Job of the Week – Football Athletic Equipment Coordinator

This week’s job of the week is a Football Athletic Equipment Coordinator (#607327) for MSU’s Intercollegiate Athletics Department. This position is seeking an individual who will receive and issue athletic apparel and supplies in conjunction with the needs of MSU’s football team.

The responsibilities for this role include determining equipment needs and specifications, making budget recommendations, researching products, meeting with manufacturer representatives and vendors, and initiating paperwork to purchase athletic equipment in order to maintain adequate inventory levels. Additional responsibilities of this role include maintaining a computerized inventory system, organizing all locker room needs for both MSU student athletes and visiting team athletes, and supervising the daily activity of student employees and student managers.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a bachelor’s degree in physical education, athletic administration or related field with relevant coursework in business; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in equipment management, purchasing and fitting at a Division I school; knowledge and experience working with computers and software applications; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. The job also requires certification by the Athletic Equipment Managers’ Association or completion of certification within two years of hire.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Nominate a deserving colleague for the Jack Breslin Distinguished Staff Award

Do you work alongside someone who exemplifies overall excellence in their job and contributions to the MSU community? Give them the recognition they deserve by nominating them for the Jack Breslin Distinguished Staff Award! This annual award is presented to six university support staff members selected by the Jack Breslin Distinguished Staff Award Selection Committee.

For over 40 years, 253 recipients have been honored and YOU now have the opportunity to nominate someone for one of the most prestigious awards granted to employees at Michigan State University!

Nomination forms are due on October 17, 2019. Click here to learn more about the award.

Watch the videos below to learn more about the 2019 Jack Breslin Distinguished Staff Award winners:

Job of the Week – Accountant I

This week’s job of the week is an Accountant I (#609724) for the Office of the Vice President for Auxiliary Enterprises, specifically in the Finance and Business Office. This position is seeking an individual with a strong work ethic to serve as backup to the assistant controller and be assigned as the Fiscal Officer Delegate to assist with account reconciliation for several accounts within one of the business units.

The responsibilities for this role include providing accounting controls for departmental budgets that exceed $20 million of expenses in some units, offering assistance to departmental staff with accounting concerns and monitoring the activities of the department in order to assist in the basic operational functioning. Additional responsibilities of this role include supporting the financial and operational activities of the Residential and Hospitality Services (RHS) Business and Financial Services office assigned to focus on Residence Education and Housing Services (REHS).

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in accounting; one to three years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in financial statement and report preparation, general ledger accounting and budgeting; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Thinking about your 2023 benefits options? Consider the Consumer Driven Health Plan with Health Savings Account.

This article was updated in 2022 with information for the 2023 plan year.

As you think about the best benefits options for you and your family for the 2023 plan year, we encourage eligible employees to look at the Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP) with Health Savings Account (HSA) option. If you do not anticipate having a lot of health care needs for the 2023 plan year and are looking for a sound strategy to save for your retirement health care, this plan may be the most cost-effective option for you.

This health plan is currently only available to faculty, academic staff, executive management, POAM, and non-union support staff with an employment percentage equal to or greater than 50% and an appointment for nine months or more. You may also enroll your benefits-eligible dependents.

About the Consumer Driven Health Plan

While you pay a deductible ($2,000/single and $4,000/ family) first before the plan pays medical and prescription benefits, preventive care and certain generic medications for chronic conditions (asthma, cholesterol, diabetes, and anti-hypertensives) are 100% covered with no deductible or co-pays when using an in-network provider. Review the Health Plan Coverage Summary in the applicable Open Enrollment guide to anticipate your annual costs under this plan – you may find that most of your annual medical costs are 100% covered:

This plan limits the maximum amount you pay for any covered services in a year to $3,000/single and $6,000/ family using in-network providers. After expenses reach this amount, you do not have to pay for any other health care costs for covered services, including prescription drugs.

About the Health Savings Account

Along with the CDHP, you should enroll for the HSA— not to be confused with the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA)—during Open Enrollment in October. MSU contributes up to $750 to the HSA each year (prorated by employment percentage) and you may add funds to the HSA tax-free. You can use these HSA funds to pay for any eligible medical expenses or doctor visits you do incur.

Note: If you do not enroll in the HSA during Open Enrollment, you will lose MSU’s contribution.

These contributions are triple tax-free! You make contributions pre-tax, your account balance earns interest tax-free, and your distributions are tax-free if they are used for eligible medical expenses. Do you have an existing HSA from a previous employer? You can add those funds into your new HSA. The money in the HSA is yours to take with you – even if you leave MSU for a different employer or retire. In fact, investing in your HSA now to use in your retirement is a sound strategy to fund your medical expenses in retirement.

How much should you contribute to an HSA?

It can be difficult to plan for health-related expenses, especially when taking unforeseen expenses into consideration. With HSA’s, however, figuring out how much to contribute is rather simple — as much as you can within IRS contribution limits.

The current 2022 IRS contribution limits are:

  • $3,650 for single
  • $7,300 for family

The 2023 plan year IRS contribution limits are:

  • $3,850 for single
  • $7,750 for family
  • And those 55 or older can contribute even more

Remember, any funds you don’t use immediately earn interest tax-free and can be used by you and your dependents for medical expenses incurred in retirement.

It might make you feel uneasy to contribute as much as you can, but when you consider the tax savings and retirement benefits, it feels more realistic.

Questions? Learn more about the CDHP with HSA plan on the HR website. Also, consider participating in the MSU Benefits Fair or an HR Site Lab in during Open Enrollment in October to ask us questions about this health care plan. Please note: the HR building is not available for drop-ins.

The Solutions Center is available to answer questions via phone or email. In-person assistance is available by appointment only. Email:SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu
Phone: 517-353-4434
Toll Free: 800-353-4434

Happy National Online Learning Day!

September 15 is National Online Learning Day! Online learning provides convenience, flexibility, and personalization for all learners. Did you know MSU offers FREE online learning opportunities for all faculty and staff? Get access to online resources including books, videos, courses, and more via elevateU. 

Access elevateU here or log into EBS and look for the “elevateU” tile under the “My Career & Training” tab. You can access elevateU from your computer or through the Skillsoft Learning App for Android and iOS devices.  

There are programs that cover leadership, IT & desktop, business, finance, human resources, change management, project management, interpersonal skills and so much more. Resources are available in a variety of formats: 

  • Video-based and interactive courses 
  • Videos 
  • Books 
  • Resources to prepare for various professional certifications 

Watch the following video for a general overview of the resources available to you and how to access them:

Need help navigating elevateU? Click here for an additional video on how to use the search function and navigate through the resources available. 

Utilize the resources as reference tools to help answer your day-to-day job questions or as part of your ongoing personal and professional development. Many of the courses are even approved for Continuing Education credits! Remember, all courses are available to current staff and faculty at no charge.  

Happy National Online Learning Day! 

Job of the Week – Medical Laboratory Technician

This week’s job of the week is a Medical Laboratory Technician (#607197) for The College of Veterinary Medicine, specifically in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. This position is seeking an individual with excellent verbal communication skills to provide support to technical and professional staff by preparing specimens for diagnostic analysis.

The responsibilities for this role include processing/testing specimens from animals and the environment to detect the presence of inorganic and organic chemicals, as well as preparing media/reagents for use by several laboratory sections. Additional duties associated with this position involve walking, lifting, pushing, pulling, reaching, climbing and working with unfixed animal tissues.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in science or a two-year associates degree program in Applied Science Medical Laboratory Technician including a six-month internship at an approved institution laboratory; up to six months of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in basic laboratory techniques; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. The job may require specialty certifications, approvals, or training.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.

Get in-person assistance for your Open Enrollment questions!

The MSU Benefits Open Enrollment period is around the corner. Benefit-eligible employees can enroll in, change or cancel benefit selections from Oct. 1-31. Is this your first time participating in MSU’s Open Enrollment and you’re not sure where to start? Or have you done this before but have some questions you just want a real-life person to help with?

Either way, MSU HR has a number of opportunities for you to get in-person assistance during the Open Enrollment period.

Benefits Fair

Stop out to the MSU Benefits Fair to talk with knowledgeable HR staff and benefit vendors. The fair will be held at the Breslin Center on:

Tues., Oct. 8, 2019
Noon – 7 p.m.

Wed., Oct. 9, 2019
7 a.m. – 5 p.m.

You can check out more information on which vendors will be at the fair, as well as info about parking, flu shots and chair massages on the HR website.

Site Labs

MSU HR will host site labs throughout the month of October where you can stop in and work with HR staff to get your questions answered. Site labs will be held at the Nisbet Building (1407 S. Harrison Road, East Lansing) on:

Fri., Oct. 4, 2019
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tues., Oct. 22, 2019
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Mon., Oct. 28, 2019
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Thurs., Oct. 31, 2019
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

You can check out more information on the site labs, including parking info on the HR website.

If you miss one of these opportunities, the MSU HR Solutions Center team is always happy to assist. Stop by the Nisbet Building, Suite 110, Mon. through Fri., 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. or contact 517-353-4434 or SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu. Make sure to get your questions answered and feel confident in your benefit selections for 2020!

Job of the Week – Hub Project Manager

This week’s job of the week is a Hub Project Manager (#602040) for The Hub for Innovation in Learning and Technology. This position is seeking an individual with strong problem-solving and communication skills, who possesses a broad understanding and experience planning and managing a portfolio of product and/or service design projects.

The responsibilities for this role include providing project management strategy and guidance for The Hub, managing changes to projects’ scope, schedule, and costs using appropriate verification techniques, assisting in the development of project objectives and project plans, and working with Hub management on resource planning, availability and allocation to project objectives. Other responsibilities include conducting research and data analysis, preparing reports, and performing project close assessments to identify opportunities for growth, to maximize operational effectiveness, amend processes and procedures, and assess work performance.

The ideal candidate would possess knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in design, business administration, research, education or field related to the employing unit; three to five years of related and progressively more expansive work experience in product and design project management, business analysis, facilitating/training with a focus on business management; experience working with multiple high-level stakeholders, work flow process analysis and implementation of strategic initiatives, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

For more details on the responsibilities of this position, and to view all our current postings, visit careers.msu.edu. Internal applicants should access postings through the Careers @ MSU tile in the EBS Portal.