The Legal Aid Society has an opening for a Deputy Director of Benefits and Compensation. The Legal Aid Society, the nation’s largest and oldest public defense and civil legal services provider is dedicated to a simple yet powerful mission: ensuring that no individual is denied the right to equal justice. For 148 years, we have protected, defended, and advocated for those who have struggled in silence for far too long – working on the front lines and behind the scenes to offer the people we serve the exceptional legal services they deserve. Through our Civil, Criminal Defense, and Juvenile Rights Practices, we offer an unmatched depth and breadth of legal expertise to vulnerable New Yorkers every year in over 200,000 individual legal matters while also impacting millions with effective advocacy, impact litigation and legislative agenda. We are dedicated to blunting the impact of poverty on individuals, families, and communities. The Legal Aid Society includes a staff of over 2,200 employees, including lawyers, paralegals, social workers, investigators, interpreters, and administration and operational staff.  Legal Aid has 3 union chapters: the attorney chapter of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA); the investigator, interpreter, and building maintenance coordinator chapter of the Association of Legal Attorneys (IIU), and 1199-SEIU, which represents paralegals, social workers, and other titles.

The Deputy Director of Benefits and Compensation will be responsible for supporting this mission by helping to lead the varied and wide-ranging benefits and compensation programs at the Legal Aid Society. This position ensures seamless service delivery, regulatory compliance, and equitable practices, enhancing the employee experience and operational efficiency. The ideal candidate will have strong analytical, interpersonal, and project management skills and committed to fostering excellence in benefits and compensation administration.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Benefits and Compensation Program Administration

• Assist the Director of Benefits and Compensation in leading the oversight, administration, and improvement of multiple benefits and compensation programs across employee types (including members of ALAA, IIU, 1199, non-union staff, and manager/supervisors) and functional areas, including but not limited to healthcare coverage, paid and unpaid leaves, loan forgiveness, and retirement benefits
• Assist the Director in ensuring accurate and timely coverage and payment of more than $20M in medical/dental/vision/FSA options each year
• Develop and maintain comprehensive materials and methods to communicate benefits program features, designs, changes, and issues
• Develop deep expertise in collective bargaining agreements, LAS health and retirement plans, the Employee Handbook, and other materials
• Prepare and distribute mandatory notifications, education materials, and information, including open enrollment communications
• Deliver routine educational opportunities for employees to learn about HR benefits and services
• Manage step-determination processes and troubleshoot related issues
• Manage salary processes for compensation on a monthly and annual basis, including union and non-union salary scale evaluations, anniversary date adjustments, etc.
• Oversee the employee offboarding process, ensuring accurate benefits and compliance processing
• Regularly engage with leaders, managers, and employees to assess communication tools and training to address those needs
• Collaborate with the Director of Benefits & Compensation and senior management to create and review Benefits/HR processes that align with organizational goals
• Manage and support annual calendar of compensation/benefits enrollment options and programs, i.e. open enrollment, vacation forfeitures, salary increases
• Conducts salary/benefits investigations upon requests by both employees and/or supervisors while managing inquiries regarding compensation matters
• Conducts periodic audits, prepares, and presents reports to align risk and control processes with monitoring and mitigating risk
• Responsible for managing the responsiveness for timely requests for information, i.e. employment verification, union requests, subpoenas, etc.

Supervision and Operations

• Supervise and train members of the benefits team, fostering professional development and growth to achieve department goals
• Develop and uphold operational standards, templates, and tools to support the efficiency and consistency of benefits and compensation programs
• Manage HR Benefits requests (i.e. general inquiry emails and staffing request changes) and inquiries ensuring timely and accurate responses
• Oversee SharePoint communications and resources to provide employees easy access to essential benefits and compensation information
• Act as the escalation point for complex benefits and compensation issues, offering advanced troubleshooting and resolution
• Responsible for reviewing and maintaining the timely processing of benefit and vendor invoicing
• Ensures the document retention policies are in compliance and maintains department records and reports
• Maintains in-depth knowledge of the suite of HRIS systems that affect compensation and benefit programs, provides expertise in identifying risks, troubleshooting and resolving issues, and recommending actions that continuously improve overall accuracy and efficiency
• Provides routine assessments/reports on program and operational effectiveness informed by industry trends and best practices

Vendor and Provider Management

• Routinely meet with vendors, brokers, benefits carriers, and service providers, facilitating and streamlining information exchange, troubleshooting issues, and identifying improvement areas
• Conduct regular communications with vendors to enhance collaboration and improve service delivery

Regulatory Compliance

• Supports reporting and compliance with COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, and other federal and state regulations
• Assist in preparing Employment Compliance Reporting (e.g., EEO-1, 5500 filings for health and welfare/pension plans)
• Conduct periodic audits and prepare reports to monitor risk and control processes
• Ensure all processes, systems, and communications adhere to regulatory requirements to reduce organizational risk

Professional Development and other duties as assigned

• Demonstrate an ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive work environment by actively learning about and addressing workplace biases
• Participate in continuous professional development activities to enhance skills and knowledge
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the HR team and organizational priorities

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with at least five (5) years of experience in HR benefits administration or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Demonstrated knowledge of labor and employment laws, HR processes, and best practices
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience managing staff
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Strong analytical skills with a focus on data-driven decision-making
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to manage shifting priorities, meet deadlines, and handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment
• Proven ability to build relationships and influence at all levels of an organization
• High level of discretion in handling sensitive information with professionalism and confidentiality

Preferred qualifications: 

• Professional HR Certification (e.g., SHRM-CP, PHR, CEBS) or a master’s degree in a related field
• Certification in project management or quality improvement methods
• Nonprofit experience and familiarity with unionized workplaces
• Education or experience in fostering anti-bias and inclusive practices
• Experience using effective assessment tools for organizational needs

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Position Based Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Ability to build collaborative relationships and interact with staff at all levels
• Proficient in HRIS systems and data analysis tools
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills with attention to detail
• Ability to independently manage multiple projects with competing deadlines
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and analytical skills, with the ability to present data and recommendations effectively
• Demonstrated knowledge of federal and state employment laws and HR best practices
• A commitment to confidentiality, integrity, and respect for employee information
• Sense of professionalism, confidentiality, and a strong work ethic
• Perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect for employee information

Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission and values

Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required: 

• Mostly sedentary, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video
• May or will require travel within NYC, across the five-borough region
• Ability to lift 10 pounds on an occasional/routine basis

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range: $135,000 – $145,000

The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.

Higher Education and Loan Forgiveness

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs. Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY


All applications must be completed online via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:

• Cover Letter
• Resume

For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jo**************@le*******.org.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.