SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION
Job Description

MANAGER, HUMAN RESOURCES - BENEFITS AND COMPLIANCE

SUMMARY: Administers and supervises employee benefit programs, and workers’ compensation claims activities of the County Office of Education; supervises and coordinates sensitive projects related to work compliance issues; serves as expert resource for formal and informal negotiations with representatives of employee bargaining units; and performs all other related duties.

40% EMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

Administers and supervises the day-to-day activities of employee/retiree benefit programs and occupational injury and illness claims; serves as responsible staff to committees related to health benefit costs, safety and the return-to-work program; interprets the provisions of employee benefit programs; investigates plan concerns and effects their resolution; prepares reports on employee benefit plan participation, costs, and industry trends; assists risk management with safety policies, procedures, and guidelines; monitors and maintains guidelines for minimum physical requirements for job placement; oversees the maintenance of employee accident records, reports, and files and prepares analyses as required; participates in claim reviews with workers’ compensation administrators, attorneys and risk management; coordinates the provision of information, workers’ compensation benefit payments to employees, and reasonable accommodation requests; acts as liaison between injured workers, the claims administration agency, and the Office; and advises upon and recommends activities related to employees’ status before, during, and after workers’ compensation claims.

25% COMPLIANCE-WORK ENVIRONMENT ISSUES

Supervises and coordinates special projects related to the work environment and issues of Office employees; serves as 504 compliance coordinator; ensures compliance with the Americans with Disabilities’ Act (ADA) and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA); oversees and assists in the formal and/or informal investigation of sensitive complaints, from employees and the community, involving employee conduct and conflicts amongst employees, including, but not limited to sexual harassment, workplace violence, and discrimination; administers drug testing program for safety sensitive positions; analyzes and interprets applicable laws, codes, rules, policies, and procedures; collects, analyzes, and assembles data, and prepares confidential objective reports for personnel action; develops, recommends, and implements policies and procedures mandated by law; meets and confers with management, employees, union representatives, attorneys, and subject matter experts; and conducts or oversees training programs related to the work environment.

20% LABOR RELATIONS

Serves as expert resource and participates in informal and formal negotiations with representatives of employee bargaining units; solicits management’s input regarding recommended changes to bargaining unit agreements; interprets and administers provisions of employee contracts; assists managers with personnel disciplinary actions; and assists in the administration of grievances.

10% SUPERVISION

Selects, assigns work to, monitors, and evaluates support staff.

5% RELATED ACTIVITIES

Assists staff development and risk management with safety training, the flu shot clinic, tuberculosis testing, and health wellness and performs all other related duties.

DECISION-MAKING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING: Analyzes and makes recommendations regarding employee benefits programs; develops, recommends, and implements plans for improving the safety of working conditions and practices; analyzes the salient features of all job-related injuries and determines appropriate follow-up activities to be provided or recommended. Participates in forecasting trends and long-term planning for major unit of organization; implements long-term plans in own branch; requires independence and autonomy in decision making within framework of broadly stated policy guidelines, precedents, specialized knowledge and prior research; situations are varied and frequently highly complex; and makes program decisions that sometimes have major impact on the entire Office.

REQUIRED MINIMUM SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Ability to analyze, interpret, and apply federal, state and local laws, codes, standards, rules, and regulations relating to employment benefits plans, safety, workers’ compensation, and collective bargaining in public schools or agencies; knowledge of applicable codes, statutes, and human resources policies and procedures; and knowledge of the principles of collective bargaining and merit law; knowledge of and ability to use relevant desktop computer applications; advanced skill in communicating in critical situations, orally and in writing, with business, education and community leaders; advanced skill in budget preparation and control; ability to administer programs; mastery skill in working with personnel management decisions; and advanced skill in adapting style to divergent situations with groups on a frequent basis.

REQUIRED MINIMUM TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND LICENSING: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in public administration, human resources management, or law or a closely related field; a certificate in conflict management and resolution is desirable; and a valid California driver's license.

REQUIRED MINIMUM PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE: Four years of job-related experience with demonstrated competence.

REQUIRED INTERACTION (NON-AUTHORITY): Contacts are usually unstructured, and are primarily with the high-level individuals inside and outside the work unit such as Office administrators, district, local and state agencies, claims administrators, attorneys, and employee benefits providers and carriers; and contacts require planning, promoting, strategy development, decision making and problem solving.

SUPERVISION: Directly supervises professionals and/or specialists.

• Environment: Indoor, office setting.

• Physical Requirements: Hearing and speaking to exchange information and on the telephone; seeing to read, prepare and proofread documents; sitting for extended periods of time; dexterity of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard and other office equipment; kneeling, bending at the waist, and reaching overhead, above the shoulders and horizontally, to retrieve and store files and supplies; lifting light objects.

Personnel Commission Approval: September 28, 2000
Revised: February 14, 2008