Compensation & Benefits Lead (Hybrid)

People. Planet. Community.

Dairy’s journey starts on the farm, and the road we travel demonstrates our unwavering commitment to sustainable nutrition, as our farmers provide lasting and meaningful nourishment to people, the planet and our communities, both urban and rural.

We are a nonprofit organization located in the greater Chicagoland area and we're always looking for talented people to join our team who share the passion and motivation to promote the goodness of dairy.

Position Overview

Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) is searching for an experienced and organized individual to serve as Compensation & Benefits Lead on the Human Resources (HR) team. We believe the best ideas come from working together -- and also from having the flexibility to work where you thrive. Starting in 2026, our hybrid schedule will bring us together in-office Tuesday through Thursday, with the option to work remotely on Mondays and Fridays. This schedule will allow for meaningful in-person connection while maintaining work-life balance.

The Compensation & Benefits Lead is responsible for managing and continuously improving a total rewards strategy that drives overall talent attraction and retention, making it a critical position to advance DMI’s mission and work on behalf of America’s dairy farmers.

DMI is part of an enterprise of affiliated companies in the dairy industry, meaning this individual will work with stakeholders across several organizations, as well as DMI’s Board of Directors.

This role reports directly to the VP of HR and manages a coordinator who supports HRIS, benefits administration, and leave of absence administration.

What you’ll do:

• Partner with CFO, VP of HR, and senior business leaders to maintain a total rewards program in support of organizational goals and objectives to ensure the organization remains competitive
• Manage day-to-day compensation program and requests, including:
• Co-develop and shepherd the organization’s compensation strategy in partnership with senior business leaders to promote organizational success, talent acquisition, and retention
• Act as subject matter expert for compensation best practices and market competitiveness
• Facilitate/lead the annual merit pay process
• Set and manage internal salary ranges
• Conduct position analyses to evaluate internal equity, market competitiveness, and compliance with the organization’s pay practices
• Advise on job offers as needed
• Partner with internal customers to ensure coordination and proactive consideration of issues related to compensation
• Lead employee benefits program, including:

• Act as subject matter expert for benefits best practices and market competitiveness
• Conduct audits and assessments of benefit programs to ensure compliance, market competitiveness, and consistency with total rewards strategy
• Negotiate coverage, services, and costs with carriers, brokers, and providers to ensure excellent service and competitive rates, including plans that span multiple employers
• Provide recommendations to executive leadership regarding annual medical benefit renewals
• Lead multiple-employer 401k program and communications, operating as the plan’s internal subject matter expert and relationship manager with vendors/providers and participating affiliated organizations/companies
• Support 401k audit and Form 990 preparation as needed
• Manage administration of the annual open enrollment processes for DMI and participating affiliated organizations/companies
• Partner with service providers and the internal communications team to develop strong benefits-related employee communications and materials, including managing related materials on the company intranet
• Oversee benefits administration within ADP for DMI and affiliated organizations for whom DMI manages payroll
• Review ancillary benefits (e.g., Employee Assistance Program) renewals, ensuring cost and coverage are competitive, and coordinate roll-out of new benefit offerings

• Oversee paid leave management, acting as the subject matter expert for employee leave laws and company protocols/policies

• Oversee HRIS (ADP Workforce Now) administration and deployment of HR data
• Manage inventory of current HR/employment policies, refreshing and refining regularly to meet changing organizational needs and sustain a safe and inclusive workplace environment; collaborate with HR cohorts and senior business leaders to draft new policies as needed
• Support and enhance other related HR programs and initiatives as appropriate

Required skills/abilities:

• Consultative style and business partner orientation
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to adapt to the needs of a multi-stakeholder organization and its employees
• Strong written communication skills
• Data-driven approach to program design considerations

Qualifications we’re seeking:

• At least eight years of employee benefits and compensation experience required
• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred
• Accounting, HRIS, database experience preferred
• Employee relations, HR generalist experience a plus
• Additional related certifications (e.g., CPP, CBP, CEBS, SHRM, SPHR) a plus

New Hire Salary Range -- $135,000-$165,000 annually. This is a salary range that DMI believes, at the time of this posting, that it might be willing to pay for the posted job in the location specified. We anticipate hiring for this position near the middle of the range. It is uncommon, except for situations where an external candidate possesses experience, credentials and/or expertise that far exceeds those required or expected for the position, that DMI would consider paying a salary near the higher end of the range.

We know that in order to meet our goal of growing dairy demand, we need the best people. We offer competitive compensation and generous benefits to help our employees balance their work and personal lives. Our Rosemont office is conveniently located across from O’Hare Airport and is accessible to the CTA Blue Line and Metra transit.

Our comprehensive health and welfare plans offer medical, dental, vision, life, short-term and long-term disability and flexible spending accounts (health care, dependent care, transit and parking). Our 401k provides up to a 10% match and includes a Roth account. DMI reserves the right to change or end its benefits plans or programs at any time.

Dairy Management Inc.™ is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to the principles of diversity. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, ethnicity, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Dairy Management Inc.™ (DMI) is funded by more than 24,000 dairy farmers and dairy importers. Created to help increase sales and demand for dairy products, DMI and its related organizations work to increase demand for dairy through research, education and innovation, and to maintain confidence in dairy foods, farms and businesses. DMI manages National Dairy Council and the American Dairy Association and founded the U.S. Dairy Export Council and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. DMI works with state and regional promotion organizations to implement these programs across the country.

Visa sponsorship and relocation not available for this position.

We regret it is not possible to communicate with candidates except those who most closely match our requirements. Thank you.