Legal Career Center

Department: Human Resources & Payroll

Web Announcement:

• Potential for flexible telework and hybrid telework scheduling
• Competitive salary
• Outstanding benefits including:
  • Health & life insurance, multiple industry leading retirement plans available including state VRS Hybrid Retirement Plan, accrued paid days off per year, paid holidays, paid winter break, paid sick leave, professional development, tuition reimbursement at GMU, and employee assistance programs.

• Provide leadership and direction to the Benefits team;
• Select, monitor, evaluate, and manage all vendor relationships, serving as the university contact for benefit vendors and insurance carriers on all university sponsored benefit plans;
• Ensure all benefit programs are designed and administered within full compliance of pertinent Federal and state laws and regulations, and that all government and regulatory agency reporting and disclosure requirements are met timely, accurately and completely;
• Work with the state and/or vendors to ensure that STD (short term disability), LTD (long term disability), and WC (worker's compensation) benefits are managed properly. Direct staff and ensure coordination with payroll and others to ensure correct payment and deductions for benefit contributions during various types of leave;
• Manage current leave programs and create new leave programs and develop policies and procedures. Set clear guidelines to maintain and explain accurate leave benefits, determining eligibility, calculation of leave payouts, and leave balance management. This includes the communication of policies and procedures to managers and affected employees, working in coordination with the HR policies colleague;
• Maintain current knowledge of government regulations and laws associated with benefits and absence management. Benchmark best practices for faculty, staff and executives;
• Support Investment Policy Committee (IPC) through work with actuarial consultants and ORP vendors including committee members. Evaluate and analyze current retirement programs to ensure all plans remain market competitive and cost effective. Follow Investment Policy Statement guidelines for all retirement plans and try benchmark to meet ERISA compliance regulations. Prepare as needed and/or required annual returns and filings;
• Develop and execute comprehensive communication strategies and programs to foster employee understanding, better consumerism and appreciation of the value of all company sponsored benefit programs and services;
• As needed, conduct cost analyses to determine the direct and indirect cost of absence and recommend practices to improve costs where possible;
• Assists with the administration of corporate compensation practices; oversees the development and maintenance of the executive deferred compensation plan;
• Work with benefits attorney and Chief Human Resource Officer to ensure legal and current trends in employee sponsored benefit programs;
• Acts as internal benefits expert, and strategist;
• Analyze existing benefits, wellness, and absence management policies and prevailing practices of like institutions to remain competitive in programs and policies; and
• Manage benefits projects through bench marking university best practices. Provide metrics and data on new trending programs.

• Master's degree in HR, Business Administration or other relevant field required; or Bachelor's degree with significant benefits, wellness, and absence management experience equivalent to an advanced degree;
• Progressive related experience in benefits administration, wellness programs, and absence management;
• Knowledge of creating, developing, and implementing new benefit options and benefits plans and designs;
• A substantive knowledge of/experience in federal and state law, compliance requirements in HIPPA, COBRA regulations, FMLA, ADA, and general HR and benefits practices;
• Demonstrated supervisory and leadership skills; proven ability to model desired work values and practices for other team members and create a work setting that encourages both individual and team accomplishments;
• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills; proven ability to research, follow up and resolve complex issues and problems surfaced by the team;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to present complex issues/data with a high level of clarity and impact;
• Skills and experience in counseling and advising diverse employees at all levels in a complex organization;
• Ability to work with diverse individuals and groups on campus;
• Analytical skill in examining benefits plans and compensation programs; and
• As part of an evolving department, candidate must be adaptable to change and have the competencies to perform their role and execute responsibilities as part of a wider HR Business Partner model.

• Experience in higher education or a large diverse work environment;
• Previous experience within a state institution;
• Ability to work initiatives through committees and create buy-in and support;
• Strategic planning experience;
• Strong skills in project management and problem-solving;
• Understanding of benefit contracts with vendors and pricing methodology;
• Experience working with Oracle HRMS database, PeopleSoft, or other related HRMS systems;
• Experience creating complex and diverse faculty and staff programming;
• Experience marketing benefits as well as experience with public benefits administration;
• Eight years of progressive experience in benefits administration including creation/analysis of benefit designs, vendor contract management, and qualified define contribution plans;
• Several years of supervisory experience managing a staff of three or more full-time employees; and
• Certified Benefits Professional or CEBS.

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience.

Location: Fairfax, VA

Mason Ad Statement:

About George Mason University

George Mason University is a public, comprehensive, research university established by the Commonwealth of Virginia located in Northern Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. Mason was initially founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1949, and became an independent institution in 1972. George Mason University is an innovative and inclusive academic community committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world. George Mason University has 37,000 students from all 50 states and 130 countries and a residential population of more than 6,000 students. Mason is a vibrant and dynamic community of scholars. 80% of our students are employed within six months of graduation. Nearly two-thirds of the 140,000 Mason alumni live and work in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. Mason is a young university that, in just a short time, has made impressive strides in size, stature and influence. Today, as Virginia’s largest public research university, we are setting the benchmark for a bold, progressive education that serves the needs of our students and communities. To that end, we have 10 schools and colleges devoted to a variety of study. Mission. We prepa...re Mason students for the demands of work, social responsibility, and life in an ever-changing global society. University Life's mission statement is core to our work. We support every student at Mason, from orientation through graduation. George Mason: Patriotism Personified. George Mason, for whom our university is named, was one of the greatest of the founding fathers of the United States. Mason drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which became a model for the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights. We Are in Virginia. But We Serve the World. Mason is committed to creating a more just, free and prosperous world. Located in one of the most important political, economic and intellectual hubs in the world, we accept our responsibility to serve others: to help our students succeed, enrich the life of our community, and contribute to solving some of the most complex global problems of our time. Washington, D.C.: Land of Opportunity. Mason’s main campus is in Fairfax, Virginia, just 15 miles outside of Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital is easily accessible by car or public transportation. At Mason, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: a beautiful wooded residential campus and outstanding college experience, as well as numerous internship and recreational opportunities that only a world-class urban setting like D.C. can offer. You can intern with National Geographic or the Justice Department, visit the numerous museums with your Art History classmates, take a selfie in front of Lincoln Memorial, catch a Nationals baseball game, kayak along the Potomac, or check out the many neighborhoods where you’ll discover lots of great shopping, places to eat, art galleries, music venues, and much more. You can attend events and hear nationally recognized speakers. You’ll run out of time before you run out of things to do. There’s more to explore. Students participate in a field trip to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., organized by the Office of International Programs and Services. In just a short drive, you can be hiking in the Shenandoah Mountains or walking the boardwalk in either Ocean City, Maryland, or Virginia Beach, Virginia. Our closest airports are Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan National Airport, and Mason is easily accessible by public transportation. Free shuttle buses help you get to the nearest Metro station in Vienna, Virginia, just a short distance from our Fairfax Campus. The Arlington Campus is within walking distance of the Virginia Square-GMU stop on the Orange Line. Enriching Work Environment. We will invest in recruiting, retaining, and developing talented and diverse faculty and academic and professional staff. We will create a vibrant campus life in which all members can grow and thrive. Diversity. Diversity is one of our core values; everyone is welcome here. Mason was recently named the most diverse university in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report. We bring together a multitude of people and ideas in everything that we do. Our culture of inclusion, our multidisciplinary approach, and our global perspective makes us more effective educators and scholars. While at Mason, you’ll be making your own decisions and forming your own view of the world. Engaging with diverse groups of individuals, including students, faculty, and staff, will enrich this experience. You will learn from them, and they will learn from you. We have a variety of communities here, and you're sure to find a group of people who are like you. The great thing is you'll also be embraced by communities of people who are not like you. At Mason, you'll be in a place where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds will: •Widen your outlook of the world, •Show you how to work and collaborate with people of differing views, •Expose you to new perspectives from people with disparate life experiences, and •Give you the social skills to interact with all kinds of people. Diversity also enhances learning and creative thinking by prompting the study of new material and the awareness of fresh viewpoints. The power of many perspectives will boost your capacity to explore original ideas and solutions. Seeing issues in a new way heightens your creativity and problem-solving abilities. Another benefit: As our nation becomes more diverse, students who learn in a diverse environment will be more competitive in an increasingly global economy. You’ll enhance your critical thinking skills and improve your ability to develop nuanced solutions to real-world problems. Campus-Wide Accessibility. Accessibility @ mason provide information regarding the physical access of all campuses and online accessibility of programs and services. Information for disability related services and resources available to all employee, students, and visitors the entire university include physical access to buildings, parking policies, and emergency evacuation procedures. Accessible. We are an open and welcoming community. We partner with public and private organizations in our region and around the world. We proactively engage with our community. We define our success by how many talented students with potential we serve, not how many we leave out. Social and Cultural Venues. Our venues bring world-class performances to the community through vibrant concerts and events. Community members are invited to take part in many artistic and cultural offerings at Mason. Spaces are also available to rent for your next event.

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