Employee Benefit Analyst III

USI Insurance Services; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay and incentives

Comprehensive benefits package

Wellness program

Scholarships for employees' children

Financial assistance during need

Job summary

USI Insurance Services is seeking an Employee Benefits Analyst III to join our growing Employee Benefits Team in Des Moines. This role analyzes complex benefit programs for fully insured and self-funded clients, develops financial deliverables, and supports renewal strategies with market data, rate projections, and claims analysis.

You will negotiate with carriers, prepare executive summaries, and leverage USI tools such as 3D and Clear Options Rx to optimize client solutions.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of employee benefits experience within an insurance brokerage or employee benefits consulting environment.
• High School Graduate. College degree preferred.
• Must hold or be willing to obtain a state Life & Disability insurance license.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, team environment with minimal instruction.
• Ability to manage and negotiate multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office products, including Excel and Word.
• Ability to become proficient in internal analytic systems and carrier online reporting tools.
• Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to carry out complex tasks with many concrete and abstract variables.

Responsibilities

• Analyze information and create financial deliverables for clients with standard to complex benefit programs.
• Prepare standard analyses with occasional customization, including market review analyses, renewal projections, and claims utilization analyses.
• Develop alternative strategies, plan modeling, and cost reduction opportunities.
• Perform technical analysis of group insurance contracts and financial arrangements.
• Serve as primary contact with insurance carriers for quotes and renewals.
• Develop and maintain carrier relationships and review renewal illustrations.
• Analyze experience and claims utilization data to inform renewal decisions.
• Write client-facing executive summaries with observations, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Prepare carrier and client correspondence for renewals and new plans.
• Utilize USI tools (3D, Clear Options Rx, actuarial tools) for analyses.
• Participate in peer review and onboarding training.
• Stay current on industry trends and new products.

Skills

Employee benefits experience

Financial analysis

Microsoft Excel

Strong communication

Carrier negotiations

Education

High school diploma

College degree preferred

Tools

USI 3D

USI Clear Options Rx

Actuarial tools

Job description

Description and Requirements

Join Our Growing Employee Benefits Team! USI is adding an Employee Benefits Analyst III. If you have employee benefits brokerage experience along with marketing employee benefit plans, including obtaining and evaluating carrier quotes, comparing plan options and supporting renewal strategy development, this is a great opportunity to join a highly collaborative team and an organization that offers career development and growth!

General Description

Responsible for analyzing information and creating financial deliverables for clients with standard to complex benefit programs. Includes fully insured and self-funded clients.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for financial analytics for clients that are fully insured and self-funded. Typical client size is 100 to 1,000 lives.
• Prepare standard analyses with occasional customization. Analyses may include:
  • Market review analysis
  • Renewal rate and funding projections and modeling
  • Analysis of claims utilization
  • Rate and Contribution analysis
  • Claims experience reports
  • Benchmarking
  • Financial funding analysis
  • IBNR and lag analyses
• Develop alternative strategies, plan modeling, and cost reduction opportunities.
• Perform technical analysis of group insurance contracts and financial arrangements.
• Serve as primary contact with insurance carriers. Negotiate and market coverage for new business quotes and renewals. Includes requesting quotes, evaluating options, negotiating rates and benefit features, and preparing renewal/new plan options with executive summary.
• Develop and maintain excellent carrier relationships.
• Review and validate carrier renewal rating illustration.
• Analyze experience and claims utilization data for financial and plan usage conclusions. Includes identifying trends and relationship of experience to renewal rating. With guidance suggest action items.
• Write client facing Executive Summaries that provide observations, conclusions, recommendations, and next steps. With guidance articulate USI strategic objectives.
• Prepare carrier and client written correspondence. Includes carrier renewal confirmation letters and client renewal letters.
• Occasionally conduct analysis using USI internal and third-party external tools. Includes USI 3D, USI Clear Options Rx, and actuarial tools.
• Participate in peer review process as a participant and a reviewer.
• Occasionally participate in new Analyst onboarding training.
• Keep current on industry and new product information, legislation, technology, and trends.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• 3+ years of employee benefits experience within an insurance brokerage or employee benefits consulting environment.
• High School Graduate. College degree preferred.
• Must hold or be willing to obtain a state Life & Disability insurance license.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, team environment with minimal instruction.
• Ability to manage and negotiate multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office products, including Excel and Word.
• Ability to become proficient in internal analytic systems and carrier online reporting tools.
• Strong problem solving and critical thinking skills.
• Ability to carry out complex tasks with many concrete and abstract variables.

Why USI?

With approximately $3 billion in revenue and over 10,500 associates across approximately 200 offices nationwide, USI is one of the largest insurance brokerage and consulting firms in the world. At USI, we have created one of the most dynamic personal and professional development cultures in the industry. We invest heavily in our associates, and we take pride in celebrating their growth and success through our one-of-a-kind employee reward and recognition programs.

Unrivaled Resources and Support

What truly distinguishes USI as a premier insurance brokerage and consulting firm is the USI ONE Advantage®, a game-changing value proposition that delivers to clients a robust set of risk management and benefit solutions with bottom-line financial impact. USI ONE® represents Omni, Network, Enterprise—the three key elements that set USI apart from the competition. Through USI ONE, we develop strategic, timely, and effective risk management and benefit programs in terms that are easy to understand, and we demonstrate how the solutions can have a positive economic impact.

Industry-Leading Programs, Rewards, and Recognition

In addition to competitive pay, incentives, and benefits, USI recognizes associates through our Summit Awards program, rewarding excellence in those who build our brand each day. USI offers employee programs that recognize outstanding achievement and help our associates lead healthy, productive lives. We turn care into action with our award‑wishing wellness program, college scholarships for associates' children, and financial help in times of need.

Deep Community Engagement

We are committed to giving back to our local communities and supporting a culture of environmental sustainability. From sharing our time, talent, and resources to support local non‑profit organizations, animal shelters, and environmental beautification and restoration projects – to partnering with eco‑conscious vendors and taking steps to reduce our own environmental footprint – we’re working together as ONE to build a better future.

Committed to a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace

Our award‑winning I’m With U diversity and inclusion program educates our associates to help them better understand and serve our clients, prospects, fellow team members, and local communities through curated education and training resources, employee support programs, and community outreach initiatives to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture.

Nationally Recognized as a Top Insurance Employer

• Recognized as one of Insurance Business America’s Top Insurance Employers eight consecutive years (2018-2025).
• Named to Business Insurance’s annual list of the Best Places to Work in Insurance six years in a row (2020-2025).
• Named to Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Financial Services & Insurance list for the last two years (2024-2025).
• Certified as a Great Place To Work two years in a row (2024-2025).

Visit our Awards and Accolades page for a complete list of our latest industry awards and recognitions!

Competitive Benefits

• We offer a wide range of health, welfare and financial benefits including medical, wellness, dental and vision, 401(k), flexible spending and health savings accounts, short and long-term disability, life insurance and other unique employer-sponsored and voluntary programs.
• USI also offers a generous paid time off policy, paid family leave benefit as well as paid holiday time.