Sr. Benefits Analyst (12 Month Contract)

If you think your skills, experience and aspirations make you a good match for this position, we encourage you to apply. This position may be filled anywhere in the United States; however, preference may be given to candidates that can work in our Chicago. IL office . This is a 12-month fixed-term contract position . ABOUT THE ROLE The Sr. Benefits Analyst plays a pivotal role in the design, administration, and compliance of an organization's benefits programs. Acts as a subject matter expert, offering guidance and support to employees, leadership, and external partners. HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL DO Benefits Program Administration: Oversee some day-to-day administration and analysis of employee benefit plans, including health, dental, vision, life, disability, FSA/HSA/HRA, and retirement plans. Regulatory Compliance: Ensure compliance with federal and state regulations such as ERISA, COBRA, ACA, and HIPAA privacy and security, and FMLA. Benefit Plan Design & Analysis: Analyze benefits utilization data to identify trends, recommend plan enhancements, cost-saving strategies, and ensure external competitiveness. Vendor and Broker Management: Maintain relationships with insurance carriers, consultants, brokers, and third-party administrators, ensuring service quality and adherence to contracts. Employee Support: Serve as a secondary point of contact for complex benefits inquiries, provide guidance, and develop communication/education programs to enhance employee understanding and use of benefits. Lead and Participate in Projects: related to benefit programs, such as open enrollment, ERISA compliant benefit transitions of mergers and acquisitions, and plan implementations, and contribute to process documentation and improvement initiatives. Reporting & Auditing: Prepare reports for compliance filings (e.g., 5500s, ACA reports), conduct regular audits of benefit plans and documentation, and reconcile departmental billing. HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED Minimum bachelor's degree in human resources, business, finance, or related field required. Minimum 6+ years of experience in employee benefits administration, with at least 3 years at a benefits analyst level, are required. Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills. In-depth knowledge of employee benefits programs and relevant federal and state regulations. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS). The salary range for this position is $83,200 to $104,000 annually. This salary range is the range we believe is the anticipated range of possible base compensation at the timing of the posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the anticipated salary range for the position. Employees may be eligible for discretionary bonuses. We offer a full benefit package including medical, dental and vision coverage and flexible spending account options and voluntary insurances. We have paid time off, flex-time schedules, remote work options and a 401k plan and employee perk programs. For a general overview of our benefits, please visit our careers page at https://www.cannondesign.com/careers/benefits . Actual compensation may vary from posting based on geographic location, work experience, education and/or skill level. ABOUT OUR FIRM CannonDesign is a design practice where strategy, experience, architecture, engineering, and social impact converge. We don’t just dream up solutions — we create and bring them to life in ways to solve some of the biggest challenges facing our clients and the society. At the heart of everything we do is Living-Centered Design, a bold commitment to using our talents to not just improve the world but to truly reshape it for the better. It’s more than a philosophy — it’s who we are, and it drives us to make a meaningful, lasting difference every day. ABOUT WORKING HERE We are relentless in our pursuit of client adoration (not simply satisfaction). Consistent delivery of the best service is what we are about. We are committed to ensuring our practice provides equal opportunities for all employees, as we strive to connect with communities around us and focus on the future of design. We support equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts that benefit all employees through the leadership of our DEI Council, our Employee Resource Groups which are open to everyone, and other community initiatives. We’re about communication and transparency here. If you want to talk to someone about an idea you have, or a challenge that needs addressing, we’re ready for you. Please note that candidates can only apply to our positions on our company Careers site. It's not uncommon for scammers to create positions that look legitimate on other sites; never enter your information or apply for CannonDesign positions on any platform. Should an issue arise that you feel we should be aware of, please contact us. Please provide your resume and portfolio when applying. As a condition of employment, all employees are expected to complete mandatory training, including compliance training, within required timeframes and adhere to our internal policies and our Code of Conduct. CannonDesign is an Equal Opportunity Employer. CannonDesign is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from any and all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. It is therefore the firm’s policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment against any applicant, CannonDesign employee, vendor, contractor, or client on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. It is also CannonDesign’s policy to prohibit any and all forms of retaliation against any individual who has complained of harassing or discriminatory conduct, or participated in a firm or agency investigation into such complaints.