Location: Fair Lawn,NJ, USA
Location: Corporate Headquarters - Fair Lawn New Jersey
Description: The Benefits Specialist will be responsible for administration and support of all employee benefits programs for the Bank and its Subsidiaries, including, but not limited to, Welfare Plans, Flexible Spending Accounts, Retirement Plans, Life Insurance, as well as the following leave programs: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Family Leave Insurance (FLI), Long Term Disability and Short-Term Disability. The Benefits Specialist will also be responsible for new hire benefits onboarding, including onboarding presentations and benefits enrollment.
Job Responsibilities:
Daily Benefits Administration
* Maintains employee benefits files within the Benefits Management System, to provide vendors with accurate eligibility information.
* Maintains Student Loan Program (SLP) online platform, monthly billing and new enrollments.
* Administers Employee loan processes including responding to employee loan requests, obtaining approvals, and distributing information to the appropriate parties.
* Advises and responds to benefits inquiries from managers and employees on plan provisions, benefits enrollments, status changes and other general inquiries.
* Reviews Tuition Reimbursement and Good Grades requests within Nautilus workflow and submits quarterly reimbursements to payroll for processing.
* Coordinates with Payroll any changes to employee and retiree records as related to benefits and leave programs and ensures employee contribution data is shared between payroll and the plan administrator.
* Reviews and processes vendor billing.
* Resolves any coverage matters that may arise.
Benefits Enrollment/Onboarding
* Facilitates annual open enrollment (OE) of Health, Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Savings Account (FSA) Plans by coordinating with benefits' brokers to present negotiated increases to premiums. Coordinates and prepares any changes to OE materials for distribution to staff.
* Ensures the accuracy of all benefit enrollments and changes, performs updates to employee records in the Human Resources Information System (HRIS) to create appropriate payroll deductions.
* Leads onboarding of all new hires as it pertains to the Bank and its subsidiaries' benefits programs including but not limited to enrollments, communication and presentations.
Benefits Reporting
* Supports the preparation of the annual Total Rewards statement, including but not limited to, data collection, audit, and communications.
* Tracks and facilitates payment of all healthcare premiums and voluntary benefit deductions for leaves of absences.
* Maintains Leave of Absence status report and Nautilus Workflow to IT.
* Prepares reports to demonstrate impact on overall expense for all benefits plans and coverage levels, including retiree group.
* Prepare Quarterly and Year End census data reports of all employee and retiree benefit programs.
* Updates and reports employee status to Learning and Development for ongoing compliance education.
* Ensures the accuracy of all reports and deliverables.
Benefits Programs Support
* Supports the administration of the Bank and its subsidiaries' 401(K) Plan, Non-Qualified (SIM), and Stock Based Deferral Plan which includes: enrollment, changes, loans and withdrawals.
* Counsels employees regarding all available leaves under Columbia's policies and Federal and State Laws, and supports the processing of requests for approval.
* Assists in processing all worker's compensation claims, maintaining accident records, notifying carrier, and counseling employees.
* Supports the administration and other functions of Columbia Bank's Retirement Program.
* Supports audits related to the Benefits function including communicating with auditors and providing necessary documentation.
* Coordinates with Retirement Plan Provider to provide educational information and financial wellness webinars for staff members.
* Collaborates with cross-functional teams to support the delivery of a successful Wellness program.
Other Responsibilities
* Performs other job-related duties as may be assigned.
Job Requirements:
* Bachelor's Degree in Business, Human Resources Management, or related field.
* Minimum 3-5 years of experience in benefits, human resources, or related area.
* Benefits administration knowledge.
* Excellent communication skills.
* Research and analytical skills.
* Organization skills with attention to detail.
* Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
* Flexibility to respond to business needs.
* Project management skills.
* Ability to meet deadlines.
Columbia Bank and its affiliates is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Affirmative Action Employer/Males/Females/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This role is hybrid and based on the department needs is eligible for 3 days in the office and 2 days work from home.