Benefits Administrator

Ada County is a great place to work! Join Our Team – Make an Impact Where It Matters Most. Ada County is seeking an energetic, creative, and highly organized professional who is passionate about building relationships, engaging employees, and transforming benefits into meaningful experiences. This is a fast-paced, highly independent role that requires a strong service mindset, excellent communication skills, and the ability to make complex benefits information clear, relevant, and useful. Serving more than 2,300 employees and approximately 4,500 covered lives, Ada County’s benefits program supports employees across diverse departments, work environments, and schedules. Success in this position requires a proactive, resourceful communicator who can adapt messaging for different audiences, build strong partnerships, and develop engaging education and outreach that helps employees understand and maximize the value of their benefits. The Benefits Administrator serves as a trusted resource to employees and leaders while coordinating closely with brokers, consultants, carriers, and other vendor partners. This role will lead trainings, develop communication strategies, coordinate vendor resources, and ensure employees receive accurate, timely, and meaningful information. The successful candidate will be comfortable asking questions, solving problems, holding partners accountable, and bringing the right people together to get things done.Beyond day-to-day benefits administration, this position will think strategically about employee engagement, utilization, claims costs, cost-containment opportunities, emerging benefit trends, regulatory changes, and opportunities to improve the County’s comprehensive benefits program. The ideal candidate is curious, adaptable, comfortable managing competing priorities, and able to connect the technical details of benefits with the people those benefits are intended to serve. We offer a competitive Total Rewards package that increases your base salary by approximately 40%, including:Excellent medical, dental, and vision insuranceGenerous vacation and sick leave11 paid holidays annuallyParticipation in Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho (PERSI) a defined benefit plan with a 11.96% employer contribution457(b) deferred compensation plan with up to 3% county match, plus a 401(k)Paid parental leave, life insurance, and wellness programsOngoing training opportunities and career developmentRemote work upon completion of training (up to 2 days/wk.) POSITION GENERAL SUMMARY:The Benefits Administrator serves as a subject matter expert and strategic lead for the administration, development, contracts and compliance of group benefit programs including health, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, flexible spending plan, retirement plans across Ada County. The Benefits Administrator supervises the benefits staff and is responsible for directing and planning the day-to-day operations and short and long-term initiatives. This position works collaboratively with leadership, cross-functional teams, and external vendors to drive solutions that support employee well-being and organizational goals. Essential FunctionsStrategic Oversight & PlanningLead the planning and execution of benefit program operations, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, and wellness programs;Analyze utilization trends, cost drivers, and market data to inform benefit plan design and cost-containment strategies;Provide strategic recommendations to leadership regarding benefit offerings, emerging trends, regulatory updates, and long-term program sustainability;Prepare, collect, and organize data for actuarial assessments;Design, recommend and implement new benefits programs and examine possible plan designs and benefits cost changes;Collaborate with various stakeholders including but not limited to Budget & Finance, Payroll, Legal, and agency leadership to align benefits strategies. Program Management & ComplianceEnsure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, including ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, and IRS guidelines;Coordinate with legal counsel, auditors, and vendors to support compliance reviews, plan documents, plan filings, and audits;Maintain data integrity within HRIS and benefits systems; oversee audits and reconciliations;Serve as advisor for the Ada County Health Care Trust and as ex-officio, non-voting member recommending solutions from identified issues and risks regarding the financial solvency of the Ada County Healthcare Trust fund and serves as HIPAA Privacy Official;Generate and analyze reports related to benefit enrollment, cost trends, utilization, and budget forecasting. Vendor & Contract ManagementServe as the primary liaison with insurance carriers, benefit vendors, brokers, and consultants;Oversee Request for Proposal (RFP) processes and negotiate benefit contracts and renewals to align with organizational objectives and budgetary goals;Monitor vendor performance and ensure high-quality service delivery. Employee Experience & CommunicationsDevelop and manage comprehensive employee communication and education strategies related to benefits and total rewards;Lead benefit orientations, open enrollment campaigns, and wellness initiatives to increase awareness and engagement;Provide consultation and training to agency leadersServe as an escalation point for complex benefit inquiries and issue resolution. Benefits Team LeadershipProvide day-to-day oversight of benefits administration including enrollments, electronic data transfer, invoicing and records maintenance;Supervise personnel, assigns work, reviews and evaluates performance, adheres to policies and procedures, resolves employee complaints, participates in interviewing and hiring employees, trains employees, tracks time, coordinates vacation schedules and leave coverage, and conducts performance evaluations;Enforce policy, procedures, and standards to ensure consistent, compliant, timely, and accurate work;Foster a positive work environment that encourages team collaboration, professional development, and embodies the culture of Ada County Human Resources;Document and maintain administrative procedures for assigned benefits processes;Preserve confidentiality of employee medical documentation and files;Serve as a back-up for benefits positions. Healthcare Trust:Provide administrative support to Health Care Trust including the processing of vouchers, invoices, developing and posting agendas, taking meeting minutes and clerking meetings;Assist with insurance billing audit, reconciliation, and invoice processing. Job RequirementsBachelor’s Degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Public Administration, Human Resource Management or a related field OR an equivalent combination of education and experience;A minimum of five (5) years of previous related work experience and at least (2) years supervising a team or serving as a lead;Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), Professional Human Resources certification (PHR), Society for Human Resource Management certification (SHRM-CP), preferred;Knowledge of the processes and theories used for public budgetary and financial policies for benefit funds;Knowledge of financial and budget systems and reporting;Knowledge of funding and claim reserve management;Knowledge of benefit contract language and public procurement laws;Knowledge of leadership/supervisory/management best practices;Knowledge of operational understanding of claim processing and provider reimbursement;Knowledge of benefit rate making and self-funded financial methodologies;Knowledge of the principles and best practices of human resources, employee development, mentoring and employee relations;Knowledge and understanding of ERISA, COBRA, ACA, IRS, DOL that impact employee benefits;Knowledge of the leave requirements and other legal protections afforded by the FMLA, ADA, USERRA, and other applicable laws;Ability to propose, develop and present process improvement strategies using operational and performance data;Skill in effective oral and written communication and conducting presentations;Skill in interpreting and analyzing data and applying critical and analytical thinking to resolve problems;Skill in prioritizing multiple tasks, planning and organizing work to meet deadlines;Ability to apply project management principles and techniques to create project plans, manage scope, and schedule deliverables;Ability to take initiatives to plan and accomplish objectives in a timely fashion;Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with project team members, supervisors, employees from other departments and third-party administrators;Strong experience in advising and providing consultation to employees on benefit and leave programs;