Leave & Retirement Specialist

Job No: 503114

Work Type: Staff

Location: Newark, DE/Hybrid

Categories: Human Resources, Full Time

Pay Grade: 30E

Context of Job:

The Leave and Retirement Specialist is responsible for the day-to-day management and administration of the University’s retirement and leave of absence programs. This position serves as a key resource for employees, retirees, and departmental HR staff, providing expert guidance on retirement benefits, paid and unpaid leaves, and compliance with federal, state, and University policies.

Working under the direction of the Director of Benefits, the Specialist exercises a high level of independent judgment, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and exceptional customer service in all aspects of benefits administration.

Major Responsibilities:

Leave of Absence Administrator:

• Administer all University leave programs, including Family Medical Leave (FMLA), Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML), Short-Term Disability (STD), Long-Term Disability (LTD), Parental Leave, and Workers’ Compensation (WC).
• Serve as the point of contact for employees and supervisors regarding leave eligibility, documentation, and timelines.
• Review medical certifications, return-to-work documentation, and other required paperwork.
• Monitor leave balances, generate reports, and analyze trends to inform HR strategies and improve leave processes.
• Assist with providing training, guidance, and policy interpretation to HR staff and managers.
• Process S-contracts and Job Employee Data (JED) forms for payroll processing, employee status changes, and funding source changes related to disability claims.
• Process Journal Vouchers (JVs) and Cash Transmittals to transfer funds between disability funding lines and department funding lines, and to generate transmittals for accounts receivable.
• Calculate, reconcile, and generate billing statements to the State of Delaware for Disability Insurance Program and employees on leave of absence.
• Serve as liaison to departments, the State of Delaware, and other external offices related to responsibilities.
• Serve as a point of contact for COBRA administration, including data transmission to the third-party administrator (TPA), processing manual enrollments, and reviewing discrepancy reports for medical, dental, and vision plans.
• ​​Ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, such as FMLA, COBRA, ADA, HIPAA, and federal and state-specific leave laws. Administer surviving dependent benefits. ​
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Retirement Administrator:

• Provide counseling and support to employees considering retirement, explaining eligibility, options, and post-retirement benefits. Guide employees through all retiree benefit options, assist with selecting individual benefit plans, and support the completion of all required documentation.
• Prepare and process retirement-related documentation, including separation payments, faculty agreements, and payroll forms.
• Review and manage the processing of pre-retirement documentation to ensure accurate and timely benefits enrollment. Perform service calculations to determine eligibility and ensure that all benefits records are complete, accurate, and compliant with applicable regulations, University policies and procedures, and provider requirements.
• Interact with the State Pension Office and other State agencies regarding creditable service and payroll history for current and former University employees.
• Coordinate retiree Open Enrollment activities, including development and distribution of communications materials and the facilitation of information sessions.
• Coordinate the day-to-day administration and implementation of employee and retiree benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage. Oversee the Processing of retiree benefits in the HRIS system, vendor enrollments, ACH payments and returns, and Medicare-related programs such as TEFRA/DEFRA.
• Coordinate and ensure the accuracy of benefits billing, payments, and adjustments. Ensure compliance with applicable policies, procedures, and program requirements across all benefits offerings.
• Support the daily administrative functions related to retirement savings: State Employee Pension Plan; 403(b) and 457(b) retirement plans, including reconciliation, payroll coordination, and audits.
• Assist with review of retirement savings vendor files. Evaluate and analyze data for accuracy. Troubleshoot and resolve file-related discrepancies.
• Assist with developing and delivering educational materials and retirement workshops to support employee understanding of benefit options.
• Ensure data integrity for various benefit programs and PeopleSoft data.
• Stay informed on applicable laws, regulations, and University policies affecting retirement and retiree benefits.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, or other related field with four years of job-related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in benefits administration, retirement management, and/or leave of absence coordination.
• Strong knowledge of FMLA, COBRA, ADA, and other relevant federal and state leave laws.
• Experience with retirement plans (defined benefit and defined contribution). Payroll experience is strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of Medicare policies, regulations, processes, procedures, and documentation is preferred.
• Knowledge of federal and state retirement benefits regulations, policies, procedures, documentation, and guidelines.
• Proficiency with HRIS systems (PeopleSoft 9.2 or higher preferred) and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to analyze and interpret data, make independent decisions and judgments, and draw conclusions.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.
• Ability to communicate and work effectively, both verbally and in writing, with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Knowledge of customer service standards and procedures.
• Experience managing multiple projects and deadlines.
• Strong commitment to providing exceptional customer service and fostering positive employee relations.
• Experience working in higher education preferred.
• Experience supporting multiple aspects of benefits administration functions preferred.
• Familiarity with the State of Delaware Pension and benefits programs preferred.
• Knowledge of Medicare coordination and retiree health coverage processes preferred. SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, CEBS preferred.