Coordinator For Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits Coordinator

La Joya Independent School District (ISD) is committed to excellence for students and our community. We have a strong, 100-year legacy in the Rio Grande Valley. The district's vision - Educational Excellence: The Right of Every Student - conveys our urgent focus on students.

Our work is rooted in five district priorities, which require collaboration and deep commitment to supporting one another as we serve the community.

We are focused on ensuring every student in La Joya ISD has access to high-quality, best-fit schools as we work to improve from a B-district to an A-rated district. We serve more than 22,000 students in more than 30 schools and span six municipalities, covering more than 220 square miles.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for a detail-oriented, service-minded, and highly organized Employee Benefits Coordinator who is committed to supporting the well-being of our employees and their families. The ideal candidate will bring strong knowledge of employee benefits, excellent communication skills, and a genuine desire to help employees understand and make the most of their benefits.

The successful candidate will be someone who can confidently manage sensitive and confidential information, navigate multiple priorities, and provide accurate and timely assistance in a fast-paced public school district environment. This individual should be comfortable working with employees at all levels, collaborating with insurance carriers and benefits providers, and ensuring benefit programs are administered in accordance with district policies and applicable laws and regulations.

We are seeking a professional who is approachable, dependable, proactive, and solutions-oriented and someone who takes pride in providing exceptional customer service while maintaining accuracy and confidentiality.

Qualifications

Education/Certification

o Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and/or Education

o Master's Degree in Business Administration and/or Education (preferred)

Special Knowledge/Skills

o Strong organizational and management skills

o Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet strict deadlines

o Strong communication and interpersonal skills

o Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint

o Proficient in Google Workspace

o Ability to analyze health insurance data

o Ability to create, maintain, manage and collaborate documents, spreadsheet, presentations. electronic records and shared drives

Experience:

o Minimum three (3) years of experience in group health and voluntary insurance plans

o Coordinating employee benefits, including voluntary products

o Coordination of the District's Health Insurance Program Open Enrollment

o Coordination of the District's Cafeteria Plan

o Assisting District Employees with insurance claims

o Addressing inquiries related to the Health Insurance Program

o Preparing, verifying and maintaining posting of all deductions and benefits

o Coordinate premium reconciliation processes for all insurance products

o Supervising Employee Benefits staff

o Strong organizational, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills

o Experience using insurance, benefits or HR software platforms preferred

o Experience using ERP LINQ systems

o Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat

o Experience using Excel trackers

o Experience in preparing the annual 720 Excise Tax report and filing the IRS

o Preparing and Assisting CMS Medicare reporting

o Administering COBRA requirements

o Experience in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) filing and reporting to the IRS and employees

Major Responsibilities and Duties

Benefits Administration

1. Develop and implement comprehensive employee benefits strategies that align with the district's objectives and strategic plan and support competitiveness with surrounding school districts.

2. Oversee the administration of employee benefits programs, including dental, vision, life, disability, cancer, retirement, and other voluntary benefits.

3. Oversee the administration of the district's self-funded health insurance plan.

4. Oversee the annual benefits enrollment process, ensuring employees receive sufficient information before enrollment to make informed decisions.

Compliance and Regulatory Reporting

1. Ensure benefits programs comply with applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, FMLA, and COBRA, as applicable.

2. Process and file required ACA reports.

3. Coordinate the issuance of certificates of coverage for employees and dependents.

4. Monitor industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices affecting employee benefits.

Retirement and Benefits Reporting

1. Prepare, verify, maintain, and post employee benefit elections and deductions.

2. Oversee and update open enrollment changes affecting employee coverage and benefit deductions.

Benefits Accounting and Financial Reporting

1. Develop and manage the annual benefits budget.

2. Monitor benefits spending and identify cost-saving opportunities.

Internal Controls and Risk Management

1. Maintain the confidentiality of employee benefits information.

Operational Leadership

1. Negotiate with and manage relationships with benefits vendors, brokers, third-party administrators, and consultants to support efficient and cost-effective program delivery.

2. Assist with oversight of the district's Employee Benefits Committee.

3. Assist in preparing bid documents required to procure employee benefits.

Leadership and Staff Development

1. Supervise and evaluate Employee Benefits staff.

Customer Service and Communication

1. Develop and implement communication strategies to educate employees about benefits and encourage participation in available programs.

2. Assist district employees with insurance claims and appeals.

Process Improvement and Technology

1. Regularly review and analyze benefits program performance.

2. Identify areas for improvement and recommend changes to enhance employee satisfaction and program value.

Accountability

The Employee Benefits Coordinator is accountable for the accurate, timely, and documented administration of district employee benefits. Responsibilities include:

Verify employee benefit elections, eligibility documentation, coverage effective dates, and payroll deductions; coordinate corrections with Payroll and benefit providers.

Maintain a calendar of enrollment, payroll, reconciliation, reporting, and filing deadlines and complete assigned requirements on time.

Reconcile benefit enrollment records, payroll deductions, and carrier invoices each month; document discrepancies and track corrections through resolution.

Track outstanding benefits issues, responsible parties, due dates, and resolution status; promptly escalate unresolved issues that could affect employee coverage, pay, or district obligations.

Provide accurate benefits information, respond within established department timelines, and follow through on enrollment, claims, and coverage concerns.

Maintain complete, organized, and secure records supporting benefits transactions, reconciliations, reporting, and audit requests.

Assign staff responsibilities, monitor accuracy and completion of work, provide training, and address performance concerns promptly.

Provide regular status updates to the supervisor, identify recurring errors or delays, and implement approved corrective actions to prevent recurrence.

Other Duties as Assigned

1. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Directly supervise Benefits Accountant and Insurance Specialists.

Recommend hiring, selection, and staffing decisions.

Assign, prioritize, and monitor departmental work assignments.

Coach, mentor, and develop staff to support professional growth and continuous improvement.

Conduct performance evaluations and address performance concerns in a timely and constructive manner.

Hold staff accountable for departmental goals, productivity, accuracy, customer service, compliance, and operational excellence.

Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the department.

Selects, trains, supervises and evaluates staff and makes recommendations relative to assignment, retention, discipline and dismissal.

Personal Work Relationships

All La Joya ISD employees must maintain a commitment to the District's mission, vision, and strategic goals.

Exhibits high professionalism, standards of conduct and work ethic.

Demonstrates high quality customer service; builds rapport/relationship with the consumer.