HR Benefits Specialist at Flathead Electric Cooperative

Kalispell, Montana, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

06 May, 26

Salary

91707.0

Posted On

05 Feb, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Benefits Administration, Employee Wellness, Compliance, Human Resources, Confidentiality, Communication, Organizational Skills, Customer Service, Critical Thinking, Team Player, Attention to Detail, Labor Relations, Data Management, Budgeting, Event Planning, Problem Solving

Industry

Utilities

Description

HR Benefits Specialist Position Open Until Filled Non-Union, Exempt, Full-Time Grade 9, $74,672 - $91,707 DOE Location: Kalispell, MT (Onsite) All Offers of Employment Conditioned on Pre-employment Drug Screening and Background Check and are Subject to a One-Year Probationary Period of Employment. POSITION SUMMARY Serves as the primary contact for NRECA’s benefits plans, serving as FEC’s Benefits Administrator, and administers all aspects of employee health and retirement plans to include medical/dental/vision, 401(k), RS Plan, short-term and long-term disability insurance claims, leaves of absence, flexible spending, and any other employee benefits. Acts as a liaison between employee and insurance providers. Working with the HR Generalist, manages content and security of human resources and personnel files. Coordinates internal communication with all employees, and administers the FEC wellness program by supporting employee wellness initiatives, and actively supporting and organizing employee community service projects. Serves as a backup for the HR Generalist and performs those essential functions as needed and provides administrative support to the Member Services and HR Manager. REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Upon request, reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS General Leadership: Represent the HR Department with accurate and timely responses to employees and management and with awareness of confidentiality and compliance. Keep management and HR team members informed on all pertinent matters. Contribute to the development and execution of the organization’s overarching strategic plan. Maintain the highest standards of confidentiality by safeguarding sensitive matters and confidential documents with discretion and integrity. Support the implementation and execution of all FEC policies and plans, including but not limited to the Pandemic Response Plan, Emergency Response Plan, Employee Emergency Action Plan, and Physical Security Plan. Prepare correspondence and reports and compose summaries for department board reports as requested by management. Assist in the drafting of the annual budget for the HR department, effectively identifying opportunities for optimizing resouce allocation, streamlining processes, and driving cost efficiencies. When requested, assist FEC management regarding labor relations, including but not limited to collective bargaining, grievance resolution and contract interpretation. Be familiar with the Collective Bargaining Agreement and all related agreements between FEC and the Union. Benefits Administration: Serve as the primary contact for NRECA’s benefits plans, serving as FEC’s Benefits Administrator, including performing all onboarding and offboarding procedures including COBRA benefits. Administer all aspects of employee health and retirement plans to include medical/dental/vision, 401(k), RS Plan, short-term and long-term disability insurance claims, leaves of absence, flexible spending, tuition reimbursement, and any other employee benefits. Onboard and offboard all employees relative to benefit plans. Prepare and maintain benefits records pursuant to administrative policy GM 610. Distribute benefits information to employees, retirees, trustees, COBRA participants and long-term disability participants to remain compliant with all applicable laws and regulations. Keep the payroll department abreast of all employee compensation and benefits changes. Administer employee’s FMLA related leaves of absence ensuring compliance with all state and federal regulations. Keep supervisors and Management informed of employee disability, medical and other needed leaves of absence, return to work dates, and applicable work restrictions. Stay up-to-date on all NRECA benefits changes and compliance deadlines, reading publications from NRECA and attending conferences as approved by supervisor. Employee Records and Compliance: Working closely with the HR Generalist, assist to create and maintain personnel files and employee forms pursuant to Administrative Policy GM 610 (Records Retention), including personnel files, benefits and other employee records. Actively support and collaborate with the HR Generalist to collect, organize, and transmit data pertaining to Affirmative Action Plans and Annual Pay Equity, including EEO-1 and Vets-4212. Timely submit plans to and work closely with the third-party vendor to verify all plan data is correct and ready for submission to the Department of Labor. Actively support and collaborate with the Payroll Administrator to collect, organize and transmit data concerning employee benefits for compensation surveys and compliance requirements. Employee Wellness Program: Administer FEC’s Wellness Program including wellness activities attractive to the diverse set of employees and in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Coordinate the NRECA FutureMe program, annual wellness screenings, and other wellness initiatives. Work closely with the Payroll Administrator to ensure accurate reporting of employee incentives, and ensure all reporting is done in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. Employee Engagement: Assist in preparing communications to employees from the HR Department and Management team. Develop employee retention initiatives as they relate to training programs, events, or random rewards. Plan and organize employee events, such as new hire and retiree functions, blood drives, food drives, or other employee/community service projects. Back-Up HR Generalist: In the absence of the HR Generalist, perform the HR Generalist’s essential functions as needed to support employees and Cooperative programs, processes and compliance. Administrative Assistance: Provide administrative support to the Member Service and HR Manager. In every task undertaken, exercise professionalism and appropriate confidentiality due to the sensitive nature of information shared by employees, supervisors, and management. Maintain confidentiality regarding sensitive matters and documents. Be organized, meet deadlines, and stay current on changes related to compliance and employment and labor law. Keep supervisor and management apprised of situations or issues that arise. Perform a variety of administrative functions, including organizing and maintaining confidential employee document storage systems, preparing correspondence and reports and any other administrative needs that arise including local driving errands as needed. Be familiar with the Collective Bargaining Agreement and all related agreements between FEC and the Union, especially those provisions addressing employee benefits. Assist as needed with labor relations. Exercise sound judgement and discretion and seek management guidance when appropriate in the performance of tasks and before communicating with employees, applicants, retirees, Union representatives, vendors and third parties. Attend designated professional meetings representing FEC and participating as directed, using the utmost professional conduct. When performing all responsibilities, be efficient, timely and accurate. Constantly review work assigned to establish proper priority to meet the individual deadlines of each task/project. Assist members/vendors/employees and the general public in a courteous and professional manner ensuring their continued satisfaction with FEC. Work in harmony and show respect to all fellow employees in order to promote an effective and pleasant working environment. In pursuit of zero workplace incidents, promote and maintain a positive safety culture while adhering to all applicable policies outlined in the Safety Manual. Report all incidents and potential safety hazards in a timely manner to supervisor or Safety Coordinator. Be familiar with and keep current with FEC’s objectives and applicable policies. Perform other duties as assigned by management applying the same skill and enthusiasm as with regularly assigned responsibilities. MINIMUM POSITION QUALIFICATIONS Education: Associate’s degree in human resource management, business or a related field required. Bachelor's degree preferred. Job Related Experience: 3 years in employee benefits administration human resources, management, or other position requiring confidentiality and involving employment law, insurance and/or compliance with laws and regulations, preferably in a union setting. Education and/or certifications may be taken into consideration in lieu of experience. Supervision: No Experience Supervising Required. Computer Skills: Proficient on computer, including Microsoft Office 365, and be proficient with online performance evaluation systems, talent acquisition and testing systems, and training platforms. Certificates & Licenses: SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, CEBS, PHR, or SPHR certification preferred. Other Qualifications: Valid Montana Driver’s License and be insurable to drive FEC vehicles. Present a professional appearance at all times. Able to work 40 hours per week with additional time as needed. Be a team player with effective verbal and written skills. Able to travel occasionally out-of-area and/or overnight. Exhibit excellent member relations and customer service skills. Legible handwriting. Possess proven ability to maintain confidentiality. Consistently meet deadlines, budgets and work on projects simultaneously. Be or become involved in professional, community and industry related activities. Be organized, accurate and exercise strong attention to detail. Must have critical thinking skills; be autonomous and self-driven; be able to work well independently and with others; and must exercise good judgment. Able to establish and maintain working relationships with a variety of individuals, some of whom have opposing points of view. Possess proven ability to maintain confidentiality. Ability to handle difficult situations. PHYSICAL DEMANDS (Based on an 8-hour work day) Stand F (Frequently) Walk F (Frequently) Sit F (Frequently) Handling / Grasping F (Frequently) Reach Outward F (Frequently) Keyboarding F (Frequently) Speaking F (Frequently) Vision F (Frequently) Hearing F (Frequently) Reach Above Shoulder R (Rarely) Climb N (Not Applicable) Crawl N (Not Applicable) Squat or Kneel N (Not Applicable) Bend N (Not Applicable) Foot or Leg Controls O (Occasionally) Drive O (Occasionally) Lift/Carry 10 lbs. or less O (Occasionally) 11-25 lbs. R (Rarely) 26-50 lbs. N (Not Applicable) 51-100 lbs. N (Not Applicable) Over 100 lbs. N (Not Applicable) Push/Pull 10 lbs. or less N (Not Applicable) 11-25 lbs. N (Not Applicable) 26-50 lbs. N (Not Applicable) 51-100 lbs. N (Not Applicable) N (Not Applicable) Activity is not applicable to this position R (Rarely) Position requires this activity up to 5% of the time (0 - 2 hrs./day) O (Occasionally) Position requires this activity up to 6% - 33% of the time (2 - 4 hrs./day) F (Frequently) Position requires this activity from 34% - 66% of the time (4 - 6 hrs./day) C (Constantly) Position requires this activity more than 66% of the time (8+ hrs./day) WORK ENVIRONMENT Will be working mostly indoors but will occasionally be required to participate in activities outdoors in all types of weather and terrain. As a cooperative, Flathead Electric is owned by the members who get their power from our Co-op, which includes everyone in the Flathead, Libby and Cooke City areas of Montana. That means the employees are members and own the cooperative too. We treat every member like family and friends, because they are. For 85 years, Flathead Electric Cooperative has been an employer of choice in Northwest Montana. As part of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), Flathead Electric provides competitive pay, exceptional benefits including a retirement plan, a matching 401K, and generous health/dental/vision/disability insurance. We try to incorporate fun into our workdays, host employee family events throughout the year and provide opportunities for our employees to help the Board of Trustees shape the future of the Co-op by participating on exploratory advisory groups an, innovative pilot projects. We believe in hiring the best and promoting from within. Flathead Electric provides on the job training and offers an education reimbursement program for those employees wishing to better their education to pursue opportunities at our Co-op. Flathead Electric is an equal opportunity employer. Flathead Electric Cooperative does not discriminate in employment on account of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship status, ancestry, age, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, marital status, political belief, physical or mental disability, military status or unfavorable discharge from military service, or retaliation. Some positions are “safety sensitive,” some require a CDL, and all have access to confidential member information at times. Therefore, we screen our applicants thoroughly. All employment offers are contingent upon passing a limited background check and a drug screening appropriate for the position. Once hired, employment is subject to a one-year probationary period, during which time employment may be terminated with or without cause and with or without notice. By submitting this application, the applicant affirms that information provided is true and complete information, no requested information has been concealed, and Flathead Electric Cooperative is authorized to contact references provided for employment reference checks. If any information provided is found to be untrue, or concealed, employment may be denied or terminated.

Responsibilities

The HR Benefits Specialist serves as the primary contact for employee benefits plans and administers all aspects of health and retirement plans. This role also includes managing employee wellness initiatives and supporting HR functions.