The Lead Benefits Specialist serves as the supervisor over the employees who administer the statewide health and benefit programs for the Colorado Judicial Department.  This position is responsible for the overall management of the Judicial and state health and benefit programs for Judicial Department.

This classification is distinguished from other classifications due to the required supervisory responsibilities and required concentration on benefit program management.

Advises district administrative staff on benefit administration, plan design and legal requirements of the state benefit plans, including medical, dental, retirement, disability, FMLA, COBRA, and other programs as assigned.

 

Enforces state and department policies related to health and benefit programs.

 

Collaborates and confers with the department’s payroll team, Executive Branch central payroll and benefit units, Colorado Judicial Department Human Resources Division, and the Public Employee's Retirement Association (PERA) regarding policies and procedures.

 

Develops and schedules training on practices, policies, and procedures for district administrative staff and employees.

 

Establishes branch-wide policies and procedures for the administration of employee benefits and maintains an administrative benefits manual for administrative staff.

 

Advises and assists district administrative office staff regarding the preparation of benefit information and notifies districts of changes in procedures, policies, laws and forms.

 

Acts as a liaison between employees, payroll, district personnel and insurance providers to resolve problems.

 

Provides support in the administration of total compensation programs and participates in special projects related to total compensation work.

 

Generates comprehensive employee communications program related to benefits.

 

Develops and leads programs for the State Court Administrator’s Office for the health and wellbeing of the office’s employees.

 

Provides mentoring and coaching to employees.  May provide training.

 

Attends departmental and special meetings and trainings, as required.

 

Participates in special projects and other duties, as assigned.

Has supervisory accountability for other employees.  Plans, directs, and coordinates activities for a unit. Duties include scheduling and assigning of work, training in all facets of work, and quality control.  Conducts performance appraisals and provides input into and participates in the discipline, dismissal, and hiring processes, and making decisions impacting the pay, status and tenure of others.

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree and three years of experience working in human resources, benefit plan administration, or related experience.  Additional work experience in these or other related fields may be substituted on a year for year basis for the required formal education.

 

Experience must include:

 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, use hands to perform repetitive motions, and talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to walk and must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. May handle emergency or crisis situations and may be subject to interruptions, may handle multiple calls and inquiries simultaneously and may occasional handle absentee replacement on short notice.