Benefits Professional

--CAREER DRIVEN, AMBITOUS, PROFESSIONAL BENEFITS ANALYST--
Dynamic, proactive and career-driven Senior Benefits Analyst with over 6 years of experience, seeking a key role with an organization in need of a professional with proven ability to provide critical support in the development and implementation of HR strategies that achieve business results. Equally adept at optimizing performance through organizational change. Excellent skills in problem solving, multi-tasking and communications. A trusted company advocate who can effectively balance the needs of both individual and organization.

Areas of key strengths include:

§ EXCELLENT STRATEGIST - Provide advanced technical solutions that boost productivity and efficiency across the organization. Quickly identify problem areas and implement effective solutions to meet goals.
§ EXCEPTIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS - Consistently recognized by colleagues for cross-discipline talents in needs analysis, troubleshooting and problem resolution in fast-paced environments.
§ STRONG SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY - Solid professional standards; excellent track record of dependability. Maintain focus on achieving results while formulating and implementing business solutions to meet a diversity of needs.
§ INSIGHTFUL AND ARTICULATE - Excellent interpersonal/communication skills. Interacted with all levels from executives and administration personnel, vendors and staff, covering all ends of the spectrum.
§ PERSONNEL AND HUMAN RESOURCES - Knowledge of principles and procedures for defined benefit and contribution, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and various Human Resource Information Systems.
§ ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, and coordination of people and resources.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Senior Benefits Analyst: AT&T, Inc. Dallas, TX 2008-present
§ Managed assigned third party benefit administrators including their overall performance, compliance with benefit plan and operational requirements, change management and problem resolution.
§ Worked with internal and external organizations to improve and, as necessary, customize operational processes.
§ Responsible for aligning benefit plans to corporate and business unit strategies and maximizing the value received for plan expenditures.
§ Performed cost/benefit analysis of various benefit design alternatives.
§ Managed special projects in support of business units and plan design including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.
§ Analyzed corporate benefit programs and prepared data for report production and management decision making.
§ Responsible for the efficient and effective administration defined benefit policies and plans to employees, retirees, and their beneficiaries.
§ Responsible for the administration of the company's benefits program in regard to plan options, policy features, enrollment and other requirements.
§ Managed vendor performance and service level agreements.
§ Acted as team liaison for company’s three pension administration and recordkeeping vendors.
Benefits Specialist: Atmos Energy Corporation Dallas, TX 2006-2008
§ Responsible for the administration of fully and self-insured employee benefit and retirement plans and provide support in the evaluation, coordination, implementation, and administration of the company compensation programs.
§ Assists in the enrollment of employees into the Company's various benefit plans as well as assists with the input, verification and maintenance of plan records to ensure compliance with benefit regulations, plans and company policies and procedures.
§ Responsible for serving as the initial contact for all aspects of employee benefits customer service, handling telephone calls, emails and employee walk-ins.
§ Assist employees in plan enrollment, changes, questions and claim issues; presenting new employee orientations & group benefits presentations; processing enrollments, terminations and changes in Oracle and other enrollment systems; administer COBRA enrollment; reconciling monthly medical enrollment and billing reports; maintaining benefits supplies, enrollment kits and files.
§ Develops and prepares routine and ad hoc reports of a complex nature for management or to comply with government regulations regarding the application of the Company’s
§ Compensation programs and administration of benefit plans and programs for both active employees and retirees.
§ Provides technical and analytical assistance with 401K and Pension Account Plan for exempt, nonexempt and executive level employees. Ongoing evaluation of company benefits, scope of services and effectiveness of tools and processes.

Compensation & Benefits Coordinator: Atmos Energy Corporation Dallas, TX 2006-2007
§ Ongoing management of actuarial valuation projects involving pension calculations for terminated or retired employees. Interpret pension plan documents and resolve legal and administrative issues.
§ Interpret retirement savings plan documents and resolve legal and administrative issues.
§ Perform individual pension calculations for terminated or retired employees following established company and departmental processes. Interpret pension plan documents and follow administrative procedures related to pension calculations.
§ Update pension calculation tools and administrative procedures as necessary. Prepare and manipulate data for special projects for lease and contract employees.
§ Participate in administrative consulting projects, as required. Develop plans in the record keeping systems and all related systems.
Career Specialist: ACS (Texas Workforce Commission) Dallas, TX 2005-2006

§ Acquired and retained employment candidates by researching, recommending, and explaining benefit and
public assistance programs.
§ Identified and removed employment barriers. Referred customers to jobs based on employers' requirements
and qualifications.
§ Conducted group and individual orientation and information sessions and conducted center job fairs.
§ Manage special projects as needed.
§ Monitor budgets for client projects and resolve issues.
§ Oversee all aspects of recruitment efforts; determined staffing needs, identified talent within and outside of the organization, interviewed and tested candidates, and made hiring and promotion decisions
Human Resource Specialist: Reed Construction Data Dallas, TX 2003-2005
§ Conducted investigations into allegations of policy violations, serious misconduct, EEOC, and supervisory issues; ensured legal and regulatory requirements were satisfied
§ Mediated and successfully resolved ethical and integrity concerns through education, coaching, and counseling
§ Responsible for the administration of all store training, to include serving as the primary contact for employees, resolution of all inquiries, processing of new hires and open enrollments, and facilitating benefit education programs and maintaining extensive knowledge of Summary Plan Description
§ Ensured the fairness and equity of the associate evaluation process through education and training of Department Managers, Assistant Store Managers and Store Manager.

Commercial Account Manager: CompUSA Dallas, TX 2002-2003
§ Prospected potential clients during phone interviews. Originated phone calls to prospective customers and provided information about products and services. Responded to incoming calls from prospective customers.
§ Arranged special orders, delivery or installation. Processed cashier transactions or restock merchandise if needed.
§ Researched and sold information technology services to business accounts for assigned territorial accounts in all states.
§ Responsible for sales analysis for corporate sales analysis for entire Northeastern Texas region.
§ Responsible for business sales vendor invoice timely processing of accounts payable and invoicing.

401K Investment Specialist: Fidelity Investments Westlake, TX 1999-2001

§ Established reliable methods for collecting and managing qualitative and quantitative data.
§ Conducted descriptive and inferential statistical data analysis.
§ Developed understanding of data entity and attribute relationships.
§ Resolved data integration issues.
§ Successfully completed independent and collaborative research.
§ Engaged with customers to understand data-related issues and suggest strategies/approaches to extract the necessary intelligence from the data.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Master’s Of Arts (Human Resources Management): 2006
Dallas Baptist University Dallas, TX
Bellevue University Bellevue, NE 2002

Certifications:
Professional Human Resource (PHR)
Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) Tentative Completion Spring 2011

Professional Affiliation/Membership:
Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Dallas Human Resource Management Association (DHRMA)
Professional Women of AT&T (WOA)
International Foundation Education, Benefits, & Compensation (IFEBP)
Cambridge Who’s Who Directory of Professionals and Executives Directory

Professional/Technological Training:
Employment Law, Staffing Organizations, Compensation and Performance, Career Management and Life Transitions, Management Theory, Budgeting for Managers, Business Legal Environment, Marketing Concepts, FMLA Regulation, Leadership in Management, Communication and Business Behavior, Managing Change in Organizations, Principles and Practices of being a Change Agent, High Performance Work Teams, Business Ethics, Organizational Management and Problem Solving, Human Resource Management, Problems and Challenges in Management, Industrial Psychology, Conflict Resolution, Human Resource Generalist Boot camp, Personal Investment, Directing Organization Communication, Customer-Centric Communication, Leadership in Global Business Communication, Total Rewards, Workforce Planning, Strategic Management, Human Resource Development, Risk Management, Employee Development & Labor Relations, Employee Negotiations and Collective Bargaining, Leadership Development, Leadership Coaching and Counseling, Performance Management Strategies, Processes, and Models, Oracle 4i, SAP, Introduction to HRIS, Managing and Using Information Systems, Business Requirements and Analysis, Business Process Mapping, Project Management, Fundamentals of Business Analysis, Business Telecommunications, Introduction to Visual Basics, E-Commerce, Information Security, Information Technology Project Management, Legal Environment of Business, Ethics for IT Professionals, Principles of Marketing, Access, eLink, MS Office Suites (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Citrix, Lawson, eRecruit

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