Benefits Specialist, Retirement Programs

At Green Mountain Higher Education Consortium (GMHEC), we’re all about collaboration, innovation, and making an impact in higher education. Founded by Champlain College, Middlebury College, and Saint Michael’s College, our mission is to support our members by delivering high-quality services that lower costs and add strategic value.

We provide a meaningful benefits program to our employees including health, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement with a generous match, paid time off and a wellbeing program.  Join us in an environment that values learning, flexibility, and growth. 

Benefits Specialist, Retirement Programs

Position Summary

Our Benefits Specialist is responsible for the management and administration of twelve retirement plans for our member institutions.  This includes compliance, plan documentation, vendor management, eligibility, employee education and customer service, business process development and communication.  

As a part of the GMHEC Benefits Team this position is responsible for providing a high level of customer service to our member institutions. We are guided by our principles which recognize excellent service, continuous process improvement, and transparent communication.  We take pride in our unique culture which includes being innovative, flexible and focused on wellbeing. 

The position reports to the Benefits Shared Service Leader.  This is a hybrid role with the ability to work from home and the office in Shelburne, VT.

Our Benefits Specialist, Retirement Programs responsibilities include:

Plan Management & Administration

• Serves as the administrator for the twelve retirement programs including 401(a), 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) plans 
• Assists in the operation and maintenance of the benefits module in Oracle, our human resources system
• Maintains current and historical documentation and records 
• Ensures reconciliation of accounts and activities with systems of record including payroll, benefits and retirement vendors
• Perform regular audits of benefits data to ensure integrity and to confirm that programs are being administered according to plan guidelines.  Interact with retirement vendors, human resources, legal, finance, payroll and technical system support to ensure all benefit plans are set-up and functioning properly within human resources systems and vendor systems
• Works collaboratively with payroll and Oracle support shared services team members

Compliance

• Ensures compliance with ERISA, DOL, IRS, HIPAA, and other regulations as applicable
• Updates and maintains all required documents (SPD, plan documents, etc.)
• Manages and executes compliance projects such as nondiscrimination testing, audits, Form 5500 preparation, and summary annual report distribution in coordination with our member institutions
• Conducts regular contribution reconciliations, eligibility reviews, and hours-worked assessments,   Processes and communicates corrections and adjustments to ensure compliance with plan documents, ERISA and IRS regulations
• Responds to governmental and institutional audit requests
• Informs the colleges’ Human Resources and Finance teams and their  Retirement Plan Committees of statutory and regulatory changes that affect the plan management.  Makes recommendations for plan design and administrative changes in response to evolving compliance requirements.

Employee Support

• Provides direct benefits customer service support to employees (future, current and past) through our service center
• Answers questions from recruits, employees and former employees

Knowledge, Abilities & Education

Knowledge of:

• Retirement plan compliance and administration
• Payroll and benefits software
• General accounting principles
• Internal Revenue Service and other federal and state regulations related to reporting, taxation and compliance 
• Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Adobe Acrobat
• HR information systems such as Oracle (preferred) or Workday

Ability to:

• Organize and prioritize work, meet deadlines,  take initiative, resolve problems and manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously
• Recognize several likely causes of events, analyze relationships among several parts of a problem or situation and formulate a multi-step response if required
• Build strong, positive relationships with external and internal contacts in a remote/hybrid work environment
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Manage and analyze financial data accurately
• Maintain confidentiality and app