City of Jacksonville

Job Description

Are you looking for a position with a work/life balance? Do you want to earn four (4) weeks off during your first year of employment? Do you want low and no cost health insurance options? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you need to complete your application now. Work for the city you love!!!

The Employee Services Department is actively seeking a Benefits Specialist.

Did you know as a City of Jacksonville employee, you would also have twelve (12) paid holidays and a personal leave day as well? In addition to health insurance, dental, vision, life insurance and flexible spending plans are also available. City of Jacksonville employees are also eligible for Federal Student Loan Forgiveness after ten (10) years of public service and on-time payments.

This is paraprofessional work in coordinating the daily operations of an Employee Benefits program and/or administering multiple operational functions involving research, analysis and advisory responsibilities. The work requires knowledge of and the ability to apply principles and practices of City employee benefits activities, which is usually gained through substantial work experience. May train and review the work of other employees. Contacts with others require skills in understanding and influencing people which are important in providing employee benefit services, discussing, and resolving work-related issues and problems, and presenting and defending recommendations and decisions. Work is standardized in that tasks are covered by substantially diversified procedures and specialized standards and because of changing priorities or different situations, incumbents have the latitude to consider which of the many procedures or standards should be followed and in what sequence. The work involves differing situations requiring use of judgment in searching for solutions or new applications. Work is performed mainly in an office environment. Physical demands consist mainly of sitting or standing at a workstation for extended periods of time, and occasionally lifting and moving light objects. Operates standard office equipment and a personal computer using HRIS system, database, spreadsheet, presentation, mapping, and word processing applications. Work is performed under limited supervision where the work assignments are subject to established procedures, practices, precedents, methods, techniques, or well-defined policies; the worker plans and organizes the work, and determines priorities; and the work is generally reviewed upon completion for technical accuracy, acceptability of results, quality and timeliness.

Examples of Work

• Reviews, researches, and processes a variety of employee benefits transactions and advises employees, agencies and departments of recommended disposition or necessary action.
• Prepares and records manual check refund requests and back deductions-.
• Prepares and processes daily and weekly reports as required.
• Provides technical guidance, assistance, and training to employees on the employee benefits programs, policies, procedures and processes.
• Provides assistance to outside agencies affiliated with the City for new hires, terminations and new pensioner employees and salary changes.
• Monitors Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for terminated employees to ensure FSA medical care participants are terminated timely.
• Monitors completed COBRA participant packets, ensuring compliance that COBRA was offered timely and accurately.
• Reviews, edits, and ensures timely transmission of accurate data to appropriate associates to accomplish biweekly employee benefits, payroll and associated transactions.
• Compiles data for development of recommendations, reports, charts, and spreadsheets.
• Coordinates an employee benefits program involving research, analysis, and advisory responsibilities.
• Troubleshoots errors in employee benefits transactions received from associates.
• Reviews, researches, and calculates refunds of overpayments of premiums and back premiums due.
• Recommends, tests, documents, and trains others on employee benefits systems.
• Provides benefits reenrollment meetings and wellness lunch and learns.
• Develops, reviews, and recommends revisions to employee benefits policies and processes.
• Establishes, monitors, and maintains employee benefits files and associated records and systems including interfacing with payroll, human resources, pension and other related activities.
• Prepares correspondence and responses to inquiries, complaints, and issues.
• Ensures compliance with federal and state rules and regulations.
• Responds to benefits surveys.
• Demonstrates proficiency in the City of Jacksonville’s competencies.
• Performs related work as required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of City employee benefits policies, procedures, and processes.
• Knowledge of federal, state and local laws, rules, and regulations governing City employee benefits activities as well as collective bargaining agreements and pay plans.
• Skill in researching, organizing and maintaining records and files.
• Ability to coordinate and administer employee benefit services.
• Ability to design reports to extract information from electronic files.
• Ability to develop and conduct training for users on employee benefits processes and systems.
• Ability to operate a computer utilizing word process, spreadsheet and HRIS systems to accomplish work objectives.
• Ability to respond to benefit surveys.
• Ability to read, comprehend, and interpret rules, regulations and policies.
• Ability to prepare correspondence and reports.
• Ability to identify and resolve operational problems and respond to questions and complaints.
• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with staff at all levels and with members of the general public.
• Ability to establish effective working relationships.

Open Requirements/Supplemental Information

Four years of education and/or experience in employee benefits administration or human resources administration. 

Preferred experience counseling plan member survivors, developing and making presentations to large groups, enrolling and orientating new plan members, calculating premium rates or refunds, and troubleshooting complaints.

LICENSE/CERTIFICATION/REGISTRATION: 

• Must successfully complete HIPPA Awareness training during probationary period and maintain during employment.

A FULLY COMPLETED ONLINE APPLICATION IS REQUIRED. Apply at www.jacksonville.gov. Work history is required for all employment/volunteer work in which qualifications are being based. A resume is required with your application. When meeting/basing qualifications on education, a copy of your college transcript, with your social blacked out, is also required with your application. U.S. transcripts do not need to be official, but must state your name, the school’s name, classes taken, grades received, type of degree, and date degree was conferred. Transcripts outside the U.S. must be converted to U.S. standards.

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Certain servicemembers and veterans, and the spouses and the family members of such service members and veterans, receive preference and priority, and certain servicemembers may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements, in employment and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.

If claiming veteran's preference, you must attach a DD-214 (Member Form-4 copy) or military discharge papers, or equivalent certification from the Department of Veterans Affairs listing military status, dates of service and character of discharge. You must also attach the Veterans Preference Certification Form and if applicable, the additional forms as noted here: http://www.coj.net/departments/employee-services/veterans-preference.

If a candidate believes he or she was not afforded veteran’s preference, he or she may file a written complaint, within sixty (60) calendar days upon receipt of notification of the hiring decision, requesting an investigation to:

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs

Attention: Veterans’ Preference Coordinator

11351 Ulmerton Road, Suite 311-K 

Largo, FL 33778-1630 

Email: VeteransPreference@fdva.state.fl.us

The City of Jacksonville provides a wide array of benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Our comprehensive benefit programs include medical, dental and vision plans; life insurance coverage for you and your dependents; flexible spending plans for medical reimbursement, dependent care, parking, and transit expenses; an employee assistance program for you and your dependents; a 457(b) tax-deferred compensation plan to supplement your retirement, and a ROTH IRA plan. We also provide an extensive wellness program that includes a health intervention program if qualified, lunch and learns, health fairs, and discounted gym memberships. Please visit the Employee Benefits website for details on all the plans we offer.

www.coj.net/benefits