1199NE Training and Upgrading Fund

Tuition Reimbursement Specialist

Based in Hartford, CT

 

Job Title: Tuition Reimbursement Specialist (TRS) 
Employment Status: Full-Time, Exempt; must be available for occasional evening and weekend work to be accessible to second and third shift and weekend workers
Work Location: In-Person & Virtual 1-day per week; mostly in Hartford, CT; 12 days in RI annually
Compensation: Starting at $68,000 (prior related work experience considered); includes generous benefit package
Reports to: Executive Director and/or designee

Application Process:

• Please email cover letter, résumé, 2 references no later than 1/7/2026 to Training Fund Staff at JobApps@1199trainingfund.org 
• Letters can be addressed to Linda Vannoni, Executive Director of 1199NE-TUF
• Put YOUR NAME & the JOB TITLE you are applying for in the SUBJECT line of your email & in your cover letter.
• Upon emailing your above materials, you will immediately receive a message confirming receipt. 

*Note: TUF staff will not be able to monitor or respond to your email until after 1/7/26.After reviewing applications, TUF staff will reach out via email if you are being considered for a 1st interview no later than 1/12/26. All applicants will receive an email regardless by 1/12/26. Thank you for your understanding and patience. ***

Organizational Mission: 
Are you passionate about education, labor, and equity? Join the SEIU 1199NE Training & Upgrading Fund as our Tuition Reimbursement Specialist. Play a vital role in supporting the unionized healthcare career development ecosphere. The mission of the Fund is to support working adult learners who work in health care to attend various types of educational programs (ex. workshops, trainings, certificate programs, community college and university level B.A., M.A., etc.) which elevate their skills enabling them to gain better paying employment within the 1199NE unionized health care industry in CT and RI or beyond. As part of a progressive union, the Training Fund seeks to advance the livelihoods of 1199 NE caregivers and the people they care for. This is a great opportunity to contribute to an organization that empowers healthcare workers, strengthens the long-term care workforce, and elevates the excellence of care giving through education. 

Position Summary:
The TRS will specifically be assigned to administer the Fund’s Tuition Reimbursement Program (TRP) across CT and RI, which helps adult learners go to college/school with substantially reduced tuition. The TRS will support 1199 members accessing the Fund’s TRP by helping them to apply online, explaining the TRP process to them, processing their application and supporting the Financial Manager in processing applications and issuing payments, denials, refer struggling learners for Career & College counseling as needed and all other duties as assigned. 

Terms of Employment:
The TRS is a full-time (40-hour week), fully benefited position (including paid time off, Pension, Health Care, FSA. Dependent Care SA). The TRS must work in-person at the Fund’s Hartford offices initially.Additional travel (mileage reimbursement eligible) to the Fund’s Rhode Island facilities will be required periodically throughout the year for special registration periods. Employees may work from home after the initial training period one day per week (as approved by the Director) provided they have stable Wi-Fi-connectivity, can ensure a professional at-home workspace. The Fund will provide laptop, cell phone, and other paid technology support.

Statement of Job Purpose:

1. Work closely with Financial Manager (FM) to ensure timely and accurate preparation, processing and reporting of member tuition reimbursement requests
2. Work closely with FM on a variety of administrative duties, including answering phones, speaking in person with union members interested in enrolling in school or accessing benefits, data entry, and generating reports

It is important that the person in this position has experience working with the Salesforce database (or similar database), Microsoft office suite (including but not limited to proficiency with Word, Excel, Outlook email and calendar), Zoom scheduling/management and mass texting platforms. The TRS needs to embrace working in a small office environment, have exceptional interpersonal skills, and enjoy personal interactions with adults as they travel on their educational journey.

Tuition Reimbursement Program 
There are three “peak periods” for this part of the job: August-September, December-February, May-July. 

• Answer member questions via phone, email or in-person
• Assist members with accessing personalized tuition reimbursement links
• Update member information in database, as necessary
• Generate reports on TR Program outcomes to assist the FM, Executive Director (ED) and Associate Director (AD)
• Conduct routine surveys of TR Program participants
• Support Graduation planning by identifying and tracking graduation ready students
• Assist in identifying students who may need more intensive support such as tutoring, career and college counseling and refer to other TF staff 

Reimbursement processing:

• Confirm receipt of member completion documents 
• Complete Approval Checklist, including initial and current semester eligibility 
• Calculate reimbursement total 
• Forward file for approval
• Finalize file for upload
• Draft “denial” letters as appropriate.
• Prepare salesforce reporting as necessary

Other Duties:

• Communicate through a variety of media - Scale to Win, Proton Text, Constant Contact, email and text blast communication - to members quarterly about tuition reimbursement policies and deadlines, accessing application links and the online application system.
• Weekly production of payment reports. 
• Work with Sage (Financial Software) and Salesforce to accurately process payments across both systems. 
• Track member payments along with tuition taxability and disseminate tax forms as required. 
• Conduct member-facing presentations regarding accessing member tuition benefits, such as provision of tuition information at the onset of Paid Voluntary Trainings. 
• Track denials and appeals of TR applications, maintain and continue to develop a listing of colleges/training schools with information such as ex: school name, address, various contacts (Bursars office, financial aid office), tuition rates for various classes/programs and any other information pertaining to tuition reimbursement. 
• Other duties as assigned.