Employee Benefits Specialist at Amsted Rail in Granite City, Illinois

Job Description:

WHAT WE ARE MADE OF

100% employee-owned company, privately held, as an Amsted Rail employee, you are an owner.

We have a great big family on or off the tracks.  Amsted Rail is the global leader in fully integrated freight car systems for the heavy haul rail market. Committing to the value of our employees as an individual, with their unique set of strengths and beliefs. We invest in our employee’s professional satisfaction by including creative space and opportunities as a vital part of our innovation culture and business success.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for an Employee Benefits Specialist to join our family. Our ideal candidate has experience and passion in employee engagement, training, and creative marketing outlet. This role has full responsibility managing all the day-to-day professional benefits administration across a variety of benefit programs with attention to detail, while providing exceptional service to our employees, retirees and family members as they seek to understand and utilize their benefit plans.

As the Employee Benefits Specialist you hold the key to ensuring employees understand their benefit programs, eligibility and how to leverage them, utilizing a variety of communication methods, including but not limited to: print and online marketing materials (i.e. brochures, newsletters, postings), training sessions (in person, online, pre-recorded) and one-on-one.

• Enroll new hires, process terminations and/or other benefit status changes


• Function as a day-to-day contact for employees with questions and issues regarding various employee benefit programs


• Communicate with all benefit carriers to resolve claim disputes, or enrollment/eligibility issues


• Assist in retirement benefit information


• Assist in processing applications for request for benefits under the Hourly Retired Pension Plans


• Assist other HR staff members at other locations with benefit services


• Provide new employees information regarding benefits available during the new hire benefit orientation


• Assist with coordination of annual open enrollment


• Ensure compliance with benefits related to federal and state regulations such as COBRA, HIPAA, Qualified Medical Child Support Orders (QMCSO) and Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)


• Administers company-wide wellness program


• Coordinate mass communications for employee benefits


• Coordinate the 25-Year Member Annual Meeting and Banquet

• At least three (3) years administrative work experience with strong preference for experience supporting an HR department and/or direct benefits support experience


• Strong computer skills in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Access and Word


• Excellent organizational skills with ability to excel at timeliness and accuracy at all times, including during times of multi-tasking and interruptions


• Ability to travel up to 25% at times, and as much as 50% during peak season (i.e. during annual enrollment)


• Bachelor’s degree


• Additional preferences:
  
  
  • Advanced benefits certifications (CBP, CEBS)
  
  
  • Experience using marketing software programs to design attractive newsletters and training/e-learning materials
  
  
  
  

• Ability to exercise discretion and maintain strict confidentiality


• Instills trust with others through personal communication style, approachability, professionalism, accuracy and follow-through on commitments and deadlines


• Deep functional expertise to ensure depth of understanding of benefit programs for different pools of employees, retirees and family members


• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills


• Strong desire to help others with effectiveness in diffusing emotional conflicts, resolving disputes and clarifying information for employees, retirees and family members


• High degree of organizational skills with an eye toward improving processes and methods of work, leveraging automation and technology to simplify and drive consistency


• Creative in use of tools to improve employee understanding of benefit programs, making information readily available and digestible at time of need


• Marketing skills highly valuable to assist in delivering of information in new and creative ways for multi-generational workforce

 Amsted Rail is an industry leader that can offer more than a chance to succeed. Through our competitive wages, outstanding benefits, and internal development and advancement opportunities, you will have the chance to create a career of which you can be proud, whether inside Amsted Rail or within one of our other five businesses within Amsted Industries. 

Benefits include being an employee-owner participating in our ESOP program and benefiting from an additional full range of benefits including medical, dental, vision and 401(k) with employer matching.   

To learn more about us, please visit us online at www.amstedrail.com.