STA Benefits Advisor - remote / Mercy Corps location

Job Description:

Human Resources & Talent Acquisition
Various,
United States

Description

About Mercy Corps Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future. The Program / Department / Team The People Team ensures that Mercy Corps has the people who will enable it to be a world-class, cutting edge, humanitarian organization, creating transformational change in the world. We do this through the recruitment, retention, and development of the best global talent. Our aim is to drive strategic thinking and planning at all levels of the organization; create a robust body of research to guide us internally and externally and steward the organizational culture. To achieve this, we align conversations on learning; keep the organization focused on what has the greatest impact; leverage our comparative advantages in the crowded and competitive international relief and development landscape; and assure we are constantly learning from our work and the external environment. The Position The HR Benefits Advisor is a functional analyst role reporting to the US HR Director and is responsible for data analysis to measure the effectiveness of Health, Welfare and Retirement plans, plan administration, and benefit policies. In addition to data analytics and plan administration, this role supports vendor management, benefits compliance, communication and education advice. The HR Benefits Advisor provides subject matter expertise on all benefits plans to effectively manage plans, troubleshoot, and resolve issues as they arise. The successful candidate will support Benefit Open Enrollment and have an essential understanding of the benefits of data process flows, identifying gaps, and executing process efficiencies. The HR Benefit Advisor must manage priorities in a timely and accurate manner, provide tactical support to HR colleagues, interface with employees on escalated benefit issues, and demonstrate the ability to utilize benefits-related statistics and information to improve service delivery and resolution of complex issues.

Essential Responsibilities

· Responsible for the tactical support of US and non-US benefits programs, policies, and initiatives.

· Responsible for the evaluation of the organization’s benefits and current programs and their alignment to the philosophy, budget, and external value.

· Facilitate the carrier/vendor marketing process (including preparing the Request for Proposal, working with the carriers/vendors to gather and negotiate quotes; compiling the analysis of the responses) and assist with the implementation of new vendors and/or carriers.

· Complete accurate financial analytics in a timely manner.

· Respond to employee questions about benefit enrollments (e.g., health, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k), leave policies) or changes due to qualifying life events.

· Address issues with claims, provider network questions, or coverage denials.

· Review new hire enrollments and ensure timely submission to vendors.

· Process benefits changes for qualifying life events (e.g., marriage, birth, loss of coverage).

· Verify termination benefits and ensure COBRA notices are triggered.

· Follow up on pending claims or service issues with vendors.

· Confirm carrier updates, new programs, or administrative changes.

· Ensure vendor file feeds are sent and received correctly.

· Review benefits data for accuracy in HRIS/payroll systems.

· Prepare audit enrollment files to catch discrepancies or errors.

· Check for missed enrollments, dependent verification, and overages.

· Collaborate with payroll to ensure proper deductions.

· Reconcile monthly insurance invoices with enrollment data.

· Approve and process benefit invoices for payment and resolve billing discrepancies with vendors.

· Generate and analyze monthly benefits reports (e.g., enrollment trends, usage statistics).

· Track costs for budget forecasting and management.

· Review and ensure HIPAA, ACA, COBRA, and ERISA compliance.

· Update required notices (HIPAA privacy, CHIPRA, etc.) if applicable.

· Maintain accurate documentation for audits.

· Track and update FMLA, STD, LTD, and other leaves of absence. disability and leave claims.

Personal Leadership

· Promote Mercy Corps’ culture by promoting the development and advancement of ideas which allows for innovative approaches to problem-solving within existing policy and procedural requirements.

· Maintain high ethical standards and treat people with respect and dignity.

· Demonstrate an awareness of one’s personal strengths and development needs.

Global Benefits

• Partner with Finance to ensure accurate reporting of benefit costs for budgeting purposes.
• Work with counsel to review, prepare and execute all benefit plans and processes to ensure compliance with Department of Labor, ERISA, IRS, etc.
• Prepare benchmarking reports, review plans, compliance documents, benefits dashboards, and summarize findings.
• Manage vendor relationships and service levels and build trust.
• Ensure HR compliance of benefit plans with the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
• Provide oversight on the administration of the organization’s benefits program including health and welfare, 403(b), leaves of absence, wellness program, workers’ compensation, executive benefits, and others.
• Ensure that there is a connection and integration between the wellness program and other benefit programs. Develops and communicates success criteria for the global wellness program.
• Support HR with the annual benefit renewals and US open enrollment process and ensures that plan design changes are aligned with budget, applicable mandates such as the ACA and the Mercy Corps benefit philosophy.
• Participates in area and industry surveys as needed.
• Drives and analyzes internal and external data analytics to support and shape business decision-making.
• Prepare content or sessions for benefits orientation and onboarding.
• Gather employee feedback on benefits experience (e.g., through pulse surveys).
• Stay updated on industry trends, compliance updates, and vendor changes.
• Participates in other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Supervisory Responsibility

No direct supervisory responsibilities.

Accountability Reports Directly To: Director, US HR Works Directly With: People Team, Finance  Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.  Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, HR Management, or Business with 5+ years of benefits or relevant experience
• 4+ years of comprehensive technical knowledge of benefits programs and plans.
• Previous experience managing multiple vendors.
• Experience managing a Leave of Absence process and vendor.
• written and verbal skills.
• Strong customer service orientation and the ability to interface with all levels of employees.
• Strong project management skills
• Ability to create compelling and informative presentations and reports
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite is required.
• Experience with HRIS systems, benefits administration systems, retirement platforms and payroll systems.
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving ability.
• Current, in-depth knowledge of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Employment Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), Section 125 of the IRS and other legislation and regulations that affect the design and administration of the benefit plans.
• Experience with annual plan filings and disclosures (e.g., 5500s, Medicare Part D, Summary Annual Report) and support all US based and international expatriate team member benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, short- and long-term disability, retirement, expatriate benefits, and voluntary benefits.
• Proven ability to originate, maintain and audit records.
• HIPAA compliance training or certification preferred.
• Multilingual is a significant plus; especially French, Spanish, or Arabic proficiency.
• Familiarity with employee benefit/wellness/compensation program designs preferred.
• Familiarity with U.S. labor/benefit laws and employer compliance requirements preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with clarity, both written and verbal.

Success Factors
 The successful team member will be a self-directed learner, innovative, and action-oriented. They should have the ability to work independently, employ effective time management skills, handle frequent interruptions, shifting priorities, exhibit superior customer service skills and work effectively within a diverse team. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment prone to rapid change and be willing to increase their responsibility level in the assigned areas. The ideal candidate will consistently demonstrate flexibility, resilience, and the ability to maintain positive relationships and composure, even under difficult circumstances. The most successful Mercy Corps team members have a positive approach, a strong commitment to teamwork and personal accountability, and the ability to be flexible and ensure that effective communication is a priority in all situations.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position can be based remotely in the US, location subject to review and approval.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Team Engagement and Effectiveness

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work. We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out different backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis. As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).