Human Resources Manager: Benefits, Compensation and Leave

POSITION: Human Resources Manager: Benefits, Compensation and Leave

DEPARTMENT: Human Resources

PAYGRADE: 114(E)

PAY: Min: $94,246 Mid: $120,163 Max: $146,082

DEADLINE: Open until filled

JOB SUMMARY:

The Human Resources Manager: Benefits, Compensation, and Leave oversees all aspects of CCWA’s compensation, benefits, retirement plans, leave administration, wellness initiatives, ADA accommodations, and related compliance functions. This role serves as the organization’s primary expert and advisor on benefits, leave, and compensation programs, providing strategic guidance to the CHRO, leadership, and employees. The manager develops, administers, evaluates, and improves programs to ensure accuracy, consistency, compliance, competitiveness, cost savings initiatives, and positive employee experiences.

Responsibilities include conducting analyses, managing complex cases, overseeing transactions, maintaining HRIS data, preparing reports, and managing vendor relationships. The role also leads assigned HR staff and collaborates closely with Payroll, Finance, Legal, IT, department leaders, consultants, and vendors to ensure effective and aligned program administration.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

Total Rewards Strategy & Administration

• Develops and executes Total Rewards branding, strategies, and recommends programs and practices that support CCWA’s workforce objectives, employee retention, market competitiveness, internal equity, and fiscal sustainability of all programs.
• Leads and participates in the day-to-day administration of CCWA’s Total Rewards programs which includes compensation, classification, employee benefits, retirement, wellness, leave administration, ADA accommodations, and related programs.
• Serves as a subject-matter expert and provides consultation, analysis, and recommendations to the CHRO, management, and employees regarding Total Rewards programs, policies, practices, and individual employee matters.
• Researches emerging Total Rewards practices, labor market trends, legislative and regulatory developments, and public-sector practices and recommends appropriate organizational responses.
• Develops, implements, and maintains policies, procedures, workflows, forms, communications, administrative controls, and standard operating procedures supporting effective Total Rewards administration.
• Responds to employee and management questions and personally researches and resolves complex or escalated Total Rewards matters.
• Present information to executive leadership and Board of Directors, as assigned.

Compensation & Classification

• Manages and performs the day-to-day administration of CCWA’s compensation and classification programs to support internal equity, external competitiveness, regulatory compliance, and organizational objectives.
• Conducts compensation and salary surveys; identifies appropriate benchmark positions and peer organizations; collects and analyzes labor market data; evaluates compensation trends; and develops recommendations regarding salary structures, pay ranges, market adjustments, and individual salary actions.
• Manages and assists with the review and processing of compensation transactions, including new-hire salary recommendations, promotions, demotions, transfers, reclassifications, acting/interim assignments, market adjustments, and other pay actions.
• Conducts job evaluations and classification studies for new and existing positions through questionnaires, interviews, organizational analysis, market research, job documentation, and other appropriate methods.
• Develops, reviews, and revises job descriptions and classification specifications to accurately reflect essential functions, minimum qualifications, organizational scope, reporting relationships, and responsibilities.
• Reviews departmental restructuring and organizational change proposals and evaluates their potential impact on classifications, compensation, organizational hierarchy, and internal equity.
• Conducts analyses of pay compression, salary relationships, internal equity, market competitiveness, promotional pay, and salary placement and develops recommendations to address identified concerns.
• Reviews position and compensation requests for compliance with established pay structures, HR policies, budgetary parameters, and compensation practices.
• Prepares compensation analyses, salary calculations, cost projections, statistical reports, executive summaries, and recommendations to support management decision-making and annual compensation planning.
• Maintains compensation and classification records and ensures approved salary, position, classification, and organizational changes are accurately entered into the HRIS and other applicable systems.
• Conducts and documents FLSA exemption analyses and provides guidance regarding wage-and-hour requirements and appropriate position classifications.
• Performs periodic audits of compensation and classification data to identify discrepancies and ensure accuracy and compliance.

Employee Benefits & Retirement

• Manages and administers employee and retiree benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, prescription drug, life, disability, and supplemental benefit plans.
• Serves as a primary resource for employees and management regarding benefits eligibility, coverage, enrollment, qualifying life events, claims escalation, retirement, and other benefits-related questions.
• Processes and/or reviews new-hire enrollments, qualifying life events, benefit changes, terminations, beneficiary changes, and other benefits transactions to ensure timely and accurate administration.
• Leads annual benefits renewal activities, including analysis of plan performance, claims experience, utilization, costs, employee contributions, plan design alternatives, and vendor recommendations.
• Coordinates and actively administers annual Open Enrollment, including system configuration and testing, employee communications, enrollment activities, vendor coordination, employee education, elections, data validation, and post-enrollment reconciliation.
• Leads benefits-related RFPs and vendor selection activities; evaluates proposals; participates in negotiations; administers contracts; and monitors vendor performance and service expectations.
• Reviews eligibility and enrollment data and performs periodic audits and reconciliations between HRIS, Payroll, carrier, and vendor systems.
• Administers and monitors applicable COBRA processes and coordinates qualifying-event information with the applicable administrator.
• Ensures compliance with applicable benefits requirements, including , COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, and other federal and state requirements.
• Coordinates with County Government and applicable representatives regarding pension administration and assists employees with pension-related processes and inquiries.
• Administers CCWA-sponsored voluntary retirement programs, including 457(b) plans, and coordinates enrollment, changes, employee education, and vendor relationships.
• Manages and evaluates employee wellness initiatives and recommends programs designed to promote employee well-being, engagement, and responsible benefits utilization.

Leave Administration & ADA Compliance

• Manages and administers complex leave and accommodation cases involving FMLA, ADA, pregnancy-related accommodations, military leave, CCWA medical and personal leave, and other applicable leave programs.
• Overseeing and assisting with the review of employee leave requests and determines eligibility and applicable leave entitlements in accordance with federal and state requirements and CCWA policies.
• Oversees and assists with the administration of required eligibility notices, designation notices, employee communications, medical certification requests, recertifications, and other leave documentation.
• Oversees and assists with the review of medical certifications and supporting documentation, tracks leave usage and available entitlements, monitors intermittent and continuous leave, and coordinates return-to-work requirements.
• Facilitates the ADA interactive process, including communicating with employees and management, evaluating accommodation requests, reviewing supporting documentation, identifying potential accommodations, and coordinating with Legal and other stakeholders as appropriate.
• Coordinates pregnancy-related accommodation requests and ensures compliance with applicable requirements.
• Maintains accurate and confidential leave and medical documentation and ensures appropriate separation of confidential medical information from general personnel records.
• Oversees and assists with monitoring employee leave cases and ensure assigned team proactively communicates upcoming deadlines, exhausted entitlements, return-to-work requirements, and other necessary actions.
• Provides guidance and consultation to managers and employees regarding leave, accommodations, benefits continuation, return-to-work requirements, and related responsibilities.
• Conducts periodic leave audits and reconciliations to ensure employee records, leave balances, HRIS data, and applicable documentation are accurate.

Compliance, Analytics & HR Systems

• Monitors federal and state laws, regulations, regulatory guidance, and industry practices affecting compensation, benefits, retirement, leave, accommodations, and other assigned functions and recommends appropriate policy and procedural changes.
• Conducts research and prepares analyses and recommendations regarding complex transactional and compliance matters for the CHRO and other leadership.
• Develops, analyzes, and presents metrics and reports regarding compensation, benefits costs and utilization, leave activity, pay equity, workforce trends, vendor performance, and other programs.
• Maintains information in CCWA’s HRIS and other systems and performs and/or approves applicable transactions, data changes, workflow actions, and reporting activities.
• Ensures the accuracy, integrity, confidentiality, and timely maintenance of data.
• Partners with HR, Payroll, Finance, IT, and vendors regarding system configuration, integrations, interfaces, workflows, testing, reporting, troubleshooting, and process improvements.
• Participates in implementation and optimization of HR technology affecting programs.
• Develops and conducts audits and reconciliations to identify data discrepancies, compliance concerns, missed transactions, and process deficiencies and takes appropriate corrective action.
• Maintains appropriate documentation and internal controls to support regulatory compliance, financial accountability, data integrity, and audit readiness.

Vendor, Contract & Budget Management

• Manages day-to-day relationships with benefits consultants, insurance carriers, third-party administrators, retirement providers, compensation consultants, and other vendors.
• Serves as a primary point of contact for vendor escalations and works directly with vendors to research and resolve employee, administrative, system, billing, and service issues.
• Reviews vendor invoices, reports, eligibility files, billing information, and other documentation for accuracy and coordinates resolution of discrepancies.
• Monitors contractual obligations, service-level expectations, costs, deliverables, and vendor performance and recommends corrective action or service improvements when necessary.
• Participates in procurement activities, including developing scopes of work, RFPs, proposal evaluations, contract renewals, amendments, and vendor negotiations.
• Assists with developing, administering, monitoring, and forecasting budgets associated with employee benefits and other programs.
• Analyzes expenditures, utilization, claims, and cost trends and develops recommendations that balance employee needs, market competitiveness, and organizational fiscal responsibility.

Leadership & Team Development

• Functions as a working manager, balancing direct responsibility for benefits, leave, and compensation transactions, cases, analyses, and projects with leadership and oversight of assigned team members.
• Builds, leads, coaches, and develops assigned team members to achieve departmental and organizational objectives.
• Establishes clear roles, responsibilities, service expectations, performance standards, and accountability for assigned functions.
• Assigns and monitors work while remaining actively engaged in day-to-day operations and providing hands-on assistance with complex, time-sensitive, or high-volume matters.
• Reviews work products and transactions for accuracy, consistency, completeness, and compliance and provides appropriate coaching and corrective guidance.
• Provides ongoing feedback, conducts performance evaluations, recognizes accomplishments, and addresses performance concerns in accordance with CCWA policies and procedures.
• Develops team capabilities through cross-training and documented procedures to ensure appropriate backup coverage and continuity for critical functions.
• Identifies training and professional development opportunities to strengthen technical expertise and support succession planning.
• Promotes a collaborative, accountable, responsive, and service-oriented work environment focused on providing an effective employee and management experience.
• Performs other duties and special projects as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK :

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Human Resources, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a closely related field and a minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible professional Human Resources experience with substantial responsibility for compensation, classification, and employee benefits administration, including lead, supervisory, or management experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the position.
• Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all CCWA or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position.

Required Licenses: None

Preferred Licenses/Certifications :

• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP).
• Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS).
• SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) or SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).
• Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).
• Public Sector Human Resources Association Senior Certified Professional (PSHRA-SCP) or Certified Professional (PSHRA-CP)
• Other relevant compensation, benefits, retirement, or total rewards professional certification.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• This position classifies the physical exertion requirements as sedentary work involving lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time and occasionally lifting or carrying articles like docket files, ledgers, and small Although a sedentary job is defined as one which involves sitting, a certain amount of walking and standing is often necessary in carrying out job duties. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required occasionally, and other sedentary criteria are met.
• Tasks may involve some pushing and/or pulling of objects and materials of light weight; tasks may also involve extended periods of time at a keyboard or work station.

WORK ENVIRONMENT :

• Essential functions are regularly performed without exposure to adverse environmental conditions.
• This position may work on-call 24/7 as assigned.
• Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires sensitivity to change and responsiveness to changing goals, priorities, and needs.

At CCWA, it is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees, including temporary employees, and applicants for employment based on qualifications, abilities, and merit. Therefore, CCWA prohibits discrimination against employees, applicants or any other legally covered persons because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation and gender identity or expression), citizenship, genetic information, disability status, past, current, or prospective membership in the uniformed services or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to job advertisements, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, benefits, and training.