Job Description

Since 1966, the Capitol Region Education Council (CREC) has been dedicated to providing innovative, high-quality, and cost-effective educational programs and services to meet the diverse needs of children and adults in Greater Hartford. Serving 33 member districts and reaching additional communities statewide, CREC supports approximately 12,000 students annually through more than 120 educational programs. Our offerings include professional learning and coaching for educators, specialized programming for students with diverse needs, and PreK-12 education across 16 interdistrict magnet schools. Additionally, CREC provides school construction, operations, and cooperative business services, while also delivering programs that help adults build real, job-ready skills.

POSITION SUMMARY

The temporary, part-time (.5 FTE) Human Resources Specialist I supports the Benefits Team by assisting with COBRA administration, participant record maintenance, compliance-related notifications, coverage tracking, and customer service. The position performs data entry, audits benefits records, monitors eligibility and payment timelines, and provides administrative support to ensure accurate and efficient benefits operations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties/Responsibilities

COBRA Participant Enrollment and Notification

• Enter all newly eligible employees, former employees, and dependents into the COBRA third-party administration portal for health insurance eligibility and continuation.
• Accurately maintain participant information, including name, Social Security number, date of birth, qualifying event details, and health plan coverage information.
• Maintain records of COBRA coverage periods and eligibility timelines based on qualifying events.
• Monitor coverage end dates and process coverage terminations when applicable.
• Generate and distribute required COBRA notices in accordance with established timelines and compliance requirements.
• Compose and send Flexible Spending Account "FSA" COBRA Election Notices upon notification from Plan Administrator of employee's FSA COBRA determination and eligibility.
• Maintain internal spreadsheet of FSA Terminations and COBRA eligibility.

Election and Payment Tracking

• Assist with monitoring COBRA election and premium payment deadlines for leave of absence (LOA) participants whose COBRA coverage is administered internally.
• Track participant elections and payments to ensure continuation coverage remains compliant and active.
• Notify appropriate Benefits staff of missed deadlines or payment issues requiring follow-up.

COBRA Portal Data Management & Support

• Conduct audits of the portal to ensure data accuracy and completeness.
• Review and remove terminated employees and dependents with outdated records, including those dating back to 2020, in accordance with established procedures.
• Assist with preparing and mailing annual open enrollment materials, plan updates, and COBRA premium rate information to COBRA participants.
• Support communication efforts to ensure beneficiaries are informed of changes that may impact their benefits coverage.
• Respond to telephone calls and email inquiries from employees, former employees, dependents, vendors, and other stakeholders regarding COBRA and benefits-related matters.
• Provide accurate information, resolve routine issues, and escalate complex concerns to the Benefits Manager as needed.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee and dependent information in accordance with applicable privacy requirements.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures.
• Other duties as assigned.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

This position has no supervisory responsibility.

COMPETENCIES:

• Problem Solving - Identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner; Gathers and analyzes information skillfully; Develops alternative solutions; Works well in group problem solving situations; Uses reason even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Customer Service - Manages difficult or emotional customer situations; Responds promptly to customer needs; Solicits customer feedback to improve service; Responds to requests for service and assistance; Meets commitments.
• Interpersonal Skills - Focuses on solving conflict, not blaming; Maintains confidentiality; Listens to others without interrupting; Keeps emotions under control; Remains open to others' ideas and tries new things.
• Written & Oral Communication - Speaks and writes clearly; Listens and gets clarification; Responds well to questions; Varies communication style to meet needs; Demonstrates group presentation skills; Participates in meetings.
• Quality Management - Demonstrates a high degree of accuracy and thoroughness; Looks for ways to improve and promote quality of work and/or workflow; applies feedback to improve performance; monitors own work to ensure quality; and completes work in a timely manner.
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED), or two to five years related experience and/or training, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Limited travel to and from meetings may be required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Standing (occasionally, less than 1/3)
• Walking (occasionally, less than 1/3)
• Sitting (continually, more than 2/3)
• Reach with hands and arms (occasionally, less than 1/3)
• Lifting up to 10 lbs. (occasionally, less than 1/3)
• Carrying up to 10 lbs. (occasionally, less than 1/3)
• Quiet (examples: library, private office)

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

• Group Health Insurance Plans
• Basic & Supplemental Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability & Short Term Disability options
• 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan with Employer Matching Contribution if applicable
• Flexible Spending Account Pre-Tax Savings for Health Care, Dependent Care, and Limited Purpose Post Deductible (if contributing to an HSA)
• Comprehensive benefit time package
• Employee Assistance Program
• Bereavement time & Religious Holidays
• Credit Union Access
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Employee Network Groups
• Access to professional learning opportunities with two fully paid courses through CREC University each year, empowering you to expand your skills and advance your career!
• Benefit from our exclusive partnership with Springfield College, offering a 15% discount on tuition for next-level degree programs to support your academic and career aspirations!

Based on terms and conditions during your employment, specific to your job classification and collective bargaining agreement.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION STATEMENT:

CREC strives to understand and confront the symptoms and causes of racism and prejudice�ranging from biases to aggressions to discriminatory policies, practices, and traditions�that harm people from systemically marginalized groups or that benefit privileged groups. CREC staff and students acknowledge and respect people of all identifiers, such as race, socioeconomic status, gender identity and expression, education, age, ability, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, language, nationality, religion, and veteran status.

DISCLAIMER STATEMENT:

The above is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or physical requirements. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

To access the job description and salary range please click https://www.crec.org/careers/jobs.php