Leave of Absence Specialist

Position: Benefit and Leave of Absence Specialist
** Job Title
** Benefit and Leave of Absence Specialist
** Job Description
** For more than 80 years, Kaplan has been a trailblazer in education and professional advancement. We are a global company at the intersection of education and technology, focused on collaboration, innovation, and creativity to deliver a best-in-class educational experience and make Kaplan a great place to work.

The future of education is here and we are eager to work alongside those who want to make a positive impact and inspire change in the world around them.

The Lead Benefit and Leave of Absence (LOA) Specialist is responsible for providing a great employee experience for Kaplan employees in the realm of benefits and leaves of absence. Using information gathered from employee issues and inquiries, general medical claim information, and researching best practices, this role is responsible for identifying trends and opportunities for improvements, broader training, and resource creation in the realm of benefits and LOA management.

Additionally, they will develop effective communications, policies, and processes, and counsel employees on complex benefits and leave of absence-related issues.
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* Key Responsibilities:

*** Provide best-in-class customer service support to internal and external customers by responding timely and accurately to complex, or Tier 2, inquiries regarding health, wellness, leave of absence, and retirement benefits.
* Develop effective communication tools and strategies to enhance understanding of the company's overall benefits package.
* Identify and execute wellness programs and resources for employees to create a great experience, based on engagement surveys and data trends.
* Project manage the end-to-end open enrollment process, including facilitating open enrollment plan detail sessions, responding to complex inquiries, and ensuring auditing and reporting are completed.
* Act as a liaison between KNA and the corporate benefits and retirement teams at our parent company.
* Maintain and facilitate new employee benefit orientation, wellness, and retirement program training for existing employees.
* Continuously evaluate processes and procedures related to employee well-being at Kaplan to seek efficiencies and improvements that can be made to enhance the overall employee experience. Analyze current benefits, evaluating the use, services, coverage, effectiveness, cost, plan experience, and competitive trends in benefits programs. Recommend and implement edits to processes and policies as appropriate.
* Act as point person and approver of all leave of absence requests. Review each request to ensure that it meets a company, local, state, and federal guidelines for approval. Provide guidance to the Benefit and Leave of Absence Coordinator on the communication of approval or denial.
* Stay current on regulatory changes related to benefits, state and federal leave, and other relevant regulations. Partner as needed with corporate employment counsel.
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* Minimum Qualifications:

*** 3 years of Benefits, Leave of Absence, or related HR experience.
* Bachelor's degree in human resource management, related field, or experience in lieu of a degree, and a minimum of three years of related HR, benefits, or leave of absence experience.
* HR/Benefits/LOA-related professional designations preferred.
* Computer proficiency and technical aptitude with the ability to use Microsoft products and/or Google Suite, including PowerPoint/Slides and Excel/Sheets; experience with HRIS and/or benefits databases.
* Excellent communication and organization skills with the ability to communicate with and educate employees at all levels of the organization.
* Possess a continuous improvement mindset.
* Effective planning and priority setting with a strong sense of urgency.
* Ability to manage and carry out multiple projects and complex tasks simultaneously to meet deadlines.
* Flexibility to work with changing priorities.
* Strong analytical and strategic skills.
* Knowledge of all pertinent federal and state regulations, filing, and compliance requirements affecting employee benefits programs, including the ACA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, workers' compensation, etc.
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* Preferred Qualifications:

*** SHRM-CP, PHR, CEBS, or other
* Previous experience with benefit vendor systems and HRIS
** Beyond base salary, our comprehensive total rewards package includes:**    **- Remote work
** provides a flexible work/life balance  **- Comprehensive Retirement Package
** automatically enrolled in The Company Contribution Plan (8-10% annual company contribution based on tenure)  **- Our Gift of Knowledge Program
** provides tuition assistance and substantial discounts for our employees and close family members  **- Comprehensive health benefits
** new hire eligibility starts on day 1 of employment   **- Generous Paid Time Off
** includes paid holidays, vacation, personal, sick paid time-off, plus one (1) volunteer day and one (1) diversity and inclusion day to participate and give back to our local…