HUMAN RESOURCES ASSISTANT - BENEFITS

at  City of Coquitlam

ABOUT US

One of BC’s Top Employers, the City of Coquitlam offers meaningful career opportunities to make a difference within the local community. As the sixth largest city in BC, we are home to more than 150,000 residents. Our diverse municipality is a great place to work as it continues to grow through innovative urban design, inspiring arts, culture and recreation programs, and state-of-the-art transportation systems. Our brand is built on managing our resources in a responsible and sustainable manner, while supporting a vibrant, growing regional urban centre. We envision a bright future in Coquitlam that we hope includes you!

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience:

• Completion of post-secondary coursework or education in Business Administration, Commerce or Human Resources paired with 3 years of related experience, preferably in a unionized environment. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Prior experience in benefit administration will be an asset.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Ability to explain and apply HR policies, procedures, and collective agreements.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare business correspondence, liaise with employees and managers on benefits inquiries, and create reports.
• Proven commitment to providing excellent and prompt customer service.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Superior organization skills with the ability to meet tight deadlines each pay process.
• Ability to exercise tact and discretion in dealing with sensitive and confidential information.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Working knowledge of benefits administration and pension rules
• Experience with unionized and excluded recruitment practices
• Experience with Peoplesoft, the Pacific Blue Cross and Municipal Pension Plan portals and/or Cegid.
• A CPHR designation or working towards the designation is considered an asset.

• Provide employees with clear information and guidance on benefit eligibility, coverage options, bank entitlements, and pay rates.
• Process and maintain employee benefits, pension, and compensation data through benefit portals and the City’s HRIS system, ensuring timely enrollments, terminations, and status changes.
• Collaborate closely with Payroll, Health & Safety, and department clients to ensure accurate premium deductions and resolve issues related to overpayments, offering recommendations for effective solutions.
• Assist and provide information to employees on benefit matters during leaves of absence, ensuring proper deduction of benefit premiums during the leave period.
• Process retirement requests and provide guidance to employees planning to retire from the City.
• Respond to inquiries on various HR-related matters, including policies, procedures, entitlements, and bank balances. Escalate complex inquiries to the HR Advisory team as required.
• Maintain and update internal documentation related to benefit plan administration, including forms, procedural guides, and benefit brochures.
• Files documentation accurately and completely in employee files.
• Performs other related duties as required