Compensation & Benefits Analyst

Overview

Administers the day-to-day activities of LWCC's compensation, health and welfare, retirement, leave, employee onboarding, and related employee programs. Serves as a knowledgeable resource for employees and leaders, maintains accurate plan and HRIS data, coordinates compliance and vendor activities, and performs compensation and benefits analysis.  Uses independent judgment to evaluate information, resolve routine and moderately complex issues, and make recommendations related to compensation and benefits administration.

Roles, Responsibilities, and Priorities

Major Areas of Accountability

• Benefits Administration
  • Conducts benefits orientation for new employees and assists employees with enrollment in eligible benefit and retirement programs.
  • Processes and verifies benefit enrollments, status changes, terminations, beneficiary changes, and payroll deductions in the HRIS, payroll, and vendor systems.
  • Interprets established plan provisions and policies to answer employee questions regarding eligibility, coverage, and claims; independently researches and resolves benefit administration issues and determines when legal, fiduciary, policy, or plan design matters require escalation.
  • Coordinates open enrollment activities, including system preparation, employee communications, enrollment support, data analysis, issue resolution, and follow-up; recommends process improvements based on enrollment results and employee needs.
  • Administers COBRA activities, including required notices, election processing, payment tracking, and coordination with applicable vendors.
  • Coordinates employee leave and disability processes, including FMLA, short-term disability, long-term disability, workers compensation, and other approved leaves; evaluates documentation, tracks dates and pay status, and resolves administrative issues within established guidelines.
  • Reconciles benefit carrier invoices and employee deductions, investigates discrepancies, evaluates impact, and determines or recommends appropriate corrections.
  • Coordinates required benefit communications, notices, recordkeeping, and reporting, including data collection, analysis, and review supporting ACA reporting and Form 5500 preparation.
  • Monitors recurring benefit administration activities for compliance with established ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, and plan requirements; identifies concerns and recommends corrective action or escalation.
• Retirement Plan Administration
  • Administers assigned operational activities for the 401(k) savings plan and executive deferred compensation plan, including enrollments, contributions, distributions, loans, beneficiary information, data management, and reporting.
  • Reconciles retirement plan contributions and participant data; investigates discrepancies and coordinates resolution with Payroll, recordkeepers, and other vendors.
  • Coordinates participant communications, required notices, audit requests, nondiscrimination testing data, annual filing support, and preparation of Retirement Committee materials.
  • Serves as an operational liaison with retirement plan vendors, researches plan administration questions, recommends appropriate action under established plan provisions, and refers fiduciary, legal, or material plan interpretation matters to the appropriate resource.
• Compensation Administration
  • Processes approved salary, incentive, and job changes and partners with Payroll to help ensure accurate and timely payment.
  • Participates in compensation surveys; analyzes survey results; and maintains market pricing, job documentation, salary structure, and related compensation data.
  • Conducts compensation research and analysis, evaluates jobs using established methodology, reviews pay actions for alignment with guidelines, and develops salary and grade recommendations for review and approval by People Operations leadership.
  • Prepares reports, spreadsheets, and communications related to pay programs; analyzes internal and external pay data; and advises employees and leaders on the application of established compensation practices.
  • Monitors wage and hour and compensation developments, evaluates potential operational impact, and recommends follow-up actions to People Operations leadership.
• HRIS, Payroll, and Data Administration
  • Maintains accurate compensation, benefit, retirement, and leave data in the HRIS and related systems and monitors data flow to payroll and vendor platforms.
  • Performs regular audits and reconciliations, investigates the cause and impact of data or deduction issues, and determines or recommends appropriate corrections within established guidelines.
  • Creates recurring and ad hoc reports and analyzes information to support invoice payment, compliance activities, workforce analysis, audits, and program administration.
  • Evaluates, tests, and supports implementation of HRIS, payroll, and vendor system updates affecting compensation and benefits; documents results and recommends corrective action when issues are identified.
• Employee Communications and Service
  • Prepares clear written and verbal communications regarding benefits, retirement, compensation, payroll-related procedures, open enrollment, plan changes, and employee programs.
  • Provides responsive, confidential, and employee-focused service while explaining and applying established policies and processes in an understandable manner.
  • Maintains benefit and compensation content on internal employee resources and assists with education sessions, webinars, and related events.
• General
  • Maintains organized records and documentation in accordance with established retention and confidentiality requirements.
  • Coordinates with Payroll, Finance, Legal, vendors, consultants, and other People Operations team members to complete assigned work and resolve issues.
  • Coordinates employee onboarding activities to ensure new employees are appropriately set up and provided with necessary benefits and employment information.
  • Supports audits, special projects, employee recognition activities, and other People Operations responsibilities as assigned.
  • Evaluates compensation and benefits processes and recommends practical changes that improve compliance, accuracy, employee service, or efficiency.
• Decision-Making and Accountability
  • Independently evaluates information, applies established policies and plan provisions, and recommends solutions to compensation and benefits matters within assigned authority.
  • Develops analyses and recommendations for leadership review rather than holding final authority for plan design, salary structure approval, policy approval, fiduciary decisions, or material exceptions.
  • Determines when an issue presents significant legal, fiduciary, financial, employee-relations, or policy risk and promptly escalates the matter to the appropriate decision-maker.

Desired Skills and Experience

Personality/Working Style

• Demonstrates integrity, sound judgment, discretion, and alignment with company values.
• Maintains a high level of accuracy, organization, follow-through, and confidentiality.
• Balances recurring deadlines and changing priorities, exercises sound judgment, and provides dependable service with limited day-to-day direction.
• Approaches questions with curiosity, accountability, and a willingness to learn.
• Collaborates effectively, evaluates available information, recommends a course of action, and distinguishes between matters that can be resolved independently and those requiring escalation.

Knowledge and Skills

• Working knowledge of employee benefit, retirement, leave, payroll, and compensation administration.
• Working knowledge of applicable employment and benefit requirements, with the ability to research issues, interpret established guidance, evaluate alternatives, and recognize when escalation is required.
• Strong numerical, analytical, reconciliation, and problem-solving skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical information clearly.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook and the ability to learn HRIS, payroll, and vendor systems.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business, accounting, finance, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant education and experience may be considered.
• Minimum three years of related human resources experience required, including experience supporting compensation and benefits administration.
• Experience working with HRIS, payroll, benefits, or retirement plan systems preferred.
• Professional certification or progress toward a human resources, compensation, or benefits certification is a plus.