Location: Woodward

JOB SUMMARY:

The Manager, Benefits & Compensation is responsible for the administration, compliance, and continuous improvement of TriCore's compensation and employee benefits programs. This role serves as the organization's subject matter expert for Total Rewards and oversees compensation, benefits, payroll, and rewards programs. The Manager partners closely with Finance, Payroll, and business leaders to ensure programs are competitive, equitable, cost-effective, and aligned with organizational objectives. The Manager will partner with executive leadership to evaluate and evolve compensation and benefits strategies that support talent attraction retention, engagement, succession planning and organizational growth.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
• Lead the design, implementation, communication, and ongoing governance of TriCore's compensation philosophy and total rewards strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, workforce needs, market competitiveness, and pay equity principles.
• Manage the annual compensation cycle, including salary structure design and maintenance, market pricing, merit planning, incentive administration, pay equity analyses, and compensation program effectiveness reviews.
• Conduct job evaluations and maintain consistent job architecture, salary grade structure, and position classification framework.
• Provide consultation and recommendations to leaders and management regarding offers, promotions, transfers, reclassifications, market adjustments, and compensation strategy.
• Monitor compensation market trends, industry benchmarks, and regulatory developments to ensure external competitiveness and compliance.
• Administer all employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, paid leave, retirement plans, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, and wellness initiatives.
• Lead annual benefits strategy reviews, broker negotiations, vendor evaluations, contract renewals, and implementation of plan enhancements.
• Oversee annual open enrollment processes, employee communications, educational materials, and ongoing benefits outreach initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FLSA, and retirement plan requirements.
• Manage benefits-related audits, 401(k) compliance testing, Form 5500 reporting, workers' compensation audits, and required regulatory filings.
• Serve as the escalation point for complex employee benefits and compensation matters, partnering with vendors and internal stakeholders to resolve issues.
• Leverage working knowledge of Workday compensation and benefits modules to support reporting, analytics, dashboards, and data quality initiatives.
• Partner with HRIS and Payroll teams to optimize system configuration, automate processes, improve reporting capabilities, and support technology implementations.
• Provide oversight and governance support for payroll operations to ensure alignment with compensation programs, regulatory requirements, and organizational policies.
• Develop and monitor Total Rewards metrics, dashboards, and analytics to support workforce planning, budgeting, retention, and leadership decision-making.
• Create and deliver training programs for managers and employees on compensation philosophy, benefits offerings, pay practices, and Total Rewards programs.
• Supervise and develop assigned staff, establish department priorities, and promote operational excellence, customer service, and continuous improvement within the Total Rewards function.

MINUMUM EDUCATION:
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field. MINIMUM

EXPERIENCE:
• Seven (7) years of progressive experience in compensation and benefits administration, including program design, analysis, and implementation.
• Two (2) years of leadership or supervisory experience

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), SHRM-SCP, or comparable certification.
• Experience within healthcare, diagnostics, laboratory services, or other highly regulated industries.
• Experience supporting Workday compensation, benefits, payroll, and reporting modules.