Culture Partner

The People, Benefits and Culture Partner supports the administration of JCFS Chicago’s employee benefits, leave of absence, and workplace accommodation programs and plays a key role in advancing the agency’s culture, belonging, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

This position serves as a trusted resource to employees and leaders and is expected to approach all interactions with a strong customer service mindset. The Partner provides timely, responsive, respectful, and solution focused support while helping employees navigate benefits, leave, accommodation, and culture related matters that may be complex or sensitive.

The People, Benefits and Culture Partner works closely with employees, managers, People and Culture team members, payroll, benefits vendors, leave administrators, and other internal and external partners. The role is responsible for creating a positive employee experience by providing clear communication, consistent follow through, thoughtful guidance, and a high level of service.

The People, Benefits and Culture Partner also supports agency wide culture and inclusion efforts and works closely with People and Culture leadership to advance the agency’s DEI initiatives.

• Serves as a responsive and knowledgeable resource to employees regarding benefit programs and provides clear, timely, and supportive assistance throughout the benefits process.
• Assists employees with enrollment, disenrollment, benefit changes, and access to employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, AD&D, wellness programs, transit benefits, and retirement plans.
• Provides employees with information and guidance in a customer focused manner to help them understand, access, and effectively use available benefit programs.
• Assists employees with utilizing the online benefits enrollment system and works to resolve routine enrollment or system related concerns promptly and professionally.
• Administers COBRA and retiree benefits programs, including coordinating benefit changes among vendors, People and Culture, Finance, and Payroll.
• Tracks, reviews, and verifies benefit elections and changes within HRIS and payroll systems.
• Coordinates and supports annual open enrollment activities, including employee communications, enrollment meetings, benefit materials, and system updates.
• Ensures required employee benefit notices and communications are distributed timely and accurately.
• Prepares and maintains semimonthly, monthly, annual, and regulatory benefit reports.
• Reviews benefit vendor reports and assists with identifying and resolving enrollment, deduction, eligibility, and reconciliation discrepancies.
• Serves as a liaison with benefit vendors and third party administrators and takes ownership of employee concerns through resolution, including timely follow up and communication.
• Identifies opportunities to improve benefit related processes, communications, and the overall employee experience.

• Coordinates and administers employee leaves of absence, including FMLA, medical leave, parental leave, personal leave, military leave, and other federal, state, local, and agency provided leave programs.
• Serves as a primary point of contact for employees navigating leave and accommodation matters and provides compassionate, respectful, and responsive support throughout the process.
• Explains leave eligibility, documentation requirements, benefit continuation, return to work expectations, and available resources in a clear and understandable manner.
• Tracks employee leaves from initial request through return to work and ensures appropriate documentation, notices, approvals, and follow up are completed.
• Maintains regular communication with employees during the leave process and ensures questions and concerns are addressed timely.
• Maintains accurate leave information and documentation within HRIS and other applicable systems.
• Coordinates with employees, managers, payroll, benefits vendors, and third party leave administrators to ensure appropriate administration of employee leave.
• Supports the workplace accommodation process in accordance with applicable laws and agency practices.
• Engages with employees and appropriate People and Culture leadership in the interactive accommodation process, including gathering documentation, identifying potential accommodations, coordinating implementation, and monitoring approved accommodations.
• Approaches…