Benefits Specialist

Job Details

Job Location:

Edmond, OK 73034

Position Type:
Staff

Salary Range: $48,000.00 - $50,000.00 Salary/year

Job Category: OTRS Classified

UCO is seeking a dedicated and professional Benefits Specialist to join our Human Resources team. This role provides employees with expert guidance on benefit programs, ensures smooth administration of HR processes, facilitates training and orientation sessions, and contributes to a collaborative, service-oriented HR environment.

Applications completed by Friday, Sept 11th will be given priority.

Regular, full-time, salaried, exempt and benefit-eligible staff position. For more benefit information visit Why Work at UCO?

Position typically works Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.

- 5 p.m.

This position is located at the University of Central Oklahoma's main campus in Edmond, Oklahoma. The role requires in-person presence to perform essential duties, including direct interaction with students, faculty, staff, and/or the public; access to campus facilities, systems, and resources; and participation in on-campus activities and events.

The Benefits Specialist is primarily responsible for administering employee benefit programs and processes, providing high levels of customer service, and resolving benefit-related issues. This role coordinates programs through the HRIS system, researches benefit plans and providers to make informed recommendations, and may assist in the development and enhancement of benefit programs. The Benefits Specialist exercises independent discretion and judgment on matters of significant impact, ensuring decisions align with organizational policies, compliance requirements, and strategic HR goals.

The Benefit Specialist position is a key member of the Benefits team, which is part of the broader Human Resources department. The function oversees all aspects of employee benefits administration, including health, retirement, leave programs, and more. In addition to core benefits responsibilities, the team collaborates across HR on orientation, training, research projects, general departmental support, and other organizational initiatives. This collaborative environment ensures employees receive professional, accurate, and timely HR support across the organization.

• Administer employee leave programs, including ownership of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) process, ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Administer UCO retirement processes in coordination with Oklahoma Teachers' Retirement System (OTRS) processes, providing accurate guidance and supporting a smooth transition to retiree status.
• Coordinate new hire benefit enrollment, deliver New Employee Orientation presentations, and facilitate other trainings as assignee
• Process and manage Qualified Life Events (QLEs), ensuring timely processing and accurate payroll deductions.
• Administer COBRA processes, ensuring timely and accurate processing of required notifications.
• Maintain, update, and manage employee information in the HRIS system, including benefit enrollment and changes, performing accurate data entry, reporting, analysis, and reconciliation.
• Respond to day-to-day employee benefit inquiries, providing professional and timely customer service.
• Assist with both Retiree and Active employee open enrollment processes, ensuring smooth execution and employee support.
• Support research and implementation of new benefit programs.
• Provide coverage for other essential HR functions as assigned, including, but not limited to, serving as a backup or primary representative of the HR department’s front office and/or facilitator of employee orientation sessions (requires the operation of a…