Benefits Specialist

Lactalis USA is currently seeking candidates to join our HR Team, located in Buffalo, NY.

Lactalis, the world leader in dairy, is a family-owned business with more than 85,000 pragmatic and ambitious professionals worldwide, committed to nurturing the future by providing healthy and delicious dairy products that bring people together every day. We offer an enviable range of dairy brands including Galbani, President, Kraft Natural Cheese, Cracker Barrel, Black Diamond, Parmalat, Siggi's, and Stonyfield Organic in addition to several brands imported from our affiliates in Europe.

At Lactalis, our core values of AMBITION, ENGAGEMENT, and SIMPLICITY are at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to building a safe, diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace and we know that our candidates come from many different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we still encourage you to apply and share with us your STORY, your PASSION, and your EXPERTISE! You may be just the perfect candidate for this or other roles within our company.

From your PASSION to ours

As a Benefits Specialist, the role will carry out responsibilities such as but not limited to assisting in the administration of assigned employee benefit programs within Lactalis USA. The role includes maintaining benefit-related records, processing benefit plan billings and responding to employee inquiries. Additionally, the Benefits Specialist will collaborate with members of the US HR Shared Service teams including the Benefits Team to align duties with the company's goals and values.

From your EXPERTISE to ours

Key responsibilities for this position include:

* Assist with the administration of all benefits, leave of absence and retirement programs.

* Assist in preparing materials and in presenting benefit plan information to employees during open enrollment and upon request.

* Process and maintain health & welfare and 401(k) plan transactions as needed.

* Perform weekly audits for retirement plans and audits for health and welfare plans as necessary.

* Perform quality checks of benefits-related data.

* Ensure compliance with all federal programs such as HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, and PWFA.

* Update and maintain benefit, leave of absence, and 401(k) related procedures as necessary.

* Answer questions regarding benefit eligibility, amounts of coverage, benefits enrollment, and claims procedures for employees, and vendors.

* Provide timely response to all employee inquiries and concerns to ensure quick, equitable, and courteous resolution.

* Maintain vendor contact to investigate discrepancies and provide information in non-routine situations.

* Coordinate wellness initiatives, including on-site activities, virtual wellness fairs, and flu shot clinics.

* Assist in various research requests, including timely responses to audit inquiries; may assist in developing and preparing reports, letters, and spreadsheets.

* Assist with preparation of various governmental reports and filings.

* Develop and coordinate communications to employees pertaining to benefit changes or maintenance of benefits resulting from Leaves of Absence, including tracking and recouping missed premiums.

* Serve as administrative fiduciary of USA 401(k) plan(s), including but not limited to communication planning, distributions, corrections, adjustments, and audits.

* Communicate timely with HR teams and leave of absence administrator regarding employees leave of absence. Communication will include but not limited to the status of the leave of absence paperwork, specific leave questions, benefit premium payments, and return to work.

* Receive and respond to leave of absence intakes timely.

* Support specific functions aligning with leave administration, supporting assigned vendor relationships, participating in strategic and innovative sessions for process improvement, and other project-based work as needed.

From your STORY to ours

Qualified applicants will contribute the following:

Education

• Bachelor's degree is preferred.
• A major in Human Resources or related field is preferred.

Experience

• 3+ years HR related work experience, with hands on experience in leave of absence and benefits administration experience is required.
• Strong background in leave of absence administration is preferred.

Certifications and specific knowledge

• The following certification is preferred for this role: Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS).
• Knowledge of Section 125 benefit plans including government compliance, qualifying benefits, ERISA, FMLA, PWFA, HIPAA, COBRA, and 401(k) plan designs, especially safe harbor is required. The candidate must also possess a strong knowledge of qualifying pre- and post-tax benefit deductions and leave of absence processes.

Competencies

• Compensation & Benefits
• Decision Making
• Functional area Information Systems Knowledge & Maintenance
• HR governance, policies and procedures development
• Labour Law
• Planning & Organizing
• Problem Solving
• Analytical Thinking
• Communication
• Teamwork