Human Resources Specialist I

Texas A&M AgriLife is the nation’s largest and most comprehensive agriculture program, bringing together a college and four state agencies focused on agriculture and life sciences within The Texas A&M University System. With over 5,000 employees and a presence in every Texas county, AgriLife improves lives, environments, and the economy through education, research, extension, and service.

About the role

We are seeking a Human Resources Specialist I to serve as a member of the AgriLife Benefits team, supporting employees, retirees, and survivors on routine and complex insurance and benefits coverage issues. This position assists customers with retirement program enrollments and related administration, processes Workday changes related to benefits, and serves as a primary point of contact for retirees, dependents, and survivors.

Responsibilities

• Assist employees, retirees, and survivors with questions regarding insurance coverage, benefits, and costs.
• Assist customers with Voluntary Retirement programs (Tax Deferred Accounts & Deferred Compensation Plan) communications.
• Assist in enrollment in and changes to Teacher Retirement System of Texas Defined Annuitant (TDA).
• Answer general questions and provide information as needed.
• Email newly eligible Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) employees regarding eligibility.
• Monitor and track return of ORP eligibility acknowledgement forms.
• Finalize ORP enrollment in Workday.
• Complete ORP notification forms upon termination or retirement of ORP participants.
• Communicate with ORP vendors as needed.
• Generate, analyze, and maintain Workday reports using Excel to monitor new hire benefit activity, identify data discrepancies, and proactively resolve issues.
• Process death notices of retirees, survivors, and/or dependents, including notification to System Benefits Administration, turning off coverage in Workday, and sending correspondence and applicable forms.
• Counsel family regarding changes in coverage due to death; notify Teacher Retirement System and Civil Service Retirement System as applicable.
• Enter and update surviving spouse forms, benefit change forms, and new retiree forms in Workday; forward all documents to System Benefits Administration for imaging.
• Assist retirees and surviving spouses with insurance coverage questions and changes; update contact information in the database as requested.
• Review and respond to benefit-related inquiries.
• Assist in running reports in Workday to monitor changes such as new hires, terminations, job changes, and missing dependent information.
• Assist in troubleshooting and resolving routine and complex issues; ensure compliance with state and federal laws and regulations.
• Assist retirees with benefit questions regarding open enrollment.
• Coordinate with retirees and billing vendor regarding billing discrepancies or premiums owed.
• Order and distribute retiree certificates.
• Monitor and track employees on Leave of Absence (LOA); send appropriate LOA correspondence to employees.
• Serve as a representative on the Texas A&M AgriLife Wellness Initiative team; attend Wellness Council meetings and assist in planning and implementing wellness events.
• May cross-train on specialized human resource functions in assigned area.
• Perform routine and specialized human resource duties.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience (4 years of experience with a High School Diploma or 2 years of experience with an Associate’s degree), plus an additional one (1) year of related experience.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Ability to work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications.
• Ability to multi-task and work cooperatively with others.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in employee benefits administration or a related area.
• Working knowledge of group benefits such as medical, dental, vision, prescription drug, and retirement plans and/or customer service.
• Experience working with Payroll and Payroll systems.
• Experience in Workday or other HRIS application programs.

Other Requirements

This position is required to handle Protected Health Information (PHI) as defined by HIPAA regulations, in accordance with system policy, and is further required to complete HIPAA training as a condition of employment within a reasonable timeframe after hire and on an as-needed basis thereafter.

Benefits

• Health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums.
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays.
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month.
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife.

Flexible work schedules and remote work options may be available for this position, depending on the nature of the role and employee eligibility, in accordance with AgriLife Alternate Work Location Procedures.