Human Resources Benefits Associate I

Company Description

EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER (EDC)

Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that works with partners to advance every person’s journey to learn, work, and be well. For more than 65 years, EDC has partnered with communities, governments, and private sector to improve education, workforce development and health outcomes.

By combining interdisciplinary expertise with real-world experience, EDC works across these pillars to design, implement, and scale evidence-based solutions that help partners address complex challenges and create lasting change.

Founded in 1958, EDC today brings together a global team working across the United States and around the world. Our diverse portfolio of programs is supported by federal agencies, philanthropic foundations, multilateral institutions, and corporate partners.

Job Description

The Benefits Associate I administers and coordinates a variety of Human Resources and employee benefits activities to ensure the effective delivery of HR services. This position serves as an ambassador for HR and will be the primary point of contact for the Human Resources Department for benefits inquiries. Under the direction of the Senior Benefits Manager, this role will support HR policy maintenance, operations, and benefits administration with accuracy, confidentiality, and customer service excellence. 

Essential Functions 

 The Benefits Associate I: 

• Administers employee benefits programs including health, dental, life and AD&D, disability, retirement, and flexible spending plans.
• Provides information and assistance to employees regarding benefit eligibility, plan options, and enrollment processes; ensures timely and accurate responses to inquiries. 
• Partners with the Senior Benefits Manager to communicate and execute plan changes and enhancements. 
• Participates in annual benefit renewals and assists with evaluating new plan options or enhancements. 
• Coordinates open enrollment activities, including system updates, employee communications, and collaboration with brokers and carriers.
• Supports employee life cycle benefits processes, including new hire onboarding and employee offboarding. 
• Processes benefits transactions through HRIS and audits data for accuracy; ensures proper transmission of benefit feeds. 
• Confers with payroll and vendors to resolve benefit discrepancies and ensure accurate deductions. 
• Assists in the administration of leaves of absence.
• Coordinates with third party provider for COBRA notifications and enrollment processing; maintains compliance with federal and state requirements. 
• Administers Workers’ Compensation claims and related reporting, in conjunction with the Senior Benefits Manager and Office of Legal Affairs. 
• Processes unemployment claims and maintains related records.
• Ensures compliance with HIPAA and other confidentiality standards in all benefits-related activities. 
• Maintains thorough, accurate, and up to date benefits files and documentation in compliance with company policy and legal standards. 
• Coordinates HR and benefits initiatives, programs, meetings, and events, including scheduling, logistics, agendas, documentation, and follow up actions.
• Generates compliance and audit-related reports and maintains accurate records and documentation.
• Processes HR invoices and department mail (at the Waltham office 1-2 times/month), maintaining related administrative records 
• Serves as first point of contact for the HR department, responding to and routing all employee inquiries as appropriate.
• Collaborates across HR functions to support operational effectiveness and continuous process improvements. 
• Performs other duties as assigned dependent upon department needs. 

Qualifications

Education: 

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required.

Experience: 

• 3–5 years of HR administration and coordination experience and
• 2 years of HR benefits coordination experience required, preferably in a complex, multi-state environment. 

Skills and Competencies: 

• • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a customer service orientation. 
  • Ability to exercise sound judgment, maintain confidentiality, and manage multiple priorities. 
  • Demonstrated ability to learn and internalize workflows and then, to independently anticipate, prioritize, and execute recurring responsibilities with minimal direction, proactively identifying and addressing needs before they become requests.
  • Demonstrated initiative, flexibility, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively. 
  • Strong knowledge of employee benefits, HR policies, and regulatory compliance.
  • Strong organizational and analytical skills; aptitude for details and data accuracy. 
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and HRIS systems.

Additional Information

As part of your application, a cover letter with a brief outline of your experience administering benefit programs is required. 

EDC affirms its steadfast commitment to uphold the highest standards of conduct, ensuring the protection of all individuals from misconduct, and maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any violation of these rights. Safeguarding refers to the measures and practices put in place to protect individuals, particularly vulnerable groups, from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. 

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship. At this time, the EDC is unable to support employment-based visa sponsorship.

EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits.  

Total Rewards:  

EDC offers the following comprehensive benefits package for all eligible employees: 

• Health, dental, and vision insurance 
• Paid holidays 
• Generous vacation benefits for full- and part-time employees 
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts   
• Pre-tax transport benefit 
• Robust retirement plan with TIAA/CREF (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association/College Retirement Equities Fund) 
• Paid sick time and personal time annually 
• Parental leave 
• Employee assistance program 

The starting full-time base salary range for this position is $60,000 - $75,000.