Associate Director, Human Resources & Benefits in Norton, Massachusetts at Wheaton College

Posting Number:
0601294

Position Title:
Associate Director, Human Resources & Benefits

FLSA:
Exempt

Job Type:
Full-Time

Staff Term:
12 Months

Staff Work Schedule (hours/dates):
Monday through Friday, 8:30- 4:30

Academic Year Schedule (dates):
Faculty Term:
Position Type:
Staff

Department:
Human Resources

Job Summary/Basic Function:

• Direct the administration of all health and welfare plans, including medical, dental, life and LTD plans, tuition programs and workers compensation, ensuring accurate enrollment, changes, and terminations.
• Manage and oversee the benefits budget and all benefit related expenditures. Ensure prompt payment of all benefit invoice
• Conduct benefits orientations and develop and manage all benefits related communications and resources.
• Lead the annual open enrollment and benefits evaluation and renewal process, from plan design consultation to employee communication and system setup.
• Manage day-to-day vendor relationships and develop and maintain effective partnership with benefits broker.
• Ensure that the College is offering a competitive and cost effective benefits program. Assist in the review of new benefits and programs, implement and communicate new benefit plan offerings.
• Develop ongoing employee education programs that ensure maximum utilization of benefits programs.
• Draft and develop benefits related policies and procedures.
• Ensure appropriate development and maintenance of all plan related records and documents, summary plan descriptions and benefit summaries.
• Oversee the day-to-day administration of 403(b) retirement plan, including managing enrollments and remittance of contributions, employee communication and education, annual audit and testing, and serving on the fiduciary committee.

• Manage the full lifecycle of leave administration for staff and faculty, including FMLA, MPFML (Massachusetts Paid Medical and Family Leave), Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability. Maintain records and documentation, communicate with employees, coordinate payments and effectively manage a third party vendor.
• Manage the ADA and disability accommodations process including developing processes and procedures, communicating with employees, engaging in interactive processes, and maintaining documentation and records.
• Develop and maintain LOA and ADA related policies and procedures.

• Develop and lead a comprehensive Employee Wellness Program that promotes physical, mental, and financial well-being, tailoring initiatives to the unique needs of a campus community.
• Design and deliver educational workshops and communications (e.g., “Lunch and Learns,” webinars, and newsletters) to increase employee benefits literacy and understanding.
• Coordinate with vendors (health carriers, retirement advisors, EAP) to bring high-value onsite or virtual wellness programming to faculty and staff.

• Serve as the functional administrator for the benefits administration system (Wex); lead implementation, ensure data integrity, manage upgrades, and troubleshoot technical integrations and file feed errors.
• Develop and maintain SOPs and user documentation of all benefits related systems and processes. Develop training materials and train new HR staff on benefits systems.
• Ensure the timely and accurate transmission of vendor files and funding files to carriers and financial institutions.
• Conduct regular audits of billing and enrollment data to ensure accuracy and fiduciary compliance.
• Develop and maintain regular reports, metrics for assessing and monitoring effectiveness and utilization of benefits and programs and develop dashboards and executive summaries.

• Ensure all benefits programs comply with federal and state regulations (e.g., ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and IRS guidelines).
• Coordinate the preparation of required filings, such as Form 5500s and ACA 1094/1095-C reporting.
• Monitor legislative changes affecting benefits and higher education HR to proactively recommend policy adjustments.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Strong knowledge in employee benefits administration and related benefits laws including ERISA/ACA and a deep understanding of 403(b) regulations, FMLA/ADA coordination, and ACA compliance.
• Direct experience managing and configuring HRIS platforms (e.g., Ellucian/Banner, ADP, or UKG) and/or specialized Benefits Administration systems (e.g., Wex, PlanSource, Benefitfocus, or Empyrean).
• Proven ability to manage the implementation and troubleshooting of benefit-related modules, including EDI file feed management and data mapping.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel (pivot tables, complex formulas, and data auditing) to ensure integrity between HRIS data and third-party vendor platforms.
• Broad general knowledge of all HR core functional areas and employment related laws and best practices.
• Exceptional discretion when handling confidential data; the ability to explain complex benefit concepts to a diverse workforce; and a “roll-up-your-sleeves” attitude essential for a small team.
• Attention to detail, strong customer service and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently and sound judgement are essential.
• Strong interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills and solid oral and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience in higher education.
• Experience with Ellucian/Banner HR/Payroll module.

Compensation and Benefits:


Physical Demands:
ADA Statement:

Individuals must possess these knowledges, skills and abilities or be able to explain and demonstrate that the individual can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

Eeo Statement:
Wheaton College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate against any individual or group on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, or disability. In a continuing effort to maintain and enrich an intellectually diverse learning environment, the Department and the College actively encourages applications from women and members of underrepresented groups. Wheaton’s core belief is that valuing diversity is pivotal to personal development, intellectual expansion, and societal equity. Our community is united by a shared dedication to equity and access that is essential to providing a transformative education in the Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Posting Date:
05/14/2026

Closing Date:
Open Until Filled:
Yes

Contact(s):
Office of Human Resources

Contact Phone/Extension:
508-286-8206

Contact Email:
careers@wheatoncollege.edu

Contact Fax:
Special Instructions to Candidates:
References:
Supplemental Questions:

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Optional & Required Documents:
Required Documents

1. Cover Letter
2. Resume

Optional Documents