HR Manager - and Wellness

Job No: 26189
Department: Human Resources
Work Type: Staff - Full Time
Location: Main Campus (Houghton, MI)
Full Time / Part Time: Full Time
Categories: Human Resources

Michigan Technological University is an R1 technological research university founded in 1885 in Houghton. Our rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's scenic Upper Peninsula and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Research focus areas include defense, health, energy, automotive, environment, and aerospace.

The area’s waters, forests, and snowfall support year-round recreation, including skiing, snowboarding, hiking, biking, and paddling. The University is an integral part of the region, supported by a friendly and welcoming community that takes pride in being a true college town. We embrace our size, climate, sense of adventure, and originality.

This position will lead the daily administration and execution of our health, welfare, and retirement programs. It will manage HRIS benefits data, audit billing, oversee leave administration, and execute the annual open enrollment process. Additionally, will serve as a primary point of contact for employee benefits inquiries and oversee the workplace wellness initiatives. This role requires strong technical execution, data accuracy, and a customer-service approach to employee support.
This position serves on the departmental leadership team.

1. Translate strategic goals into actionable benefits and wellness programs, managing everything from initial rollout to ongoing employee participation.
2. Manage the daily operations of all health and welfare programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement plans.
3. Facilitate the annual Open Enrollment process from start to finish, including building portal configurations, auditing elections, and processing data files.
4. Directly coordinate leave management programs, and processing leaves, with precision and empathy.
5. Act as the daily operational point of contact for insurance brokers, wellness vendors, and retirement plan administrators.
6. Audit monthly vendor invoices for accuracy, resolve billing discrepancies, and ensure timely data integrations (EDI feeds) between our HRIS and carriers.
7. Maintain meticulous data integrity within our HRIS benefits modules, regularly auditing employee records and eligibility status.
8. Execute mandatory filings, testing, and reporting requirements, including distribution of ACA 1095-C forms, Form 5500 preparation, and HIPAA-compliant record keeping.
9. Review provided monthly claims utilization and enrollment data to track plan performance and identify trends.
10. Serve as the accessible, go-to resource for employees navigating complex claims issues, coverage questions, or life events.
11. Serve as the Chair for various benefit related committees.
12. Draft and distribute clear, engaging educational materials, newsletters, and guides that help employees get the most out of their benefits.
13. Supervise assigned HR staff, set team goals, oversee daily activities, and foster staff development to ensure operational effectiveness and effective customer service.
14. Serve as a departmental leader providing guidance, direction, and oversight of processes to ensure adherence and assist with troubleshooting.
15. Commit to learning about continuous improvement strategies and applying them to everyday work. Actively engage in university continuous improvement initiatives.
16. Apply…