232 - Benefits and Compensation Manager

City of Brownsville • Brownsville, TX

3d • $71,626 - $106,946 • Onsite

About The Position

The Benefits and Compensation Manager is responsible for managing the daily administration, implementation, and continuous improvement of the City's benefits and compensation programs. This position oversees the operational delivery of employee benefits, compensation initiatives, workers compensation, and safety and risk initiatives and ensures compliance with applicable federal and state laws and develops recommendations that support the City's total rewards strategy. Working under the direction of the Benefits and Compensation Senior Manager, this position collaborates in the management of the benefit plan administration, compensation analysis, market research, vendor relationships, employee communications, and supervision of successful open enrollment activities and supervision of safety and risk strategies and activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, or a closely related field.
• Five (5) to seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in employee benefits, compensation, or total rewards.
• Three (3) years of supervisory or management experience preferred.
• Experience in public sector or municipal government is preferred.
• CEBS (Certified Employee Benefit Specialist) preferred
• CCP (Certified Compensation Professional) preferred
• CBP (Certified Benefits Professional) preferred
• Texas Workers' Compensation or Risk Management certification is desirable if applicable to your operations.
• Valid Texas Driver’s License.
• Must plan for long-term.
• Must recognize and resolve problems and situations through appropriate means applying specific types of procedures to issues without indicated guidance or destination, addresses issues that need attention.
• Involves freedom in selection of work methods among approved routines, setting of priorities, or sequencing of tasks within established schedules.
• Greater level of knowledge when applying guidelines and interpretation of available options to non-standard situations; division goals drive priorities.
• Regularly assigns and monitors the work for up to two employees; provides direction and guidance and maintains the flow of work for those employees.
• Calculates amounts due, using some judgment; receives and processes larger amounts (several thousand dollars on one day not uncommon); balances receipts and cash from one or more other employees; monitors budget; brings problems to attention of supervisor; has substantive input into overall organizational budget.
• Frequent contact with the public or other organizations; interactions may require obtaining cooperation of people; courtesy and tact are required when dealing with moderately difficult or sensitive issues.
• Office job with little or occasional light physical effort.
• Responsible for assigned equipment/property used outside of office; responsible for handing out to and retrieving property/equipment from employees and keeping inventory; use of city vehicle.
• Office job, no adverse conditions.
• Must successfully pass a Drug & Alcohol examination and a Background Check.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration or a related field is preferred.
• Three (3) years of supervisory or management experience preferred.
• Experience in public sector or municipal government is preferred.
• CEBS (Certified Employee Benefit Specialist) preferred
• CCP (Certified Compensation Professional) preferred
• CBP (Certified Benefits Professional) preferred
• Texas Workers' Compensation or Risk Management certification is desirable if applicable to your operations.

Responsibilities

• Manage the daily administration, implementation, and continuous improvement of the City's benefits and compensation programs.
• Oversee the operational delivery of employee benefits, compensation initiatives, workers compensation, and safety and risk initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws.
• Develop recommendations that support the City's total rewards strategy.
• Collaborate in the management of benefit plan administration, compensation analysis, market research, vendor relationships, and employee communications.
• Supervise open enrollment activities and safety and risk strategies and activities.
• Provide direct leadership, coaching, accountability, and performance management for the Benefits & Compensation Business Partner, Safety & Risk Coordinator, and Wellness Coordinator.
• Lead the daily operations of Benefits, Compensation, Safety & Risk, and Wellness while ensuring exceptional customer service, compliance, operational excellence, and timely execution.
• Foster a culture of urgency, accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer-focused service within the team.
• Build strong relationships with City leadership, department directors, supervisors, employees, vendors, and external partners through proactive communication and responsiveness.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for complex employee and leadership questions related to benefits, compensation, safety, wellness, and total rewards.
• Identify process improvement opportunities, eliminate inefficiencies, simplify workflows, and implement innovative solutions that improve employee experience and operational effectiveness.
• Develop, monitor, and report key performance indicators (KPIs), service levels, and department metrics to measure team performance and ensure organizational goals are achieved.
• Ensure all employee requests, benefit enrollments, compensation actions, safety matters, and wellness initiatives are completed accurately, timely, and with a strong sense of urgency.
• Lead strategic projects related to Total Rewards, including compensation studies, benefit enhancements, wellness initiatives, compliance projects, vendor transitions, and technology improvements.
• Research, evaluate, and recommend competitive benefits and compensation programs that support employee recruitment, retention, engagement, and organizational sustainability.
• Monitor market trends, salary surveys, legislative changes, and industry best practices to recommend program enhancements.
• Manage relationships with insurance carriers, consultants, retirement programs providers, wellness partners, and other vendors while ensuring contractual compliance and high-quality service delivery.
• Coordinate and oversee annual Open Enrollment, employee benefits education, and year-round communication strategies to ensure employees clearly understand available programs.
• Develop and deliver presentations, training sessions, and educational materials for employees, supervisors, directors, and executive leadership.
• Support the administration of retirement programs, including the City's 457(b) plan, and coordinate employee education regarding retirement planning.
• Monitor compensation structures, pay practices, internal equity, and market competitiveness, making recommendations to leadership as appropriate.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret compensation and benefits data using internal and external benchmarks to support strategic decision-making.
• Oversee wellness initiatives that promote employee health, engagement, and organizational well-being while measuring participation and program effectiveness.
• Oversee the City's Safety & Risk programs to ensure regulatory compliance, injury prevention, workers' compensation coordination, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, City policies, and regulatory requirements related to benefits, compensation, retirement, leave administration, wellness, and risk management.
• Maintain accurate records, documentation, reports, and audit readiness while protecting confidential employee information.
• Support the Benefits & Compensation Senior Manager in developing strategic initiatives, policies, and long-range Total Rewards programs aligned with the City's organizational objectives.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Robust retirement plan through the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) City to Employee Matching Ratio 2:1, with eligibility for retirement after 5 years of service at age 60 or 20 years of service at any age.
• Exceptional health benefits, including medical, dental, and life insurance plans for employees and their families.
• Vision coverage for employees enrolled in health insurance through MetLife.
• Access to care at Frontier Clinic at no cost when covered by the City's health plan.
• Pet insurance is available as a voluntary benefit.
• Deferred compensation plans through Equitable.
• Supplemental insurance options from AFLAC and Colonial Life.
• Full-time employees accrue 10 sick days and 15 vacation days annually.
• Parental leave concurrent with FMLA for eligible employees.
• Longevity pay.
• 100% tuition assistance up to $5,000 annually.
• 14 holidays per year, plus two floating holidays.
• Flexible scheduling options starting in fiscal year 2025.

What This Job Offers

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