Assistant Director / Benefits & Wellness

and managing the operations of the Benefits and Wellness department, including employee benefits, retirement programs, employee communications, open enrollment, wellness initiatives, vendor relationships, and compliance activities. Provides operational leadership, analyzes programs and processes, supports continuous improvement, and ensures effective service delivery. Performs hands-on administrative and technical duties as needed to support departmental operations and continuity of services. Required Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, public administration, or a related field, or a combination of education and professional experience that equates to four years. Two years professional experience in human resources, benefits, payroll, or a related field. Knowledge of employee benefits programs, including health and welfare benefits, retirement plans, and applicable laws and regulations. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including data analysis, reporting, and reconciliation. Strong technical skills in website content management, digital communications, and creating and updating employee-facing communications and educational materials. Demonstrated ability to manage operations independently, exercise sound judgment, solve problems, and manage competing priorities. Strong written and verbal communication, customer service, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to communicate complex information clearly and work effectively with diverse stakeholders in a unionized environment. Ability to provide functional leadership, coordinate projects, and support departmental goals. Ability and willingness to establish and maintain positive interpersonal relationships and project a positive attitude. Preferred Qualifications: Demonstrated experience with HRIS, benefits administration systems, data analysis, financial reconciliation, and reporting. Demonstrated experience coordinating employee wellness initiatives, leading projects, and improving operational processes. Professional certification in human resources, employee benefits, wellness, or a related field. Demonstrated leadership, collaboration, adaptability skills, and a commitment to employee service and continuous improvement. Duties & Responsibilities: BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION AND EMPLOYEE SUPPORT Assists the director in leading the benefits administration processes to ensure accurate, timely, and consistent delivery of employee benefit programs in accordance with plan provisions, university policies, and applicable requirements. Assists in resolving complex benefits issues and discrepancies, coordinates with vendors and university partners, and ensures appropriate follow-through on matters affecting employee coverage, eligibility, and benefits administration. Provides functional leadership and backup across benefits operations, including hands-on administrative and technical support as needed to maintain service continuity and respond to changing departmental priorities. Communicates and interprets benefit policies per collective bargaining agreements and employee handbooks. Oversees tuition benefit, discount programs, tax savings accounts, and other programs as assigned. RETIREMENT PROGRAM AND FINANCIAL COORDINATION Manages day-to-day retirement plan operations, responding promptly to employee inquiries and coordinating with plan recordkeepers, Payroll, HR Information Systems, Financial Accounting, and other university partners to ensure accurate and timely service. Performs and oversees retirement plan transactions, financial reconciliations, liability tracking, reporting, and related administrative activities, ensuring accuracy, timely resolution of discrepancies, and compliance with established procedures. Coordinates employee education, program changes, and year-end activities related to the retirement plan, maintaining accurate records, monitoring deadlines, and ensuring timely completion of required actions. COMMUNICATIONS, WEBSITE, TECHNOLOGY, AND EMPLOYEE EDUCATION Leads the development, implementation, and delivery of Benefits and Wellness communications and employee education, translating complex benefits information into clear, engaging, and accessible communications, presentations, and educational resources. Manages the Benefits and Wellness website and digital content, including creating, editing, publishing, and updating information to ensure accuracy, accessibility, usability, and timely communication of benefits, retirement, wellness programs, and university resources. Oversees the effective use of benefits and wellness technology, digital communication platforms, and vendor systems; identifies opportunities for improvement and coordinates technical support and resolution of issues. OPEN ENROLLMENT AND PROGRAM COORDINATION Leads the operational coordination of annual open enrollment as directed, including timelines, employee communications, education, vendor coordination, and implementation activities. Oversees the implementation of assigned benefit programs and approved program changes, monitoring deliverables, deadlines, and operational requirements to ensure accurate and timely execution. Coordinates with vendors, consultants, and university partners to advance program objectives, resolve operational issues, and implement process improvements. EMPLOYEE WELLNESS AND VENDOR COORDINATION Leads the coordination, implementation, and evaluation of employee wellness and well-being initiatives to promote employee engagement and access to university and vendor-sponsored resources. Oversees wellness communications, programs, events, and engagement activities in collaboration with university departments, campus partners, and other stakeholders. Manages assigned wellness vendor relationships, monitors program performance and deliverables, and evaluates participation data and employee feedback to recommend improvements and enhance program effectiveness. REPORTING, COMPLIANCE, AND DEPARTMENTAL OPERATIONS Analyzes benefits, retirement, and wellness data; prepares reports, research, benchmarking, and recommendations to support program evaluation, financial planning, and departmental decision-making. Monitors operational effectiveness, identifies risks and opportunities for process improvement, and implements approved solutions to strengthen accuracy, efficiency, compliance, and employee service. Oversees assigned compliance, reporting, recordkeeping, and audit-support activities, monitors requirements and deadlines, and addresses or escalates potential compliance concerns. Partners with the director to manage departmental operations and priorities, lead projects and process improvements, coordinate committee activities, and ensure timely completion of assignments and deliverables. Manages year-end liability tracking, reconciliation, and projection, while working closely with CMU's Financial Accounting department/auditors. Ensures the accuracy, confidentiality, and integrity of departmental records and information in accordance with university policies and applicable requirements. Performs other related duties as assigned. Supervision Exercised: None. Employee Group: Professional & Administrative -Salary Pay Range: $60,000 - $70,000 per year Division: Finance and Administrative Services Department: HR - Benefits & Wellness Position Status: Regular Employment Status: Full-Time FTE: 1.00 Position Type: 12 month Weekly Work Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / weekends and evenings as needed Location: Mount Pleasant, MI Open Until Filled: Yes About CMU: Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives. We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master's, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence. CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more. Central is home to 17 men's and women's Division 1 sports including football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, wrestling and more. Our student-athletes achieve great success in competition and in the classroom, capturing Mid-American Conference championships and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3.17. CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community that blends the best of small-town living with big-city amenities. It's part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region that also includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the state's largest Native American community, centered on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Reservation in Mount Pleasant. Area residents enjoy the mix of outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping and dining options, and family attractions. Other major Michigan destinations and attractions - Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf and ski resorts, and many more - are within easy reach of the city's central location in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state and national norms. CMU Leadership Standards: Central Michigan University is a place where we value students and work for their success, where we act as family, and where employees are engaged, appreciated and have extraordinary opportunities to make a difference. We intentionally maintain and strengthen the hallmark CMU culture that sets us apart from our peers by expecting CMU leaders and employees to model the following Leadership Standards and develop them within their teams. Please review the Leadership Standards before applying for this position. Message to Applicants: Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering an environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We are especially interested in highly qualified candidates who will advance and promote CMU's mission, vision, and leadership standards. You must submit an on-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position. Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee. To apply, visit https://www.jobs.cmich.edu/postings/45704 CMU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and institution. CMU does not discriminate against persons based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, sex, sex-based stereotypes, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran status, or weight. CMU does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, including admission and employment, and is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 not to discriminate in such a matter. Inquiries about the application of Title IX can be made to CMU's Title IX Coordinator, the US Department of Education's Assistant Secretary, or both. CMU's Title IX Coordinator can be reached at: Phone: 989-774-3253 Office: 103 E. Preston St. Bovee University Center, suite 306 Mount Pleasant, MI 48858 Email: titleix@cmich.edu