Benefits Operations Analyst

Cooper; New York (NY); On-site; USD 82,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

The Cooper Union in New York, NY seeks a Benefits Operations Analyst to own the administration, compliance, and continuous improvement of our employee benefits programs, including 403(b), health and welfare, FSAs, leaves, and tuition benefits. You will collaborate with the HR Director and serve as the SME for benefits across campus.

This role offers growth toward an Operations Manager position, with opportunities to shape program delivery, communications, and the overall employee experience for

Qualifications

• Three-five years of progressive benefits experience including retirement and health programs.
• Knowledge of IRS, DOL, ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and FMLA requirements.
• Experience managing relationships with carriers, recordkeepers, brokers and auditors.
• Strong Excel skills; payroll process familiarity.
• Ability to explain complex benefits clearly to employees.
• Higher education or union environment experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Administers 403(b) plan operations, compliance, and recordkeeper relations.
• Plans and coordinates annual open enrollment and communications.
• Manages leaves of absence including FMLA coordination.
• Oversees billing, invoicing, and benefits data and reporting.
• Ensures regulatory compliance and maintains audit-ready records.
• Acts as primary resource for employees, retirees, carriers, and vendors.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Project management

Attention to detail

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR / Business Administration / Finance

CEBS / SHRM-CP/SCP certification preferred

Tools

Excel

Outlook

SharePoint

Ellucian Colleague

Concur

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Benefits Operations Analyst owns the day-to-day administration, compliance, and continuous improvement of the institution’s employee benefits programs, including the 403(b) retirement plan, health and welfare benefits, flexible spending accounts, leaves of absence, and tuition benefits. Reporting to the Human Resources Director, this role is the institution’s subject-matter expert on benefits and serves as the primary point of contact for employees, retirees, carriers, recordkeepers, auditors, and internal partners in Accounting and Payroll.

This is an opportunity for an experienced benefits professional to take full ownership of a comprehensive benefits portfolio, shape how programs are delivered and communicated, and make a visible difference in the experience of faculty and staff. As The Cooper Union expands its Human Resources systems, this role has potential to grow into an Operations Manager position, co-authoring the roadmap for the implementation process and ultimately, managing Human Resource Administration as a whole.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Retirement Plan Administration (403(b))

• Serves as the primary administrator of the 403(b) plan, overseeing daily plan operations, the recordkeeper relationship, and compliance with plan provisions and IRS requirements.
• Audits and reconciles 403(b) contributions after each payroll; reviews Good Funding Notifications and authorizes timely funding of participant accounts.
• Monitors contributions for highly compensated employees and annual IRS limits, and supports nondiscrimination testing and any required corrections.
• Maintains complete, audit-ready plan records and leads the annual plan audit in partnership with external auditors, Accounting, and Human Resources leadership.
• Supports required regulatory filings and participant notices, as applicable.

Health & Welfare Benefits

• Plans and leads annual open enrollment for health and FSA plans, including timelines, employee communications, carrier and vendor coordination, and system and payroll updates.
• Partners with the Human Resources Director on health plan renewals, vendor and broker relationships, and plan design; prepares data and analysis to inform cost and coverage decisions.
• Administers Flexible Spending Account programs (Medical, Dependent Care, Transit, and Parking), including vendor coordination, eligibility, and compliance.
• Oversees group health insurance billing, including invoice review, reconciliation against enrollment, and timely premium payment.
• Administers quarterly Medicare reimbursements for eligible retirees.
• Manages wellness and fitness benefits, including the gym membership program.

Leaves of Absence

• Manages leaves of absence from start to finish, including Short-Term Disability and Paid Family Leave and their coordination with FMLA and other applicable leave laws: determining eligibility, coordinating with carriers, communicating with employees and managers, aligning pay with Payroll, and supporting return to work.

Tuition Benefits

• Administers the Tuition Reimbursement program, including grant and loan requests: reviews eligibility, processes approvals in line with policy, and tracks program usage and costs.

Employee Education & Support

• Develops and delivers benefits orientation for new hires,helping employees understand and make the most of their benefits.
• Serves as the go-to resource for employees and retirees on benefits questions, resolving escalated issues with carriers and vendors.
• Creates clear, accessible benefits communications and resources throughout the year.

Financial Oversight & Reporting

• Partners with Accounting on monthly reconciliation of HR-related accounts; prepares general ledger entries for the Controller to review and post.
• Reviews and processes HR invoices in Concur, ensuring accuracy and appropriate coding.
• Maintains accurate benefits data across HR and payroll systems, and prepares benefits reporting and metrics for HR leadership.

Compliance & Continuous Improvement

• Ensures benefit programs comply with applicable federal, state, and local requirements (including IRS, DOL, ACA, COBRA, and HIPAA), and keeps plan documents, summaries, and policies current.
• Identifies opportunities to streamline processes, strengthen controls, and improve the employee experience, and recommends program and policy enhancements to the Human Resources Director.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

SKILLS/REQUIREMENTS

• Three-five years of progressive benefits experience, including direct responsibility for administering retirement (403(b) or 401(k)) and health and welfare programs.
• Working knowledge of benefits and leave regulations, including IRS, DOL, ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, and state leave and disability programs.
• Demonstrated success managing relationships with carriers, recordkeepers, brokers, and external auditors.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with hands‑on experience in reconciliations, audits, and general ledger entries.
• Solid understanding of payroll processes and reporting; ADP experience preferred.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel; working knowledge of Microsoft Outlook and SharePoint. Ellucian Colleague experience a plus.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex benefits information clearly to employees at all levels.
• Exceptional organization and the ability to independently manage multiple deadlines and annual cycles.
• Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential and sensitive information.
• Collaborative, service-oriented approach and flexibility as priorities evolve.
• Experience in higher education preferred; experience in a union environment a plus.
• CEBS, SHRM-CP/SCP, or a similar professional certification preferred.

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.

Equivalent combination of education and directly related experience will be considered.

Annual salary range: $82,000 - $88,000

This is a non-union position.

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony .