Principal Analyst, Benefits & People OperationsUS - Chicago, IL | Hybrid
We're searching for a Chicago-based
Principal Analyst, Benefits & People Operations to join our People Operations team, so that we can own, strengthen, and strategically advance our benefits programmes across North America. The Principal Analyst will serve as RLDatix's trusted benefits expert and data custodian - driving operational excellence, audit readiness, and employee-centred programme design - to ensure every member of TeamRLD is protected, informed, and well-served.
How You'll Spend Your Time- Leading end-to-end benefits administration across the US and Canada - covering medical, dental, vision, life, disability, retirement (401(k), RRSP/DPSP), and ancillary programmes - in order to deliver seamless, compliant, and high-quality benefits experiences at scale.
- Managing all benefits records, vendor file feeds, eligibility data, enrolment, and payroll reconciliation in order to ensure zero downstream errors and maintain full audit readiness across monthly, semi-monthly, and quarterly audit cycles.
- Shaping the strategic direction of our benefits programmes by translating market intelligence, regulatory changes, and broker benchmarking data into prioritised recommendations for senior stakeholders and long-term EVP planning.
- Redesigning and streamlining benefits administration workflows, open enrolment processes, and vendor file management to build consistency and efficiency across a growing, multi-entity organisation.
- Responding to a high volume of employee benefits enquiries - including eligibility questions, claims escalations, life events, and open enrolment support - to deliver outstanding employee experience within established SLAs.
- Crafting clear and compelling benefits communications, including open enrolment campaigns, employee education materials, total rewards statements, and policy updates, to ensure employees fully understand and utilise their benefits.
What Kind of Things We're Most Interested in You Having- Significant experience (10+ years) in end-to-end benefits administration in the US and Canada, ideally within organisations of 1,500 or more employees across multiple states.
- Proven success in acting as a benefits thought leader, with the ability to shape plan design, lead vendor and broker negotiations, and inform EVP strategy using data-driven market and regulatory insight.
- In-depth knowledge of US and Canadian benefits compliance frameworks, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, IRS Section 125, provincial Canadian legislation, non-discrimination testing, and statutory filings.
- A demonstrated understanding of the connection between benefits administration and payroll accuracy - including experience reconciling benefits data against HRIS and payroll systems; hands-on experience with Dayforce/PeopleHub is a significant plus.
- A knack for working both independently and collaboratively within a high-volume, fast-paced, globally matrixed environment, engaging effectively with employees, people partners, payroll teams, brokers, and senior leadership.
- Sincere interest in driving meaningful improvements to the employee experience through benefits education, process excellence, and a genuine commitment to getting the details right.
By enabling flexibility in how we work and prioritizing employee wellness, we empower our team to do and be their best. Our benefits package includes health, dental, vision, life, disability insurance, 401K, paid time off, and paid holidays.
Salary offers are based on a wide range of factors including location, relevant skills, training, experience, education, and, where applicable, licensure or certifications obtained. Market and organizational factors are also taken into consideration.
Skills & Requirements Qualifications
