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:

– Principal Manager

Base Description:

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

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates awareness of broad issues and management trends. Applies exemplary management principles. Evaluates impact of policy and adjusts accordingly. Ensures appropriate skills are developed and maintained within team/unit. Realigns staff responsibilities to meet desired changes. Provides administrative and policy direction. Develops and articulates broad goals. Fosters collaboration between units. Engages in written and verbal communications that reach a university-wide and/or broad external audience. Develops and implements solutions to highly complex and often controversial problems.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees teams of other supervisors/managers
– Leads a business unit

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Plans, forecasts, develops, and/or approves budgets
– Typically has final signature authority for business unit

Problem Solving:

– Encounters highly varied and complex problems that may have a significant impact on multiple units and/or the University
– Regularly develops creative and/or novel approaches to resolve the most difficult problems
– Creates an environment that encourages imaginative solutions to problems

Independence of Action:

– Work results are not clearly defined and may be frequently changing
– Sets own goals and determines how to accomplish results with few or no guidelines to follow
– Oversees completed work of others and is accountable for unit results
– Delegates advanced tasks to others and provides guidance to team members

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– May represent the University externally
– Collaborates closely with team members and other leaders across the University
– Communicates a compelling vision that inspires and motivates others

• Comp Grade – 16
• Minimum – $123,200.00
• MidPoint – $157,100.00
• Maximum – $191,000.00