Remote Associate Director, Benefits & Payroll

Husch Blackwell; Milwaukee (WI); On-site; Confidential; Full time

Job summary

Husch Blackwell LLP is seeking an Associate Director of Benefits & Payroll to lead all health, retirement and well-being programs, ensuring regulatory compliance and excellent employee experience.

Reporting to the Senior Director of HR Operations & Total Rewards, this role partners with Finance, People & Culture and external vendors to design, manage and continuously improve Total Rewards. The position may be remote or located at firm offices nationwide.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance or a related field.
• CEBS, CPP, SHRM-SCP, SPHR or other relevant professional certification preferred.
• Eight to ten years of progressively responsible experience in benefits, payroll and/or Total Rewards.
• Experience in a large law firm or other professional services organization.
• Experience leading teams and cross-functional initiatives.
• Significant experience administering employer-sponsored health and welfare benefit programs; experience supporting executive and partner benefit programs preferred.
• Experience supporting qualified retirement plans and retirement plan governance.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-state payroll operations.
• Strong knowledge of applicable payroll, benefits and retirement regulations, including ERISA, IRS, DOL, HIPAA, ACA, COBRA, and state-specific wage and hour regulations.
• Proven experience managing broker and vendor relationships, overseeing annual plan audits, and serving on fiduciary committees.
• Broad understanding of compensation principles and their interaction with payroll, benefits and retirement administration.
• Experience with UKG Pro and related HR technology platforms strongly preferred.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and project management skills, with the ability to translate complex information into actionable insights.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage multiple priorities, and maintain confidentiality with sensitive employee and financial data.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day leadership for assigned team members, fostering accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Coach, develop and support team members to strengthen technical capability and service delivery.
• Establish operational priorities and ensure work is executed accurately, efficiently and consistently.
• Develop, document and continuously improve business processes, standard operating procedures and internal controls.
• Utilize data and operational metrics to identify trends, measure performance and recommend improvements.
• Build strong partnerships across People & Culture, Finance, Information Technology and external vendors to ensure effective delivery of services.
• Lead projects and initiatives that improve operational effectiveness, enhance the employee experience and support organizational priorities.
• Collaborate on employee communications that promote a consistent understanding of the firm’s Total Rewards offerings.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Benefits management

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance or related field

CEBS, CPP, SHRM-SCP, SPHR or other relevant professional certification preferred

Tools

UKG Pro

Job description

Husch Blackwell LLP is seeking an Associate Director of Benefits & Payroll to lead all health, retirement and well-being programs, ensuring regulatory compliance and excellent employee experience.

Reporting to the Senior Director of HR Operations & Total Rewards, this role partners with Finance, People & Culture and external vendors to design, manage and continuously improve Total Rewards. The position may be remote or located at firm offices nationwide.