Benefits & Compensation Specialist

Overview

Foley & Lardner LLP is a great place to work because of what we do and how we do it. Here, your unique perspectives, experiences, and abilities will be embraced and developed, so you can excel. Being a part of Foley means having the opportunities and resources necessary to gain experience, advance professional goals, and forge meaningful connections. It’s a place where you can build your career and enjoy professionally satisfying work. We have over 2,300 people who are #HappyatFoley, and we think you will be too.

The Benefits & Compensation Specialist supports the administration, analysis, and continuous improvement of the firm's benefits and compensation programs. This role serves as a key resource for employees, managers, and internal stakeholders by providing day-to-day support for benefit programs, compensation processes, data management, reporting, and compliance activities. The position partners closely with Payroll, Talent, vendors, and benefit carriers to ensure accurate program administration, data integrity, and a positive employee experience. The Specialist also supports annual compensation and benefits cycles, system enhancements, reporting, and process improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

Benefits Administration & Employee Support

• Administer the firm’s health and welfare benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary benefit plans.
• Serve as a primary contact for employee inquiries regarding benefits, compensation, eligibility, enrollments, life events, claims issues, and policy interpretation.
• Lead annual open enrollment activities, including system set up, testing, employee communications, data validation, and issue resolution.
• Act as liaison between employees, vendors, and benefit carriers to resolve operational and service issues.
• Review and audit eligibility and deduction files to ensure accurate payroll processing and vendor reporting.
• Support compliance activities related to ACA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other benefit plan requirements.

Compensation Administration & Analysis

• Administer compensation programs, including salary changes, promotions, market adjustments, reclassifications, and other compensation actions.
• Coordinate and support the annual compensation planning and merit review process, including system configuration, testing, reporting, validation, and audit activities.
• Maintain compensation structures, salary plans, pay ranges, and related HRIS configuration.
• Participate in external compensation surveys and assist with market benchmarking and competitive pay analyses.
• Prepare compensation reports and analyses to support decision-making and workforce planning.
• Support administration of firm recognition and reward programs, including the Key Contribution Award process.

HRIS, Reporting & Process Improvement

• Maintain and audit compensation and benefits data across HRIS, payroll, vendor, and carrier systems.
• Validate eligibility, deduction, and compensation data to support accurate payroll processing and reporting.
• Support system upgrades, testing, implementations, and ongoing maintenance activities.
• Develop and maintain procedures, workflows, training materials, and process documentation.
• Identify and recommend opportunities to improve efficiency, automation, reporting, and employee experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of three (3) years of health and welfare benefit administration required.
• Compensation program administration exposure required.
• Experience with HRIS platforms required. 
• Familiarity with retirement benefits preferred.

In support of transparency and equity in the workplace, Foley provides salary ranges for all positions. The figures below represent the full compensation range for this position. The actual offered amount will be between the range minimum and midpoint based on the following factors: education, experience, geographic market, and internal pay equity at Foley.#LI-Hybrid 

-Milwaukee - $77,500 to $108,500 #LI-Hybrid 

-Chicago, Dallas - $85,300 - $119,400