's
Compensation, and EAP
At CSUN we aspire to continually grow as an inclusive, cooperative community!
CSUN strives to be a destination workplace, where everyone understands that they belong to a community that is vital in advancing student success and providing exemplary service to all stakeholders. We foster an environment of success, both for our students and our employees. We have a relentless passion for celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as being an employer of choice. You will also have the opportunity to realize your own personal goals and be recognized for the work you do and enjoy the unique value the CSUN community can offer. As a leader you will have the opportunity to thrive in a community in which our leaders share common traits as identified in our Leadership Principles https://www.csun.edu/leadership-principles. If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place.
Responsibilities
The Associate Director of Benefits Administration and Workers' Compensation provides leadership and strategic oversight for the University's benefits, leave administration, workers' compensation, disability management, reasonable accommodation, retirement, wellness, and related employee support programs. The incumbent directs program administration, staff supervision, compliance initiatives, benefits technology, and operational processes to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. Serving as a key Human Resources leader, the position provides expert consultation to campus leadership, administrators, faculty, and staff on complex benefits, leave, accommodation, and risk management matters. The Associate Director develops and implements programs, communications, and educational initiatives that promote employee well-being, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and alignment with university goals and priorities.
Benefits Administration:
Responsible for the administration, preparation, distribution and communication of the core and voluntary health care plans and programs to the University community. This includes benefit information memorandums, benefit new hire packets, newsletters, benefit information, website content, correspondence on program updates, summary of benefits and the annual benefits open enrollment and wellness event. Design and present educational benefit overview during new hire orientation for staff and faculty. The incumbent coordinates the responsibilities of the Benefits staff in responding to and processing employee inquiries regarding insurance coverage, enrollment processing, eligibility criteria, open enrollment, family status changes, and other related questions and transactions. This includes auditing and monitoring of systems to reduce discrepancies, support compliance and maintain benefits data across multiple platforms.
Other Benefit Programs and Voluntary Benefits:
Responsible for the administration, oversight, communication, and compliance of employer-sponsored and voluntary benefit programs. Provides operational oversight for life insurance, long-term disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, COBRA and Direct Pay continuation coverage, and other voluntary benefit offerings. Ensures accurate administration, effective communication, and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, CSU policies, and vendor requirements.
Fee Waiver and Reduction Program:
Responsible for the administration, oversight, communication, and compliance of the CSU Fee Waiver and Reduction Program. Provides leadership and guidance regarding program eligibility, policy interpretation, enrollment, and application of collective bargaining agreement provisions. Collaborates with campus partners to ensure accurate and timely program administration while promoting employee awareness and utilization of educational benefits. Monitors program effectiveness, resolves complex issues, and ensures compliance with CSU policies and program requirements.
Benefits Technology and Security:
The incumbent partners with HRIS to ensure implementation, maintenance, and continuous advancement in the use of technology tools to support benefit functions with a focus on automation, retrieval of information, management operational needs, and reporting requirements. In addition, incumbent has oversight of the Security Gatekeeper roles and responsibilities for Human Resources.
Retirement:
Incumbent is responsible for counseling and educating faculty and staff on the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) service and disability retirement, service credit, and the faculty early retirement program (FERP) in coordination with Faculty Affairs. The incumbent also coordinates retirement and financial planning workshops. Provides education on the Part - Time Seasonal Plan, the Savings Plus Program and the CSU Supplemental Retirement plans.
Leaves of Absence and Accommodations:
Directs the administration and ensures compliance of all staff leaves of absences and faculty medical leaves in coordination with Faculty Affairs, The Associate Director is responsible for overseeing the Leave of Absence Specialist role in counseling, implementation and administration of employee leave options and programs. Requires adherence to laws, policy, contractual requirements, and mandated deadlines. Through knowledge and applicability of CSU leave programs such as Non-Industrial Insurance Program (NDI), Catastrophic Leave, Parental Leave program, leave credits, and Military Leave. Laws including CSU Family Medical Leave, California Family Rights Act, and Pregnancy Disability Leave, American with Disability Act (ADA), and others.
Employee Assistance Program and Wellness Programming:
Serves as the campus point of contact for the Employee Assistance Program and related wellness initiatives. Responsible for the administration, communication, promotion, and assessment of EAP services and wellness programming. Coordinates campus-wide wellness activities, educational resources, and awareness campaigns designed to enhance employee well-being, resilience, engagement, and productivity. Monitors program effectiveness and collaborates with internal and external partners to expand wellness opportunities and encourage utilization of available support services.
Workers' Compensation and Accommodations:
Responsible for the oversight of the Workers' Compensation Specialist and administration of the University's Workers' Compensation program in coordination with the Third-Party Administrator, defense attorneys, the Chancellor's Office, and Risk Management. Provides strategic oversight of claims management from intake through resolution, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, policies, and reporting requirements. Advises management on workers' compensation matters, workplace injuries, transitional work assignments, and related disability management issues. Monitors occupational health services to promote quality care, timely communication, and positive outcomes for injured employees. Collaborates with campus stakeholders to support return-to-work efforts and workplace accommodations when appropriate. Develops and presents educational workshops and training programs on Workers' Compensation, injury reporting, disability management, and related employee support programs.
Interactive Process:
The Associate Director of Benefits serves as the campus subject matter expert and liaison for the interactive process and reasonable accommodation program, providing guidance and consultation to faculty, staff, and administrators. Ensures compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and CSU policies governing reasonable accommodations and the interactive process. The incumbent partners with campus stakeholders to evaluate work restrictions, assess accommodation requests, and identify effective reasonable accommodations that enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their positions. Collaborates with the Senior Director of HR People and Strategy, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, and General Counsel on complex and sensitive accommodation matters, ensuring a consistent, compliant, and employee-centered approach to disability management and workplace accommodations.
Unemployment Insurance Program:
Responsible for administration and auditing unemployment claims. This requires responding and coordinating claims with our third-party administrator. Represents University at unemployment appeal hearings. Provides strategic oversight of claims management from intake through resolution, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, policies, and reporting requirements.
As a leader, demonstrates a commitment to student success that is mission-aligned with the university's vision, values and priorities. Establishes an ethical and collegial work environment, promoting a collaborative, accountable and inclusive team. Encourages a courageous and resilient solution-oriented environment by participating in new opportunities to further the mission of the university. Participates in developing initiatives that further support the campus mission with a service-oriented and catalytic mind set. Strengthens employees by being communicative and a talent builder that develops team attributes, furthering departmental goals.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
At CSUN we aspire to continually grow as an inclusive, cooperative community!
CSUN strives to be a destination workplace, where everyone understands that they belong to a community that is vital in advancing student success and providing exemplary service to all stakeholders. We foster an environment of success, both for our students and our employees. We have a relentless passion for celebrating diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as being an employer of choice. You will also have the opportunity to realize your own personal goals and be recognized for the work you do and enjoy the unique value the CSUN community can offer. As a leader you will have the opportunity to thrive in a community in which our leaders share common traits as identified in our Leadership Principles https://www.csun.edu/leadership-principles. If this sounds like you, you've come to the right place.
Responsibilities
The Associate Director of Benefits Administration and Workers' Compensation provides leadership and strategic oversight for the University's benefits, leave administration, workers' compensation, disability management, reasonable accommodation, retirement, wellness, and related employee support programs. The incumbent directs program administration, staff supervision, compliance initiatives, benefits technology, and operational processes to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. Serving as a key Human Resources leader, the position provides expert consultation to campus leadership, administrators, faculty, and staff on complex benefits, leave, accommodation, and risk management matters. The Associate Director develops and implements programs, communications, and educational initiatives that promote employee well-being, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, and alignment with university goals and priorities.
Benefits Administration:
Responsible for the administration, preparation, distribution and communication of the core and voluntary health care plans and programs to the University community. This includes benefit information memorandums, benefit new hire packets, newsletters, benefit information, website content, correspondence on program updates, summary of benefits and the annual benefits open enrollment and wellness event. Design and present educational benefit overview during new hire orientation for staff and faculty. The incumbent coordinates the responsibilities of the Benefits staff in responding to and processing employee inquiries regarding insurance coverage, enrollment processing, eligibility criteria, open enrollment, family status changes, and other related questions and transactions. This includes auditing and monitoring of systems to reduce discrepancies, support compliance and maintain benefits data across multiple platforms.
Other Benefit Programs and Voluntary Benefits:
Responsible for the administration, oversight, communication, and compliance of employer-sponsored and voluntary benefit programs. Provides operational oversight for life insurance, long-term disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, COBRA and Direct Pay continuation coverage, and other voluntary benefit offerings. Ensures accurate administration, effective communication, and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, CSU policies, and vendor requirements.
Fee Waiver and Reduction Program:
Responsible for the administration, oversight, communication, and compliance of the CSU Fee Waiver and Reduction Program. Provides leadership and guidance regarding program eligibility, policy interpretation, enrollment, and application of collective bargaining agreement provisions. Collaborates with campus partners to ensure accurate and timely program administration while promoting employee awareness and utilization of educational benefits. Monitors program effectiveness, resolves complex issues, and ensures compliance with CSU policies and program requirements.
Benefits Technology and Security:
The incumbent partners with HRIS to ensure implementation, maintenance, and continuous advancement in the use of technology tools to support benefit functions with a focus on automation, retrieval of information, management operational needs, and reporting requirements. In addition, incumbent has oversight of the Security Gatekeeper roles and responsibilities for Human Resources.
Retirement:
Incumbent is responsible for counseling and educating faculty and staff on the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) service and disability retirement, service credit, and the faculty early retirement program (FERP) in coordination with Faculty Affairs. The incumbent also coordinates retirement and financial planning workshops. Provides education on the Part - Time Seasonal Plan, the Savings Plus Program and the CSU Supplemental Retirement plans.
Leaves of Absence and Accommodations:
Directs the administration and ensures compliance of all staff leaves of absences and faculty medical leaves in coordination with Faculty Affairs, The Associate Director is responsible for overseeing the Leave of Absence Specialist role in counseling, implementation and administration of employee leave options and programs. Requires adherence to laws, policy, contractual requirements, and mandated deadlines. Through knowledge and applicability of CSU leave programs such as Non-Industrial Insurance Program (NDI), Catastrophic Leave, Parental Leave program, leave credits, and Military Leave. Laws including CSU Family Medical Leave, California Family Rights Act, and Pregnancy Disability Leave, American with Disability Act (ADA), and others.
Employee Assistance Program and Wellness Programming:
Serves as the campus point of contact for the Employee Assistance Program and related wellness initiatives. Responsible for the administration, communication, promotion, and assessment of EAP services and wellness programming. Coordinates campus-wide wellness activities, educational resources, and awareness campaigns designed to enhance employee well-being, resilience, engagement, and productivity. Monitors program effectiveness and collaborates with internal and external partners to expand wellness opportunities and encourage utilization of available support services.
Workers' Compensation and Accommodations:
Responsible for the oversight of the Workers' Compensation Specialist and administration of the University's Workers' Compensation program in coordination with the Third-Party Administrator, defense attorneys, the Chancellor's Office, and Risk Management. Provides strategic oversight of claims management from intake through resolution, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, policies, and reporting requirements. Advises management on workers' compensation matters, workplace injuries, transitional work assignments, and related disability management issues. Monitors occupational health services to promote quality care, timely communication, and positive outcomes for injured employees. Collaborates with campus stakeholders to support return-to-work efforts and workplace accommodations when appropriate. Develops and presents educational workshops and training programs on Workers' Compensation, injury reporting, disability management, and related employee support programs.
Interactive Process:
The Associate Director of Benefits serves as the campus subject matter expert and liaison for the interactive process and reasonable accommodation program, providing guidance and consultation to faculty, staff, and administrators. Ensures compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and CSU policies governing reasonable accommodations and the interactive process. The incumbent partners with campus stakeholders to evaluate work restrictions, assess accommodation requests, and identify effective reasonable accommodations that enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their positions. Collaborates with the Senior Director of HR People and Strategy, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, and General Counsel on complex and sensitive accommodation matters, ensuring a consistent, compliant, and employee-centered approach to disability management and workplace accommodations.
Unemployment Insurance Program:
Responsible for administration and auditing unemployment claims. This requires responding and coordinating claims with our third-party administrator. Represents University at unemployment appeal hearings. Provides strategic oversight of claims management from intake through resolution, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, policies, and reporting requirements.
As a leader, demonstrates a commitment to student success that is mission-aligned with the university's vision, values and priorities. Establishes an ethical and collegial work environment, promoting a collaborative, accountable and inclusive team. Encourages a courageous and resilient solution-oriented environment by participating in new opportunities to further the mission of the university. Participates in developing initiatives that further support the campus mission with a service-oriented and catalytic mind set. Strengthens employees by being communicative and a talent builder that develops team attributes, furthering departmental goals.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Equivalent to graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor's degree in a job-related field.