Total Rewards Specialist

The Total Rewards Specialist plays a critical role in supporting the organization’s benefits, compensation, and wellness programs. Supporting the Director, Total Rewards, this role is responsible for overseeing the organization’s benefits and compensation programs, ensuring smooth administration, compliance, and alignment with market trends. Key responsibilities include managing health and retirement plans, leave programs, and wellness initiatives, as well as supporting compensation strategy through market analysis, job evaluations, and annual planning. The position serves as a liaison across internal teams and external partners to deliver effective programs that support employee engagement and organizational goals.

PRIMARY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Benefits

• Administer daily operations of employee health, welfare, and retirement plans, including handling/resolving initial benefit inquiries, triaging/escalating issues, and educating employees about our benefit plans
• Manage leave of absence program in-house for federal, state, and internal paid and unpaid leaves
• Review and audit vendor invoices on a consistent timeframe for accuracy and coordinate the reconciliation and payment processes with Finance
• Lead the onboarding, offboarding, and new hire training on all benefit plans
• Act as daily liaison between benefit vendors, brokers, and internal stakeholders
• Be the liaison with Payroll on reviewing/auditing benefit deductions, submitting tuition reimbursements, and other benefit related matters
• Maintain and update benefits information and communications on intranet/portal and work with Internal Communications on drafting and sending out consistent benefits information
• Provide support for benefits vendor implementations and updates
• Partner with the Director, Total Rewards to lead the Wellness & Wellbeing Committee meetings, initiatives, and communications
• Lead the annual benefits open enrollment initiative
• Review and update benefit processes as needed including documentation
• Help keep track of compliance initiatives for benefit plans including reporting deadlines, posting and communication requirements
• Assist with developing and maintaining benefit metrics
• Keep on top of any legislative or regulatory updates and market trends impacting HR and/or employee benefits

Compensation

• Participate in salary surveys and analyze market data
• Track and update job structures, including job codes, job families, and salary ranges
• Perform job analysis and evaluation and price new and updated jobs based on market benchmarks
• Assist with annual compensation planning and other compensation related tasks as needed
• Review jobs for FLSA exemption status
• Assist with maintaining compensation metrics
• Keep on top of any legislative or regulatory updates, and market trends impacting HR and/or compensation

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

Initial Required:

• 2 – 4 years in experience working with benefit plans, compensation programs, or in roles with similar analytical work
• Associate degree (bachelor preferred) in human resources, business/management, or other technical education
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Knowledge of leave administration practices and federal and state leave laws
• Proficient in ADP Workforce Now or similar HRIS systems
• Skilled at working with data and auditing practices
• Adept with spreadsheets and databases
• Strong communication skills (verbal, listening, writing, reading)
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines

Core Competencies:

• Attention to detail and accuracy
• Quantitative and qualitative focus
• Customer service orientation
• Project management
• Confidentiality and integrity
• Collaboration and team leadership

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Incumbent must be able to communicate effectively.
• Manual dexterity and sitting is required in carrying out position own position responsibilities (i.e. use of personal computer).
• Ability to travel or move about within and outside serviced facilities required.
• Incumbent works primarily in either a private or shared office environment.

The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform this position.

** In accordance with CareQuest Institute for Oral Health’s Compliance Plan, all employees must conduct CareQuest Institute for Oral Health business and activities in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, professional standards and ethical standards and report potential compliance or ethical issues to CareQuest Institute for Oral Health’s designated Compliance Officer. **

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health’s Affirmative Action Program affirms our commitment to make reasonable accommodation for known physical or mental limitation of otherwise-qualified individuals with disabilities or special disabled veterans, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business and activities. Please see Human Resources for additional information regarding this program.