Position Summary:
Reporting to the Senior Director, Benefits and Wellbeing, the Manager, Benefits Administration owns the operational infrastructure of Audubon's benefits function: the annual retirement audit, benefits-payroll reconciliation, and end-to-end leave, ADA, and Worker's Compensation case management. The Senior Associate works closely with the Manager, Benefits Administration, and collects, enters, and validates the underlying data; while the Manager owns the processes that data feeds into, reviews and signs off on the Senior Associate's work product before it goes external, and serves as Audubon's primary point of contact for auditors, Payroll, leave/ADA vendors, and internal and external benefits partners.
The Manager exercises independent judgment on complex or sensitive leave and accommodation cases, works closely with the Senior Associate and HR Business Partners on process and policy questions, and leads process improvements based on patterns seen across casework, audits, and reconciliations.
This position is classified as hybrid, in accordance with Audubon’s “Where We Work” Policy. Hybrid employees are expected to work in an Audubon office every Monday and Tuesday and an additional two days each month of the employee’s choosing. Candidates should be located within commuting distance of Audubon's offices in
Washington, DC or New York, NY.
Compensation:
Hiring range based on geo-differentials:
- $95,593 to $106,214 / year = Washington, DC
- $106,209 to $118,010 / year = New York, NY
Essential Functions:
With oversight and direction from the Senior Director, Benefits and Wellbeing, the essential functions of this role include the following areas of responsibility.
Retirement Plan Audit & Compliance Reporting
- Own the annual retirement plan audit and Form 5500 filing process end-to-end, serving as Audubon's primary point of contact for external auditors and plan administrators.
- Review and approve retirement contribution, eligibility, and remittance data compiled by the Senior Associate before it is submitted to auditors, regulators, or P&C Leadership, escalating issues requiring resolution to the Senior Director.
- Own benefits- and retirement-related compliance reporting support (e.g., census reporting, benefit surveys), compiling final data packages for P&C Leadership and partnering with them on enterprise-wide compliance strategy.
Payroll & Benefits Reconciliation
- Own the benefits-payroll reconciliation process, partnering directly with Payroll to identify, analyze, and resolve discrepancies in deductions, contributions, and leave-related pay adjustments.
- Serve as the Benefits team's primary point of contact for Payroll on benefits-related payroll matters, reviewing payroll input data prepared by the Senior Associate before it is finalized, and escalating issues as appropriate to the Senior Director.
Leave, ADA & Worker's Compensation Case Management
- Own the end-to-end leave, accommodation, and Worker's Compensation process for Audubon, partnering with our ADA and Leave of Absence vendors to manage intake, interactive process documentation, eligibility, certifications, and return-to-work coordination.
- Manage the submission and oversight of Worker's Compensation claims and Leave of Absence (LOA) case management, exercising judgment on complex or sensitive case handling.
- Maintain accurate, confidential case files for ADA, FMLA, and all applicable LOA and Worker's Compensation matters, escalating complex or high-risk cases to the Senior Director, Benefits and Wellbeing or the VP, People & Culture.
Workday & TopBloc Support
- Maintain working knowledge of Workday functionality relevant to benefits administration, partnering with the Senior Associate on configuration decisions that affect payroll, audit, or compliance data integrity.
- Provide backup support on benefits-related TopBloc tickets as needed to ensure continuity of coverage alongside the Senior Associate, stepping in directly on tickets tied to leave, payroll, or audit data.
Process Ownership & Employee Experience
- Under guidance of Senior Director, Benefits and Wellbeing, designs benefits and leave reference materials, process documentation, and standard operating procedures for the Benefits team, and directs the Senior Associate to update them to keep them current.
- Manages the annual open enrollment process design and carrier and vendor coordination, directing the Senior Associate's execution of enrollment logistics and communications.
- Leads benefits and leave-related process improvement projects, incorporating patterns observed in casework, audits, and reconciliations, and bringing recommendations to the Senior Director.
- Collaborates with the Senior Director to translate the Employee Wellness and Benefits communications strategy into clear, timely employee communications and collateral; leads the development and coordination of materials and oversees execution to ensure communications are accurate, compliant, and aligned with functional priorities.
Team Support & Guidance
- Serve as the go-to resource and informal mentor for the Senior Associate, Benefits Administration.
- Collaborate and support HR Business Partners navigating leave, accommodation, payroll, or audit-related questions.
- Respond to escalated employee benefits, leave, and accommodation inquiries that go beyond the Senior Associate's day-to-day support.
- Maintain and foster a culture of safety.
Qualifications and Experience:
- Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field is preferred; an equivalent combination of education and work experience will also be considered.
- At least 5 years of progressive experience in benefits administration, leave/ADA case management, or a related HR compliance function, including experience owning an audit, reconciliation, or similarly complex recurring process.
- Experience managing a retirement plan audit (e.g., 403(b)/401(k)) or similar compliance audit, including serving as a point of contact for external auditors.
- Experience with benefits-payroll reconciliation or a comparable cross-functional data reconciliation process.
- Working knowledge of ADA, FMLA, Worker's Compensation, and other federal and state leave and accommodation laws.
- Experience administering the ADA interactive process and FMLA or other statutory leave case management from intake through resolution.
- Demonstrated ability to guide or mentor colleagues on leave, accommodation, payroll, or audit-related questions, translating policy and regulation into clear, practical guidance.
- Experience identifying and implementing process improvements for leave, accommodation, payroll, or benefits administration.
- Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple deadline-driven cases and processes simultaneously.
- Demonstrated ability to handle highly sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex regulatory requirements into clear guidance for non-experts.
- Working knowledge of Workday Benefits and Reporting, sufficient to partner with the Senior Associate on system configuration decisions and provide backup support and/or leadership on TopBloc tickets.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, particularly Excel including VLOOKUP.
- Demonstrated personal and professional commitment to and experience in advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging.
- Experience fostering inclusive and collaborative work environments is valued.
- Commitment to Audubon’s organizational values of care, collaboration, change, integrity, impact, and innovation.
National Audubon Society Competencies: This role will also be accountable to apply and develop the following competencies.
Fostering Relationships: Build trust, mutual respect, and understanding through regular and genuine interactions while promoting a positive and inclusive environment.
Analytical Thinking: Recognize and value diverse perspectives and experiences in data analysis to foster a more comprehensive and equitable approach to problem-solving.
Creativity and Innovation: Leverage creativity and imagination to generate new insights and solutions while embracing diverse ideas and approaches that foster innovation.
Facilitating Change: Work with others to explore innovative approaches to problem-solving while promoting inclusivity, equity, accessibility, and belonging in the change process.
Team Leadership: Communicate vision and engage others or the team to solve problems while valuing diverse perspectives and fostering inclusivity.
