Penn State Job Catalog

Additional levels that exist for this job profile can be seen below.

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Employee Benefits

The Benefits Manager leads and manages the university’s employee benefits programs; is responsible for the development, implementation, and oversight of comprehensive, cost-effective benefits strategies and offerings that align with the university’s goals; promotes employee well-being; ensures compliance with all relevant laws and regulations; develops and maintains policies and procedures.

• Lead the development, implementation, and operationalizing of the university’s benefits strategies, major projects, and initiatives
• Oversee the full scope of employee benefits programs, including health, dental, vision, life, disability insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits offered
• Continuously evaluate the effectiveness, cost-efficiency, and competitiveness of existing benefits offerings
• Ensure the organization’s benefits programs comply with all relevant federal, state, and local regulations (such as ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, etc.); stay current with changing laws and regulations to mitigate legal risks
• Manage relationships with third-party vendors, insurance carriers, and benefits brokers; ensure timely and accurate delivery of services; assess vendor performance
• Participate in collective bargaining negotiations with respect to benefits and serve as main contact for union leadership for benefits-related issues and concerns
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders including Finance, HR, and Legal to ensure benefits programs meet organizational and employee needs
• Review and approve all invoices specific to benefits that require payment
• Collaborate in the design and implementation of effective communication strategies to ensure employees understand their benefits options
• Lead open enrollment campaigns, prepare informational materials, and host employee education sessions to foster engagement and informed decision-making
• Oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of benefits data, providing insights into utilization trends, employee satisfaction, and program costs; use data to make informed recommendations for continuous improvement
• Conduct regular benchmarking of benefits offerings against industry standards; ensure that the organization’s benefits packages remain competitive in attracting and retaining top talent
• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of benefits professionals; set goals, provide guidance, and evaluate performance to ensure the team is equipped to meet the university’s benefits objectives

Level:

– Manager

Base Description:

– Manages direct reports where primary duty is the management of a working unit.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates proficient ability in work design, project management, financial planning and development of goals for accomplishing unit assignments. Reviews and guides work to ensure conformity to policy and effective approaches. Evaluates employee performance and recommend development opportunities. Demonstrates ability to coach employees. Presents and communicates key university indicatives and connects it to unit contributions. Provides broad guidelines. Develops, evaluates, enhances, and/or implements quality improvement practices. Recommends innovative solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees a team (typically 4 or more; no fewer than 2) full
– time direct reports of individual contributors and/or first level supervisors.

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Monitors and tracks department/area budget
– May plan, forecast, and/or assist in developing budgets
– May have final signature authority for specific area

Problem Solving:

– Encounters varied and complex problems
– Helps to develop creative and/or novel approaches to resolve problems that are difficult in nature but within limited scope
– Modifies, adapts, or refines guidelines if necessary to resolve issues or problems

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on complex or strategic assignments
– Uses existing practices and advanced working knowledge to determine appropriate work methods for the team
– Reviews completed work of others for conformity to policy, and effectiveness of approach
– Delegates advanced tasks to others

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and various areas across the University
– Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and delivers to a broad variety of audiences
– Communicates key university initiatives and how unit’s work contributes to their achievement
– Presents ideas, concepts and instructions in a clear manner, and uses persuasion and negotiation to build consensus and cooperation
– Establishes and maintains networks to facilitate successful communication among units

• Comp Grade – 13
• Minimum – $86,300.00
• MidPoint – $107,900.00
• Maximum – $129,500.00