Human Resources Generalist - Benefits

Broward County Government; Miami (FL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Broward County Government is seeking a Human Resources Generalist within the Employee Benefits Services section to provide HR guidance and exceptional customer service to internal clients.

Responsibilities include interpreting policies, administering benefit plans, coordinating with insurers, ensuring compliance with benefits laws, and supporting benefits enrollment and related projects while maintaining accurate data systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, public administration, or related field.
• Two years HR generalist experience in employee benefits.
• Experience interpreting benefit plans and compliance with benefits laws.

Responsibilities

• Provide HR guidance and customer service to internal clients.
• Interpret benefits policies and administer plans; respond to inquiries.
• Coordinate with insurance carriers and third-party administrators.
• Audit data accuracy for new hire and benefit changes.
• Assist with annual open enrollment activities.
• Maintain HR tracking systems and databases.
• Advise on employee relations and labor contracts.

Skills

Customer service

Analytical skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or public administration

Tools

Adobe

Microsoft Office 365

Job description

Requirements And Preferences

The Broward County Board of County Commissioners is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Human Resources Generalist within the Human Resources Division in the Employee Benefits Services section.

The Human Resources Division is the internal support system for managing the overall County’s workforce championing a culture of engagement, continuous development and performance excellence; while holding the upmost highest level of integrity, empathy, and confidentiality to our external and internal customers.

Employee Benefits Services is a section of Human Resources that specializes in the benefits offered to all Broward County employees, including retirees. The County offers a range of employee benefits that include medical insurance spending accounts and optional plans.

The ideal candidate will provide professional HR guidance and customer service to internal clients. This position supports an assigned agency by interpreting County policies, procedures, and offering referrals. The role requires strong analytical skills, knowledge of HR best practices, and the ability to respond effectively to a wide range of employee and management needs. Strong proficiency in Adobe and Microsoft Office 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) is essential.

Additionally, this role also involves interpreting benefit plan provisions, explaining eligibility and enrollment requirements, assisting employees with benefit-related questions, coordinating with insurance carriers and third-party administrators, and ensuring compliance with all applicable benefits laws and regulations, or performing related duties.

This position is responsible for the administration and analysis of employee benefits plans and welfare programs for employees, retirees and COBRA participants. This role provides high-level customer service, responding to specific, confidential and time-sensitive questions, concerns or issues relating to employee benefits. The successful incumbent will serve as an employee advocate and first line of contact for the resolution of employee benefit discrepancies and issues, such as health and welfare. The incumbent must have full knowledge and understanding of laws and regulations pertaining to benefit plans, including but not limited to IRC Section 125 Cafeteria Plans, COBRA, HIPAA, PPACA, SECURE Act 2.0, Florida Retirement System (FRS) and FMLA. In addition to professional experience in employee benefits, keys to success include exceptional interpersonal skills; excellent verbal, written, and presentation abilities; the aptitude to foster strong business relationships with all levels of staff and management; and the capacity to manage multiple priorities while thriving in a fast-paced environment.

Additional Key Responsibilities

• Conducts benefits orientation for new hires, processing new hire paperwork, and qualifying events changes.
• Counsel employees regarding COBRA and retirement.
• Works with insurance carriers to resolve more complex level benefit-related issues.
• Acts as primary auditor and reviewer of data for new hire and benefit changes paperwork to verify accuracy of data entry and completeness of required paperwork.
• Assists with all annual open enrollment activities.
• Provide advisement and customer service to employees, supervisors, managers, and external clients.
• Conduct research on HR policies, procedures, laws, regulations, collective bargaining agreements, total reward trends, and best practices.
• Lead or contribute to special projects to support HR goals, promote best practices, and improve departmental processes.
• Proofread, review, and edit HR documents, reports, correspondence, and internal communications to ensure accuracy, clarity, ADA compliance, and alignment with HR policies and procedures.
• Respond promptly and professionally to HR- benefit related emails, telephone calls, and other communications; research issues, provide information, resolve routine inquiries, and **escalate** complex matters appropriately.
• Develop, update, and maintain HR tracking systems and databases.
• Support HR initiatives such as training, employee engagement, and wellness programs by coordinating activities.
• Maintain organized electronic and physical personnel filing systems, ensuring documents meet retention requirements and are accessible for audits or internal review.

Additional duties assigned.

General Description

Advises and provides assistance in all functional areas of Human Resources.

Works under general supervision, independently developing work methods and sequences

Minimum Education And Experience Requirements

Requires a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in business or public administration, human resources or related field.

(One year of relevant experience may be substituted for each year of required education.)

Requires two (2) years of human resources generalist work specifically in employee benefits administration, including the administration of health, dental, vision, life insurance, retirement, and/or other employee benefit programs.

Preferences

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university with major coursework in business or public administration, human resources or closely related field.
• HR Certification from any accredited college
• Active - HRCI-SPHR or IPMA-SCP or SHRM-SCP
• Active - HRCI-PHR or IPMA-CP or SHRM-CP or CBS
• HRIS Experience (PeopleSoft, etc.) - two or more years
• International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (CEBS) Certification
• WorldatWork (CBP) Certification
• 2 + years of Government Benefits Experience

SCOPE OF WORK

Duties And Responsibilities

Provides advisement and customer service to all internal/external clients including answering County policy and procedure questions, interpreting/administering union contracts, referrals, and assisting with strategic organizational planning for an assigned agency.

Researches policies, procedures, laws, regulations, collective bargaining agreements, compensation trends, best practices, and interview questions; announces and advertises vacancies; prescreens, rates and interviews applicants, assists with executive recruitments and on boarding, and reviews forms and paperwork.

Provides assistance in employee counseling, disciplines, grievances, and labor contract negotiations; assists supervisors with probation extensions and rejections, performance appraisals, performance improvement plans, sick leave monitoring and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); assists with labor/employee relations pre-discipline/discipline meetings.

Performs reclassification and salary adjustment reviews, participates in salary surveys, reviews new hire and other employment action paperwork; provides advisement of county policies and procedures and collective bargaining agreements to employees and supervisors.

Advises and guides County employees/clients on employee/labor relations and other human resources related matters to ensure County policies/procedures are followed, to minimize liability, and to assist clients in taking the most appropriate/effective course of action possible; provides labor relations related training.

Works on special projects to ensure best practices and to accomplish Human Resources Goals, as assigned.

Performs related work as assigned.

Competencies

• Business Insight: Applies knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization's goals. Clearly understands how own activities relate to critical business drivers. Monitors business news and market changes for impact on the business or on own expertise area; uses this to shape decisions.
• Tech Savvy: Anticipates and adopts innovations in business-building digital and technology applications. Investigates technologies to learn some cutting-edge best practices. Uses digital/social media to benefit the team and add value to the work being done; understands how to avoid misuse of these tools.
• Manages Complexity: Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems. Looks at complex issues from multiple angles; explores issues to uncover underlying issues and root causes; sees the main consequences and implications of different options.
• Decision Quality: Makes good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward. Knows when to act independently and when to economize. Integrates various inputs, decision criteria, and trade-offs to make effective decisions. Typically makes good independent decisions.
• Plans and Aligns: Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals. Outlines clear plans that put actions in a logical sequence; conveys some time frames. Aligns own work with relevant workgroups. Takes some steps to reduce bottlenecks and speed up the work.
• Ensures Accountability: Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments. Accepts responsibility for own work, both successes and failures. Handles fair share and does not make excuses for problems. Usually meets commitments to others.
• Communicates Effectively: Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences. Listens attentively and takes an interest. Keeps others well informed; conveys information clearly, concisely, and professionally when speaking or writing.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Physical Demands

Physical demands refer to the requirements for physical exertion and coordination of limb and body movement.

Performs sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or sustained keyboard operations.

Unavoidable Hazards (Work Environment)

Unavoidable hazards refer to the job conditions that may lead to injury or health hazards even though precautions have been taken.

None.