Associate Director of Benefits & Payroll

Husch Blackwell • Milwaukee, WI

2d • $114,000 - $357,000 • Remote

About The Position

The Associate Director of Benefits & Payroll serves as a senior subject matter expert for employee benefits, payroll, retirement and well-being programs. Reporting to the Senior Director of HR Operations & Total Rewards, this role provides operational leadership, technical expertise and strategic consultation to support the firm’s Total Rewards objectives. The Associate Director is responsible for the effective administration, governance and continuous improvement of assigned programs while ensuring an exceptional employee experience, operational excellence and regulatory compliance. Working closely with leaders across People & Culture, Finance and external partners, this position recommends solutions, leads key initiatives and helps translate organizational priorities into effective programs and services.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance or a related field.
• Eight to ten years of progressively responsible experience in benefits, payroll and/or Total Rewards.
• Experience in a large law firm or other professional services organization.
• Experience leading teams and cross-functional initiatives.
• Significant experience administering employer-sponsored health and welfare benefit programs; experience supporting executive and partner benefit programs preferred.
• Experience supporting qualified retirement plans and retirement plan governance.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-state payroll operations.
• Strong knowledge of applicable payroll, benefits and retirement regulations, including ERISA, IRS, DOL, HIPAA, ACA, COBRA, and state-specific wage and hour regulations.
• Proven experience managing broker and vendor relationships, overseeing annual plan audits, and serving on fiduciary committees.
• Broad understanding of compensation principles and their interaction with payroll, benefits and retirement administration.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and project management skills, with the ability to translate complex information into actionable insights.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage multiple priorities, and maintain confidentiality with sensitive employee and financial data.

Nice To Haves

• CEBS, CPP, SHRM-SCP, SPHR or other relevant professional certification preferred.
• Experience with UKG Pro and related HR technology platforms strongly preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing management of all health, welfare, and ancillary benefit programs.
• Serve as a standing member of the firm’s Healthcare Committee, contributing to plan oversight, fiduciary governance, and decision-making.
• Partner closely with the firm’s brokers, consultants, and vendor partners across all benefit domains, including health and welfare, retirement, and well being.
• Oversee compliance with ERISA, IRS, DOL, HIPAA, ACA, and COBRA requirements, ensuring all plans meet regulatory obligations.
• Manage annual plan renewals, vendor evaluations, and request-for-proposal (RFP) processes, ensuring program competitiveness and fiscal stewardship.
• Direct and participate in annual audits and compliance reviews for health and retirement plans, including collaboration with external auditors and internal accounting.
• Monitor and analyze benefits trends and benchmark data to inform recommendations for plan design and cost optimization.
• Develop and maintain employee communications and educational resources related to benefit programs.
• Monitor benefit program performance and recommend opportunities to improve the employee experience, operational efficiency and program effectiveness.
• Oversee the day-to-day management and governance of the firm’s employee retirement programs, ensuring efficient administration, operational excellence and regulatory compliance
• Coordinate with recordkeepers, consultants, legal counsel and internal stakeholders to support effective plan administration and governance.
• Manage relationships with external retirement service providers, including establishing service expectations, monitoring performance and identifying opportunities to improve participant service and administrative efficiency.
• Partner with Finance regarding the administration and governance of partner retirement programs, ensuring clear coordination of responsibilities between People & Culture and Partner Accounting.
• Support Retirement Committee activities by coordinating meeting materials, reporting, vendor reviews and governance documentation.
• Oversee employee retirement communications and education initiatives to promote understanding and engagement.
• Monitor regulatory and legislative developments affecting retirement plans and recommend operational or administrative changes as appropriate.
• Continuously evaluate retirement administration processes and recommend improvements that enhance efficiency, strengthen controls and improve the participant experience.
• Oversee the firm’s well-being programs and strategy, addressing physical, emotional, financial, and social well-being dimensions
• Partner with internal teams and external vendors to create inclusive, data-informed initiatives that enhance engagement and overall employee health.
• Ensure alignment of well-being programs with the firm’s DEI and total rewards strategies.
• Provide operational leadership and subject matter expertise for the firm’s payroll function.
• Ensure timely, accurate and compliant multi-state payroll processing.
• Strengthen payroll governance through effective controls, auditing practices and process standardization.
• Partner with HR Technology to optimize payroll systems, integrations and automation.
• Ensure effective coordination between payroll, benefits, retirement and other People & Culture processes.
• In partnership with the HR Compliance team, monitor regulatory developments affecting payroll administration and implement necessary operational changes.
• Recommend and lead continuous improvement initiatives that improve payroll accuracy, efficiency and service delivery.
• Provide day-to-day leadership for assigned team members, fostering accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Coach, develop and support team members to strengthen technical capability and service delivery.
• Establish operational priorities and ensure work is executed accurately, efficiently and consistently.
• Develop, document and continuously improve business processes, standard operating procedures and internal controls.
• Utilize data and operational metrics to identify trends, measure performance and recommend improvements.
• Build strong partnerships across People & Culture, Finance, Information Technology and external vendors to ensure effective delivery of services.
• Lead projects and initiatives that improve operational effectiveness, enhance the employee experience and support organizational priorities.
• Serve as liaison between Benefits, Payroll, Retirement and the Compensation function to ensure alignment across Total Rewards programs.
• Provide subject matter expertise regarding the operational impact of compensation decisions on payroll, benefits and retirement administration.
• Partner with Compensation and Finance to support annual compensation planning, incentive payments and other reward-related initiatives.
• Contribute operational insights and recommendations that support the continued evolution of the firm’s Total Rewards programs.
• Collaborate on employee communications that promote a consistent understanding of the firm’s Total Rewards offerings.

Benefits

• medical and dental coverage
• life insurance
• short-term and long-term disability insurance
• pre-tax flexible spending account for certain medical and dependent care expenses
• an employee assistance program
• Paid Time Off
• paid holidays
• participation in a retirement plan program after meeting eligibility requirements

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager