the ability to manipulate data from multiple sources to track individual and team performance and provide meaningful metrics. 

• Manages operational issues and corrections.

• Responsible for continuous improvement and will assist with the identification and implementation of solutions such as tools, programs, processes and metrics.

Assists with complex benefits projects and program implementations in coordination with HR and vendor partners.

• Provides critical analysis, guidance, and expertise on key HR, health and retirement benefit initiatives and projects including Health and Welfare annual enrollment setup and process.

• Develops functional specifications, project planning materials, advises project teams and helps to execute implementation strategies for enhancements, plan changes and other HR/benefits-or vendor related changes.

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Serves as subject matter expert on technical benefits writing, messaging, documentation and educational/training materials. 

• Manages annual (ongoing, such as Open Enrollment and new hire orientation) communications and special project (one-time) communications, training and other materials.

• For benefits projects, developing communications plans, creating content, soliciting input and signoff on communications.  Coordinates with key bus