Career Center

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

The Integrated Service Center has an outstanding opportunity for a Human Resources Benefits Specialist.  The Integrated Service Center (ISC) supports the University’s faculty, staff and student workers by serving as a first point of contact for designated HR and Payroll inquiries and by processing a limited scope of centralized Human Capital Management (HCM) transactions (i.e., within the HR, Benefits and Payroll domains). The hallmarks of the ISC are delivering services that are timely, accurate and highly attuned to the fast-paced university environment. Reporting to the ISC Benefits Operations Director, the Benefits Specialist operates as a member of a team dedicated to executing Tier 2 Benefits functions within the ISC framework and serving as the escalated point of contact for resolution of customer benefit inquiries. More specific responsibilities will include consulting with all levels of staff on benefit matters, ensuring that benefits processes and related eligibility determinations are completed in accordance with established objectives, supporting successful execution of designated benefits processes and coordinating with a combination of HCM, Benefits, and Payroll resources within the ISC and advanced domain experts external to the ISC to address escalated inquiries (i.e., working effectively within the framework of a multi-tiered customer inquiry and issue resolution model, including ISC Tier 1 first point of contact for questions and walk-in services, ISC Tier 2 operational transaction support and advanced domain support external to the ISC). This professional level position has substantial responsibility for exercising discretion and independent judgement in effecting, executing, and discharging various aspects of the benefits eligibility and benefit election functions for the University of Washington. In order to be successful, the incumbent will need to possess in-depth benefits administrative expertise, including benefit elections and associated eligibility determinations. This role will encompass cognizance of relevant compliance/regulatory standards and associated audit/control reporting.

Responsibilities:

Consultation on and Execution of Benefit Activities

Provides consulting to staff/students/faculty, and executes and reviews/approves benefit activities, including the following:

Benefit enrollments, including enrollments for new hires, job changes and life events

Benefit eligibility determinations, including Health & Welfare and Retirement • Dependent events

Collection/validation/analysis of supporting documentation

Communication of enrollment windows and associated deadlines

Support for Annual Open Enrollment and Special Enrollments

Ensures completion of assigned benefit transactions in accordance with established standards

Identifies process improvement opportunities to deliver enhanced customer services to the organization

Provides direct consulting to staff/students/faculty on benefits matters; completes research to ensure issue resolution, and maintains knowledge of all Washington state/UW benefits regulations, policies, and plan coverage to ensure accurate information is provided.

Internal ISC and HR Collaboration and Stakeholder Communication (20%)

Supports timely resolution of complex issues/inquiries

Coordinates with other ISC resources and external Central Business Unit experts as required to address escalated inquiries

Contributes to an outstanding customer-service environment, including strong collaboration with key stakeholders

Applies tact and diplomacy when dealing with customers

Utilizes UW Connect to facilitate management of inquiries/issues in accordance with established protocols

ISC Services Support

Supports periodic Workday update processes, including Benefit testing activities

Supports ISC knowledge management processes, including identification and verification of additions/changes to the working repository of knowledge content

Supports ISC training activities, including development and verification of relevant content

As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here.

Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field and 2 years of experience in working in a benefits role, including working knowledge of benefits elections, eligibility determinations, dependent events, benefits reporting and facilitation of inquiries directed via disparate channels (i.e., phone, e-mail, case management tools, etc.) ?

Experience working in the benefits domain

Working knowledge of benefit plan design, COBRA and other applicable regulatory considerations

Working knowledge of applicable benefit plan offerings, including Health & Welfare and/or Retirement

Extensive experience interacting with customers, including resolution of complex inquiries and efficient performance during high volume timeframes

Experience supporting system testing and/or data validation activities

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

Desired:

Experience administering benefits within the Workday technology platform

Experience in defining business requirements, testing, documentation, employee communications, and other skills to ensure an accurate, comprehensive and user-friendly experience

Experience playing an individual contributor role within a shared services environment

Working experience executing relevant business processes at University of Washington or in a comparable higher education environment

Experience in the use of customer support infrastructure tools, including a case management system, knowledge base and associated reporting tools

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Workforce Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.