Temporary Benefits Manager
THE ORGANIZATION
The Center for Justice Innovation is a community justice organization that centers safety and racial justice. Since our founding in 1996, the Center has partnered with community members, courts, and the people most impacted to create stronger, healthier, more just communities. Our decades of experience in courts and communities, coupled with our field-leading research and practitioner expertise, help us drive justice nationwide in innovative, powerful, and durable ways. For more information on how and where we work, please visit www.innovatingjustice.org.
The Center is a 900-employee, $130 million nonprofit that accomplishes its vision through three pillars of work: creating and scaling operating programs to test new ideas and solve problems, performing original research to determine what works (and what doesn’t), and providing expert assistance and policy guidance to justice reformers around the world.
Operating Programs
The Center’s operating programs, including the award-winning Red Hook Community Justice Center and Midtown Community Justice Center, test new ideas, solve difficult problems, and attempt to achieve systemic change within the justice system. Our projects include community-based violence prevention programs, alternatives to incarceration, reentry initiatives, and court-based initiatives that reduce the use of unnecessary incarceration and promote positive individual and family change. Through this programming, we have produced tangible results like safer streets, reduced incarceration, and improved neighborhood perceptions of justice.
Research
The Center's research teams are staffed with social scientists, data analysts, and lawyers who are academically-trained or have lived experience and who conduct research in the U.S. and globally on diverse criminal-legal system and justice issues. Their work includes evaluating programs and policies; conducting exploratory, community-based studies; and providing research translation and strategic planning for system actors. The Center has published studies on topics including court and jail reform, intimate partner violence, restorative justice, gun violence, reentry, sixth amendment rights, and progressive prosecution. The research teams strive to make their work meaningful and actionable to the communities they work with, policymakers, and practitioners.
Policy & Expert Assistance
The Center provides hands-on, planning and implementation assistance to a wide range of jurisdictions in areas of reform such as problem-solving courts (e.g., community courts, treatment courts, domestic violence courts), tribal justice, reducing incarceration and the use of fines/fees and reducing crime and violence. Our current expert assistance takes many forms, including help with analyzing data, strategic planning and consultation, policy guidance, and hosting site visits to its operating programs in the New York City area.
Center Support
A dedicated support team within the Center ensures the smooth functioning of operations across various domains, including finance, legal, technology, human resources, fundraising, real estate, and communications. Comprising 15% of the organization's staff, these teams provide essential infrastructure support and innovative solutions aligned with the Center's mission and values.
THE OPPORTUNITY
The People Department at the Center is seeking a Temporary Benefits Manager. Reporting to the Director of Human Resources, the Temporary Benefits Manager will oversee the Leaves and Accommodations Specialist and the Senior Benefits Coordinator.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Benefit Plan Oversight:
- Administer and oversee all aspects of employee benefits programs, including health insurance, retirement plans, wellness programs, and other benefits;
- Collaborate with external vendors, such as insurance providers and retirement plan administrators, to resolve issues and ensure seamless administration of benefits programs;
- Ensure compliance with all relevant laws and regulations; and
- Assist with organizing quarterly benefits committee meetings focused on health, welfare, and retirement benefits;
- Write minutes from meeting to ensure accurate record keeping; and
- Follow-up with vendor as needed.
Leaves and Requests for Accommodations Oversight:
- Supervise the Leaves and Accommodations Specialist, foster a collaborative team, including providing support and consultation on leaves and requests for accommodations on more involved and complex matters; and
- Communicate with third party leave vendors on personnel matters and on any issues that arise regarding the leave plans.
Compliance:
- Ensure benefits adhere to City, State, and federal labor laws;
- Stay abreast of changes in labor law affecting benefits; communicate these changes internally; and
- Lead and execute annual compliance testing for benefits plans, including Form 5500 filings and 403(b) discrimination testing.
Open Enrollment/Staff Communication:
- Oversee annual benefits open enrollment processes, including planning, communication, and implementation. Develop and distribute communication materials regarding open enrollment, plan updates and other relevant benefits information to employees;
- Serve as the primary point of contact for employee inquiries related to benefits, explaining options, resolving issues, and providing guidance as needed;
- Address and resolve complex benefits-related issues and inquiries from employees, ensuring timely and accurate solutions; and
- Conduct benefits orientations for new hires and provide ongoing education to employees on their benefits packages.
Events:
- Organize and facilitate employee engagement events, including health fairs, wellness workshops and informational sessions, to promote benefits utilization and support employee well-being; and
- Communicate with health vendors on wellness trends.
Administrative:
- Process and reconcile benefits billing statements and provide finance department with detailed back up;
- Compute and accurately enter payroll deductions and add to internal spreadsheet for any new hires and benefit changes on a weekly basis, and input deductions into Paycom on a semi-monthly basis;
- Ensure accurate and timely enrollment of new employees in benefits plans and manage ongoing changes and updates;
- Update Paycom with new plan design changes which are effective 5/1;
- Update Intranet with any benefit changes; and
- Additional tasks as necessary.
Qualifications:
- A Bachelor’s degree with at least 4 years of related benefits experience;
- Familiarity with Paycom, Cigna and Principal is preferred;
- Excellent interpersonal verbal and written communication skills;
- Exceptional organizational, analytical, and detail-oriented skills;
- The ability to work in a fast-paced environment, while efficiently completing tasks with multiple priorities and deadlines;
- The ability to use available resources and feedback to continually pivot, adapt, and grow;
- The ability to work independently, maintain confidentiality and discretion;
- You should have the capability to work independently and prioritize tasks to ensure the timely completion of projects; and
- A dedication to providing exceptional support to our employees will contribute to the success of our HR initiatives.
Position Type: Full-time temporary for 6 months.
Position Location: New York, NY or remote.
Compensation: The compensation range for this position is $54.95 - $60.44 per hour based on a 35-hour work week and is commensurate with experience. The Center for Justice Innovation offers an excellent benefits package including comprehensive healthcare with a national network after 90 days of employment. We prioritize mental health care for our staff and offer services like Talkspace and Ginger through our healthcare plans. We also offer a 403(b) retirement plan with a two-to-one employer contribution up to 5%.
The Center for Justice Innovation is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, military service eligibility, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or any other category protected by law. We strongly encourage and welcome applications from women, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and individuals with prior contact with the criminal justice system. Our goal is to create a supportive and respectful environment where everyone, regardless of background or identity, feels valued and included.
Candidates are expected to provide accurate and truthful information throughout the hiring process. Any misrepresentation, falsification, or omission of material facts may result in disqualification from consideration, withdrawal of an offer, or termination of employment, regardless of when discovered.
As of February 10, 2023, New York City Executive Order 25 rescinded the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for City workers, new hires, and contracted employees. While the Center does not require vaccination, we strongly recommend that all staff, interns, and volunteers stay up to date.
In compliance with federal law, all hires must verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required employment verification form upon hire. Please refer to the job posting for relevant contact information. If contact details are not provided, we kindly ask that you refrain from inquiries via phone or email, as only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.