Manager Total Rewards (Chicago)

About Builders Vision

Builders Vision is a team of investors and philanthropists harnessing innovative capital, from grantmaking to market-rate investments, to accelerate promising solutions in three sectors:

food & agriculture, energy and oceans.

We aim to build stronger, more resilient systems within these three sectors while remaining

nimble and innovating within emerging solutions and community initiatives. Our coordinated

solutions span market development, incentivizing innovation and delivering market-rate

investments. We help investors, philanthropists, entrepreneurs and frontline changemakers

access the resources, insights and expertise they need to succeed.

Who We Are

With more than 90 people driving our work forward, our teams include diverse and

impassioned experts across investment, philanthropy, strategy, legal and general operations.

Builders Vision’s commitment to people and the planet is rooted in our workplace and culture.

• We have best-in-class total rewards and benefits programs, including competitive compensation, a generous 401k program, and an industry-leading long-term incentive program that rewards our team for their performance, financial returns and the impact we achieve in the world.
• We also offer generous health, wellness, employee training and development opportunities and charitable match programs.
• We know how to have fun! We host enriching and inclusive team events and retreats to help our staff feel connected to nature, each other and our mission.
• We were named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2023 and voted one of Chicago’s Best Places to Work by Crain’s Chicago Business in both 2023, 2024 and 2025.

A long-term and deep commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) is core to our mission and values. We recognize that a diverse workforce drives innovation, enhances

collaboration, and strengthens the leadership needed to achieve meaningful impact and

financial returns. That's why we are dedicated to proactively recruiting, developing and retaining top talent from a broad and dynamic candidate pool. It’s with these goals in mind that we aspire for our team to reflect the diverse communities we serve.

Position Summary

The Total Rewards Manager plays a critical role in the administration and ongoing management of Builders Vision’s employee payroll, benefits and People Operations programs.

Reporting to the Director of Total Rewards, this role is responsible for the day-to-day administration of payroll, health and welfare benefits, retirement programs, leave programs, employee benefit inquiries, compliance activities, benefits-related HRIS processes, and vendor coordination. This individual will serve as a key service provider to all employees, partnering closely with other People Team colleagues, Finance, Legal, DS&T, and other internal stakeholders. They will also work closely with benefits brokers, carriers, and other administrators.

Primary Responsibilities

Benefits Administration & Benefits Program Management

• Day-to-day administration of employee health and welfare benefits, including medical, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life insurance, disability, voluntary benefits, wellness programs, and other employee benefit offerings.
• Coordinate new hire benefit enrollments, qualifying life events, employee status changes, terminations, and other benefit eligibility changes.
• Support the annual benefits renewal and open enrollment process, including system configuration, testing, employee communications, enrollment support, and post-enrollment audits.
• Collaborates with the Director of Total Rewards and the Communications team to draft and execute employee benefits communications year-round, including open enrollment and annual benefits renewal materials.
• Maintain accurate benefits documentation, employee resources, plan materials, and internal administrative procedures.
• Support offboarding activities related to benefits continuation, COBRA, retirement plans, and other applicable programs.

Retirement Plan Administration

• Support the ongoing administration of the organization’s 401(k) and annual retirement plan compliance activities.
• Assist with the administration and monitoring of employer contributions, including match and non-elective contributions.
• Research and help resolve participant and administrative issues related to retirement plans.

Leave, Disability, Workers’ Compensation & Benefits Compliance

• Support the administration and coordination of employee leave and disability programs.
• Coordinate workers’ compensation administration.
• Support benefits-related compliance activities, including Form 5500 filings, PCORI filings, nondiscrimination testing for benefit plans, required notices, and other regulatory requirements.

HRIS & Benefits Systems Administration

• Serve as an administrator for benefits-related processes within the organization’s HRIS and benefits platforms.
• Maintain accurate benefits eligibility, enrollment, deduction, and employee data across systems.
• Conduct regular audits between the HRIS, benefits vendors, and other systems to identify and resolve data discrepancies.
• Analyze benefits processes across systems to identify gaps, inefficiencies, manual work, and opportunities for automation or improved integration.
• Partner with internal systems teams and vendors to support integrations, data feeds, file transfers, and system accuracy.

Payroll Coordination

• Partner with the Director of Total Rewards to ensure benefit deductions and employer contributions are accurately reflected in payroll.
• Review and validate benefits-related deduction and contribution data, particularly following open enrollment, qualifying life events, or plan changes.
• Help research and resolve benefits-related payroll discrepancies.
• Provide benefits information and documentation needed to support payroll processing.
• Serve as backup support for limited payroll-related activities as needed but will not have primary ownership of routine payroll processing.

Qualifications

Required:

• 7–10 years of progressive experience in employee benefits and payroll administration, total rewards operations, People Operations, or a related field.
• Strong hands-on experience administering health and welfare benefit programs.
• Experience supporting annual benefit renewals and managing open enrollment from configuration through post-enrollment reconciliation.
• Strong working knowledge of retirement plan administration, including 401(k) eligibility, contributions, compliance requirements, and annual plan processes.
• Experience supporting benefits compliance activities such as:
• 401(k) nondiscrimination testing
• Section 125 and other health and welfare nondiscrimination testing
• Form 5500 filings
• PCORI filings
• Benefit plan audits and required notices
• Experience administering or coordinating employee leave and disability programs.
• Hands-on experience managing Rippling or/and Paylocity.
• Strong ability to audit and reconcile benefits, eligibility, deduction, and contribution data across multiple systems.
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills, Google Workspace and experience working with benefits data, reconciliations, reporting, and operational analysis.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and regulations affecting employee benefits and leave programs including ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA and FMLA.
• Experience working directly with benefits brokers, insurance carriers, retirement plan providers, third-party administrators, and other vendors.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple programs and deadlines while maintaining a high level of accuracy and organization.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to explain complex benefit information clearly to employees.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams such as Finance, Legal, Talent, People, Acquisition, and DS&T.
• Demonstrated adaptability and success operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
• Ability to confidentially and professionally handle sensitive materials and processes is a must.

Preferred:

• Professional certifications such as CPP, CEBS, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or similar credentials are a plus.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience leveraging AI Tools to streamline People Operations and optimize operational workflows.
• Experience supporting multiple legal entities operating as one control group.
• Experience developing benefits reports, dashboards, benchmarking analyses, or recommendations to support Total Rewards strategy and program design.

There are several factors taken into consideration in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; specific job-related experience and training; job location, licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At Builders Vision, we apply a total rewards philosophy where all aspects of compensation and benefits are taken into consideration in determining compensation terms. Expected annual base salary range for this role is $150,000- $168,]]> <