Rewards Specialist

Michael Best is seeking a Total Rewards Specialist to administer and improve the Firm’s benefits, leave, and compensation programs to deliver an excellent employee experience and strong governance. Reporting to the Human Resources Manager, this role partners with vendors, Payroll, Finance, and Firm Leadership to provide accurate, compliant, and timely total rewards services, and manages the Firm’s compensation philosophy and pay structures through market insights and analysis.

• Manage and continuously improve benefits and leave programs (enrollments, life events, terminations, ) in partnership with vendors.
• Lead open enrollment planning and execution, including communications, HRIS configuration, vendor feeds, and post-enrollment audits.
• Serve as the UKG benefits module subject matter expert; maintain accurate plan configuration, data integrity, file integrations, and reporting.
• Ensure programs and processes comply with applicable laws and requirements (including COBRA, HIPAA, ERISA) and Firm policies; support audits and required filings.
• Lead benefits compliance efforts, monitoring regulatory requirements, partnering with brokers and vendors, and ensuring accurate, timely delivery of all required employee notices, disclosures, and reporting obligations.
• Provide responsive, high-quality support to employees and HR Advisors; coach/mentor the HR Representative on benefits processes and issue resolution.
• Support the Firm’s compensation philosophy and structures, including pay bands/ranges, job benchmarking/leveling support, and governance documentation.
• Partner with Firm leadership to build and maintain a comprehensive compensation program, including compensation philosophy, market benchmarking, salary range design, and compensation governance that support talent attraction, retention, and internal equity.
• Conduct market research and participate in compensation surveys; provide analyses and recommendations related to competitiveness and internal equity.
• Manage workers’ compensation and coordinate unemployment claims with Payroll, as needed.
• Oversee leave benefits such as FMLA/parental/STD in partnership with HR Representative and third-party leave administrator.

• 5+ years of total rewards experience with an emphasis on benefits and compensation administration (health and welfare) and employee support.
• Hands-on experience administering leave programs (e.g., FMLA, parental leave, STD) and partnering with a third-party leave administrator.
• Working knowledge of benefits and compensation compliance requirements and administration practices, including COBRA, HIPAA, and ERISA.
• Experience supporting compensation programs, including participation in salary surveys, market research, pay equity analysis, and/or job evaluation.
• HRIS proficiency; experience as a benefits module SME strongly preferred (UKG experience preferred).
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with employees and stakeholders at multiple levels; discretion with sensitive/confidential information.
• Strong analytical and process-improvement skills (Excel/HR reporting) with high attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong execution and organization; able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• High attention to detail and data accuracy; disciplined follow-through.
• Sound judgment and discretion with sensitive/confidential information.
• Service mindset with clear, professional communication.
• Collaborative approach; able to build credibility with partners at multiple levels.
• Required:
  Use approved AI-enabled tools responsibly and effectively to improve quality, efficiency, and decision-making, consistent with organizational policies, confidentiality, and applicable laws.

This is an opportunity to work with the Best
. We are Michael Best & Friedrich, LLP
. We are a full-service law firm with more than 350 lawyers and technical professionals who work in collaborative, interdisciplinary practices to serve clients around the world.

We work with companies in all kinds of industries, as well as trade associations, nonprofits, educational institutions, governments, family trusts, and…