Total Rewards Specialist

Total Rewards Specialist Location: Houston, TX(Hybrid). Direct Hire: $80K - 100K + 10% Bonus. About the Opportunity: Our client, a well-established and growing organization, is seeking a Total Rewards Specialist to join its Human Resources team. This role is ideal for a benefits professional who also enjoys supporting compensation initiatives. The position will primarily focus on benefits administration (approximately 70%) while contributing to compensation programs, market analysis, and annual compensation cycles (approximately 30%). This individual will serve as a key resource for employees and leaders by ensuring the effective administration of health and welfare benefits, retirement plans, leave programs, and compensation processes while maintaining compliance with applicable regulations. Key Responsibilities: Benefits Administration: Administer company-sponsored health and welfare benefit programs. Serve as the primary point of contact for employee benefit inquiries and issue resolution. Partner with third-party vendors and insurance carriers to ensure accurate administration and exceptional service. Coordinate annual Open Enrollment activities, including testing, communications, and post-enrollment audits. Reconcile vendor invoices and maintain benefits reporting. Support ACA compliance, employee eligibility, and benefits administration activities. Assist with retirement plan administration, including 401(k) processing and employee communications. Leave Administration: Coordinate and administer employee leave programs, including FMLA and other protected leaves. Partner with third-party leave administrators to ensure timely and accurate case management. Maintain leave records and provide reporting as needed. Educate employees and managers regarding leave policies and procedures. Compensation: Support annual merit increase and bonus administration processes. Participate in market pricing, salary surveys, and compensation benchmarking. Assist with job evaluations, salary recommendations, and pay structure maintenance. Prepare compensation analyses to support hiring and internal movement decisions. Maintain compensation data and reporting within the HRIS. Additional Responsibilities: Collaborate closely with Payroll, HR, Finance, and external vendors. Assist with HRIS data integrity and reporting. Support acquisitions and organizational changes through benefits and compensation integration activities. Recommend process improvements that enhance operational efficiency and employee experience. Qualifications: Required: Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience. Five or more years of experience in benefits administration or total rewards. Experience administering health and welfare benefit programs, retirement plans, and leave programs. Working knowledge of FMLA, ACA, COBRA, ERISA, and other applicable regulations. Strong analytical, organizational, and customer service skills. Experience utilizing HRIS platforms such as UKG, Workday, ADP, or similar systems. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel. Preferred: Experience supporting compensation programs, including salary benchmarking, merit planning, and job evaluations. Experience partnering with third-party vendors and brokers. Background supporting a multi-site organization within manufacturing, industrial, energy, or a similar environment. Bilingual (Spanish) is a plus. What We're Looking For: The ideal candidate is a collaborative HR professional who enjoys balancing employee support with analytical work. They thrive in a fast-paced environment, take ownership of benefits administration, and are comfortable supporting compensation initiatives. This individual is detail-oriented, proactive, and committed to delivering an exceptional employee experience while maintaining compliance and operational excellence. #J-18808-Ljbffr