Benefits Analyst - Outagamie County Human Resources

Outagamie County•Appleton, WI

About The Position

Outagamie County is seeking a detail-oriented, service-minded Benefits Analyst to support the administration and continuous improvement of our employee benefits programs. This position serves as the County’s primary subject matter resource for benefit plan administration, eligibility, enrollment, employee communications, vendor coordination, data analysis, compliance support, and wellness initiatives. The Benefits Analyst evaluates benefit programs and market practices; recommends and implements approved plan or policy changes; promotes accurate, consistent, and compliant administration; and supports benefit strategies that balance employee needs, market competitiveness, fiscal stewardship, and County objectives. You will be a trusted resource for employees, leaders, and HR colleagues—bringing clarity to benefit questions while helping the County make informed, sustainable total-rewards decisions.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management, Benefits Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of three to five years of progressively responsible experience in employee benefits administration.
Experience supporting self-funded or partially self-funded health plans is required.
Experience with HRIS, payroll, benefit-administration platforms, reporting tools, or data-management systems is required.
Knowledge of applicable federal and state employee benefits laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, IRS requirements, and Wisconsin public-sector retirement and benefits requirements, as applicable.
Ability to analyze benefits utilization, claims, enrollment, financial, and workforce data to identify trends, support budgeting, and evaluate plan performance.
Ability to maintain the confidentiality and security of employee health, compensation, and personally identifiable information in accordance with applicable laws and County policies.
Skill in auditing benefit enrollments, payroll deductions, vendor invoices, eligibility records, and data files to identify and resolve discrepancies.
Ability to work effectively with benefit vendors, insurance carriers, third-party administrators, payroll staff, and internal departments.
Ability to interpret benefit plan provisions and provide accurate, customer-focused guidance to employees, retirees, supervisors, and management.
Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, detail orientated, and coordinate annual open enrollment activities.
Ability to develop and deliver employee communications, presentations—including the benefits portion of new employee orientation—and educational materials related to benefit programs.
Proficiency in using human resources information systems (HRIS), benefits administration systems, payroll systems, data-reporting tools, and standard business software.
Ability to recommend process improvements that enhance accuracy, service quality, compliance, and operational efficiency.
Ability to build and maintain productive working relationships with employees and retirees at all organizational levels, while effectively de-escalating challenging situations.
Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and escalate complex or sensitive matters as appropriate.
Ability to use standard office technology and equipment necessary to perform assigned duties and communicate effectively with employees, vendors, and internal departments, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Nice To Haves

Professional certification in benefits, human resources, or a related discipline, such as CEBS, CBP, SHRM-CP/SCP, or PHR/SPHR is preferred.
Experience in a public-sector, municipal, county, education, healthcare, or unionized work environment is preferred.
Experience administering benefits affected by collective bargaining agreements is preferred.
Experience with the Wisconsin Retirement System is preferred.

Responsibilities

Administer County-sponsored employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, retirement, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, COBRA, wellness initiatives, employee recognition programs, and other benefit offerings.
Process and audit benefit enrollments, qualifying life events, leaves of absence, retirements, terminations, dependent eligibility changes, and related transactions in HRIS, payroll, benefit-administration, and vendor systems.
Verify employee and dependent eligibility in accordance with plan documents, County policies, collective bargaining agreements, and applicable requirements.
Coordinate the annual open enrollment process, including project planning, employee communications, system configuration and testing, enrollment support, vendor coordination, and post-enrollment reconciliation.
Serve as a primary resource for employees, retirees, supervisors, HR staff, and departmental contacts regarding benefit eligibility, enrollment, coverage, premiums, plan provisions, retirement, and leave-related benefit impacts.
Assist employees with Wisconsin Retirement System retirement processes and serve as an alternate authorized County representative for Wisconsin Retirement System-related matters.
Reconcile benefit invoices, enrollment records, payroll deductions, employer contributions, vendor eligibility files, and retiree premium payments; investigate and resolve discrepancies.
Prepare recurring and ad hoc reports, dashboards, and analyses related to benefit enrollment, participation, utilization, costs, employee and employer contributions, eligibility, and workforce trends.
Evaluate County benefit programs against public-sector, regional, industry, and other relevant market data to support benefit plan design, cost-sharing, competitiveness, and fiscal stewardship recommendations.
Support benefit plan renewals, budget development, vendor performance reviews, requests for proposals, actuarial reviews, and the evaluation of benefit quotations, census data, pricing proposals, and cost projections.
Coordinate with insurance carriers, third-party administrators, trustees, consultants, brokers, public agencies, and internal County partners to implement approved plan changes, resolve service issues, and monitor vendor performance.
Prepare, maintain, and support required benefit documentation, notices, reports, filings, plan documents, amendments, benefit agreements, insurance policies, forms, and administrative procedures.
Monitor benefit-related legal and regulatory developments; assess operational impacts; and recommend updates to County policies, procedures, communications, and benefit administration practices.
Ensures compliance with state and federal laws and agencies pertaining to health insurance and other County benefits.
Develop and deliver clear employee benefit communications, including plan summaries, comparison tools, enrollment materials, notices, presentations, orientations, benefit seminars, retirement education, and other outreach activities.
Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of the County’s employee wellness program, including the multi-year wellness strategy, wellness committee, employee engagement activities, internal partnerships, vendor coordination, communications, and program outcome analysis.
Assist with leave administration and assume backup responsibilities for the Leave Administrator during absences or periods of increased workload.