The Archdiocese of Chicago, the third largest in the United States, serves more than 2.2 million Catholics in 216 parishes in Cook County and Lake County, a geographic area of 1,411 square miles. The Archdiocese, pastored by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, has more than 13,000 employees in its systems and ministries, including Catholic Charities, the region's largest nonprofit social service agency.
Under general direction of the Director of Compensation and Benefits, the Senior Compensation and Benefits Specialist implements, administers, maintains, and communicates compensation and benefit programs, policies, and procedures. Reviews and recommends benefits programs that are attractive to employees, comply with legal requirements, and are cost effective. Benefit programs include retirement, leave programs, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short and long-term disability and 403(b). Supports the organization’s compensation objectives through survey participation, salary analysis and competitive structure. There are two Senior Compensation and Benefits Specialist roles one with a benefit focus and one with a compensation focus, but both are expected to support each other to complete projects as assigned.
Essential Benefits Responsibilities (Benefit Focus)
- Primary contact for issue escalation with plan vendors and third-party administrators in relation to employee benefit, claim, enrollment, and eligibility issues.
- Monitor and verify compliance with applicable federal and state regulations, including ACA, FMLA, ADA. Ensure timeliness and accuracy of required reporting.
- Reviews benefit plan summary plan descriptions, and plan renewal material for accuracy, and plan updates.
- Leads the open enrollment process with vendors and Benefits/HR Operations Team.
- Primary contact for issue escalation on Paid Parental Leave, FMLA, and ADA.
- Works with HR Operations on review and approval of applications and other related leaves of absences/disabilities.
- Reviews benefit programs for efficiency, utilization, and market competitiveness. Makes recommendations for improvement/changes to Director.
Essential Compensation Responsibilities (Compensation Focus)
- Lead compensation analysis for new positions, ongoing salary review, and internal comparative reviews.
- Research annual compensation trends, e.g. range movement, merit increase budgets, make recommendations, and complete organizational impact analysis. Completes modeling for annual employee scale compensation changes.
- Complete annual national and religious organization salary surveys.
- Review and approve job requisitions.
- Review and approve (with appropriate level) salary adjustments, promotions, and other pay changes.
- Complete EEO-1 filings.
- Review and process bi-weekly employee 403(b) contributions and send funding information to Treasury.
- Acts as primary contact for escalation of 403(b) issues, works with vendor on corrections. Raise issues to Director as needed.
- Review calculation and process Quarterly 403(b) Match and Share plan contributions.
Other Responsibilities
- Work in tandem withother Senior Compensation and Benefit Specialist. Fill in as needed when other team member is out of office.
- Work with HRIS staff to implement compensation and benefit programs in payroll system (UKG)
- Lead or co-lead improvement projects for compensation or benefits programs. Examples: Compensation Study for Parish and Schools, , transition of Affordable Care Act and extended health coverage, Leave of Absence, Pension plan outsourcing.
- Monitor benefits billings against the benefits budget. Reviews budget variances with finance team. Participates in benefits budget meetings.
- Work with HR Operations to review enrollment data and premiums for accuracy in HRIS and benefit enrollment systems.
- Create/review/process Project Charters for leadership/finance approval.
- Review/update benefits communication material.
- Prepare and conduct benefit education programs for employees and management staff.
- Other duties as assigned.
