Senior Benefits Analyst

The Kent Companies; Midland (TX); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Kent Companies in Midland, Texas is seeking a Senior Benefits & Total Rewards Analyst to help shape our growing HR function. You will own benefits administration, compliance, retirement programs, workers' compensation, and vendor relationships, with opportunities to expand into compensation strategy and analytics.

This role offers a dynamic, evolving environment where data-driven decisions, scalable processes, and a broad Total Rewards agenda shape our people strategy and executive reporting.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of progressive experience in benefits, compensation, Total Rewards, or related HR specialty.
• Strong hands-on knowledge of benefits administration and compliance.
• Experience with brokers, carriers, vendors, and retirement plans.
• Knowledge of ACA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA and related regulations.
• Strong analytical skills with data-to-recommendations ability.
• Advanced Excel skills and HRIS experience; Paycor is a plus.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership.
• Comfortable evaluating processes and building improvements.
• Strong communication and presentation skills with leadership.
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, Finance, or related field preferred.
• CEBS, CCP, PHR/SPHR, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP or similar certification is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Administer employee benefits: medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, HSA/FSA, and voluntary benefits.
• Lead annual open enrollment, communications, education, and enrollment activities.
• Serve as a benefits SME for employees, leadership, and HR team.
• Manage relationships with brokers, carriers, and vendors; handle plan performance and renewals.
• Oversee workers' compensation administration, injury reporting, claims, and return-to-work coordination.
• Ensure ACA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA and related regulations compliance.
• Manage retirement plan activities, audits, and compliance.
• Audit benefit eligibility, payroll deductions, carrier invoices, and HRIS data for accuracy.
• Analyze benefit utilization, workforce data, and program performance for improvements.
• Support compensation benchmarking, market analysis, salary structures, and pay equity initiatives.
• Help develop a scalable compensation philosophy and Total Rewards strategy.
• Build HR dashboards, metrics, and executive-level reporting.
• Support annual benefits budgeting and forecasting.
• Evaluate processes and recommend new systems, workflows, policies, and programs as the organization grows.
• Partner with HR leadership and stakeholders to turn recommendations into action.

Skills

Analytical skills

Advanced Excel

Communication

Presentation skills

Independent work

Problem solving

Education

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

CEBS

CCP

PHR/SPHR

SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP

Tools

HRIS

Paycor

Job description

The Kent Companies is looking for an experienced Senior Benefits & Total Rewards Analyst to join our growing HR team in Midland, Texas.

This is an opportunity for someone who knows benefits inside and out but is ready to do more than administer existing programs. As The Kent Companies continues to grow, we're building a more strategic and scalable HR function—and this person will play an important role in shaping what Total Rewards looks like moving forward.

You'll initially take ownership of benefits, compliance, retirement programs, workers' compensation, vendor relationships, and day-to-day administration while helping us evaluate and improve the processes already in place. From there, the role will expand into compensation strategy, analytics, program design, and broader Total Rewards initiatives.

We're looking for someone who can step into an environment that's evolving quickly, figure out what works and what doesn't, and confidently recommend a better way forward. You won't be handed a perfectly built playbook—and that's part of the opportunity.

What You'll Do

• Own the administration of employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement, HSA/FSA, and voluntary benefits
• Lead annual open enrollment, employee communications, education, and enrollment activities
• Serve as a benefits subject matter expert for employees, leadership, and the HR team
• Manage relationships with benefit brokers, carriers, and vendors, including plan performance, renewals, escalations, and complex employee issues
• Oversee workers' compensation administration, including injury reporting, claims, return-to-work coordination, carrier relationships, and trend analysis
• Ensure compliance with ACA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, and other applicable federal and state regulations
• Manage and support required retirement plan activities, audits, and compliance
• Audit benefit eligibility, payroll deductions, carrier invoices, and HRIS data for accuracy
• Analyze benefit utilization, workforce data, and program performance to identify opportunities for improvement
• Support compensation benchmarking, market analysis, salary structures, and pay equity initiatives
• Help develop a more consistent and scalable compensation philosophy and Total Rewards strategy
• Build HR dashboards, metrics, and executive-level reporting
• Support annual benefits budgeting and forecasting
• Evaluate existing processes and recommend new systems, workflows, policies, and programs as the organization grows
• Partner closely with HR leadership and other internal stakeholders to turn recommendations into action

What We're Looking For

• 3+ years of progressive experience in benefits, compensation, Total Rewards, or a closely related HR specialty
• Strong hands-on knowledge of employee benefits administration and benefits compliance
• Experience working with benefit brokers, carriers, vendors, and retirement plans
• Working knowledge of ACA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, and related regulations
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn data into practical recommendations
• Advanced Excel skills and experience working within an HRIS; Paycor experience is a plus
• Ability to work independently and take ownership without requiring significant day-to-day direction
• Comfortable evaluating existing processes, identifying gaps, and building something better
• Strong communication and presentation skills with the confidence to serve as a subject matter expert with leadership
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or a related field preferred
• CEBS, CCP, PHR/SPHR, SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, or similar certification is a plus

Why This Role

This isn't a maintenance-only benefits position. You'll have the opportunity to help build the next phase of Total Rewards at The Kent Companies.

You'll join an HR organization that is actively evolving, with the opportunity to influence benefits strategy, develop compensation practices, improve processes, and potentially help build out the Total Rewards function as the company continues to grow. Madeline described the longer-term vision as eventually having broader Total Rewards—and potentially a small team—under this function.