Benefits Analyst - Outagamie County Human Resources

Outagamie County; Appleton (WI); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Outagamie County is seeking a detail-oriented Benefits Analyst to administer and optimize employee benefits for active employees, retirees, and dependents. The role serves as the primary resource for plan administration, eligibility, enrollment, vendor coordination, data analysis, and compliance support.

You will manage open enrollment, produce reports and dashboards, and collaborate with HR partners to balance employee needs with fiscal stewardship.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR management or related field; 3–5 years in benefits administration.
• Experience with self-funded or partially self-funded health plans is required.
• Experience with HRIS, payroll, benefit-administration platforms, or data-management systems is required.
• Professional certification in benefits or HR is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Administer County-sponsored employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, and retirement.
• Process and audit enrollments, qualifying life events, leaves of absence, retirements, terminations, dependent eligibility changes, and related transactions.
• Verify eligibility in accordance with plan documents and policies.
• Coordinate annual open enrollment process.
• Prepare reports and analyses on enrollment, costs, and workforce trends.
• Support benefit plan renewals, vendor reviews, and RFP processes.
• Coordinate with carriers and vendors to implement plan changes.
• Develop and deliver employee benefit communications.
• Lead wellness program development and evaluation.
• Assist with leave administration and backup Leave Administrator.

Skills

Project management

Organizational skills

Data analysis

Customer-focused service

Communication skills

Problem solving

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR management / Benefits administration / related field

Professional certification in benefits or HR (CEBS, CBP, SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR) preferred

Tools

HRIS / payroll systems

Data-management systems

Benefit-administration platforms

Reporting tools

Job description

The Benefits Analyst administers, analyzes, and supports employee benefit programs for Outagamie County employees, retirees, and eligible dependents. This position serves as the County's primary subject matter resource for benefit plan administration, eligibility, enrollment, employee communications, vendor coordination, data analysis, compliance support, and wellness initiatives.

The Benefits Analyst evaluates benefit programs and market practices; recommends and implements approved plan or policy changes; promotes accurate, consistent, and compliant administration; and supports benefit strategies that balance employee needs, market competitiveness, fiscal stewardship, and County objectives.

Outagamie County is seeking a detail-oriented, service-minded Benefits Analyst to support the administration and continuous improvement of our employee benefits programs.

You will be a trusted resource for employees, leaders, and HR colleagues - bringing clarity to benefit questions while helping the County make informed, sustainable total-rewards decisions.

Hours: Monday-Friday but flexibility is needed based on business needs.

This position is primarily on-site, with the opportunity for remote work up to two days per week based on business needs.

Learn more today by visiting: https://www.outagamie.gov/Our-County/Human-Resources/Employee-Benefits-Information

The following responsibilities are representative of the work performed in this position and are not intended to be all-inclusive.

• Administer County-sponsored employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, retirement, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, COBRA, wellness initiatives, employee recognition programs, and other benefit offerings.
• Process and audit benefit enrollments, qualifying life events, leaves of absence, retirements, terminations, dependent eligibility changes, and related transactions in HRIS, payroll, benefit-administration, and vendor systems.
• Verify employee and dependent eligibility in accordance with plan documents, County policies, collective bargaining agreements, and applicable requirements.
• Coordinate the annual open enrollment process, including project planning, employee communications, system configuration and testing, enrollment support, vendor coordination, and post-enrollment reconciliation.
• Serve as a primary resource for employees, retirees, supervisors, HR staff, and departmental contacts regarding benefit eligibility, enrollment, coverage, premiums, plan provisions, retirement, and leave-related benefit impacts.
• Assist employees with Wisconsin Retirement System retirement processes and serve as an alternate authorized County representative for Wisconsin Retirement System-related matters.
• Reconcile benefit invoices, enrollment records, payroll deductions, employer contributions, vendor eligibility files, and retiree premium payments; investigate and resolve discrepancies.
• Prepare recurring and ad hoc reports, dashboards, and analyses related to benefit enrollment, participation, utilization, costs, employee and employer contributions, eligibility, and workforce trends.
• Evaluate County benefit programs against public-sector, regional, industry, and other relevant market data to support benefit plan design, cost-sharing, competitiveness, and fiscal stewardship recommendations.
• Support benefit plan renewals, budget development, vendor performance reviews, requests for proposals, actuarial reviews, and the evaluation of benefit quotations, census data, pricing proposals, and cost projections.
• Coordinate with insurance carriers, third-party administrators, trustees, consultants, brokers, public agencies, and internal County partners to implement approved plan changes, resolve service issues, and monitor vendor performance.
• Prepare, maintain, and support required benefit documentation, notices, reports, filings, plan documents, amendments, benefit agreements, insurance policies, forms, and administrative procedures.
• Monitor benefit-related legal and regulatory developments; assess operational impacts; and recommend updates to County policies, procedures, communications, and benefit administration practices. Ensures compliance with state and federal laws and agencies pertaining to health insurance and other County benefits.
• Develop and deliver clear employee benefit communications, including plan summaries, comparison tools, enrollment materials, notices, presentations, orientations, benefit seminars, retirement education, and other outreach activities.
• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of the County's employee wellness program, including the multi-year wellness strategy, wellness committee, employee engagement activities, internal partnerships, vendor coordination, communications, and program outcome analysis.
• Assist with leave administration and assume backup responsibilities for the Leave Administrator during absences or periods of increased workload.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources Management, Benefits Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of three to five years of progressively responsible experience in employee benefits administration.
• Experience supporting self-funded or partially self-funded health plans is required.
• Experience with HRIS, payroll, benefit-administration platforms, reporting tools, or data-management systems is required.

Licenses, Certifications, and Other Requirements

• The selected candidate must successfully complete a pre-employment background check in accordance with County policy and applicable law.
• Professional certification in benefits, human resources, or a related discipline, such as CEBS, CBP, SHRM-CP/SCP, or PHR/SPHR is preferred.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a public-sector, municipal, county, education, healthcare, or unionized work environment is preferred.
• Experience administering benefits affected by collective bargaining agreements is preferred.
• Experience with the Wisconsin Retirement System is preferred.

Any combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required, knowledge, skills, and abilities may be considered.

• Knowledge of applicable federal and state employee benefits laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, IRS requirements, and Wisconsin public-sector retirement and benefits requirements, as applicable.
• Ability to analyze benefits utilization, claims, enrollment, financial, and workforce data to identify trends, support budgeting, and evaluate plan performance.
• Ability to maintain the confidentiality and security of employee health, compensation, and personally identifiable information in accordance with applicable laws and County policies.
• Skill in auditing benefit enrollments, payroll deductions, vendor invoices, eligibility records, and data files to identify and resolve discrepancies.
• Ability to work effectively with benefit vendors, insurance carriers, third-party administrators, payroll staff, and internal departments.
• Ability to interpret benefit plan provisions and provide accurate, customer-focused guidance to employees, retirees, supervisors, and management.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, detail orientated, and coordinate annual open enrollment activities.
• Ability to develop and deliver employee communications, presentations—including the benefits portion of new employee orientation—and educational materials related to benefit programs.
• Proficiency in using human resources information systems (HRIS), benefits administration systems, payroll systems, data-reporting tools, and standard business software.
• Ability to recommend process improvements that enhance accuracy, service quality, compliance, and operational efficiency.
• Ability to build and maintain productive working relationships with employees and retirees at all organizational levels, while effectively de-escalating challenging situations.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and elevate complex or sensitive matters as appropriate.
• Ability to use standard office technology and equipment necessary to perform assigned duties and communicate effectively with employees, vendors, and internal departments, with or without reasonable accommodation.