Benefits Advisor

About the Role:

Join Baird’s Europe HR team in a varied role where accuracy, sound judgement and strong collaboration make a meaningful difference to the employee experience. As Benefits Advisor, you will help deliver benefits programmes across the UK and Germany, coordinate German payroll and London benefit-related payroll inputs, and support pension administration, employee queries and continuous process improvement. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced HR professional who enjoys taking ownership, working across teams and turning complex information into clear, dependable support.

The Impact You’ll Make:

• Administer benefits programmes across the UK and Germany, ensuring employee enrolments, changes and leaver activity are processed accurately in Workday
• Maintain reliable benefits records through regular data reviews, reconciliations and validation
• Coordinate monthly German payroll activity with the external payroll provider and Finance, preparing and reviewing payroll inputs and supporting documentation
• Coordinate benefit-related payroll inputs for London in partnership with the Payroll team
• Support monthly UK pension assessments, enrolments and contribution processes, identifying discrepancies and escalating exceptions where appropriate
• Respond to employee and stakeholder enquiries relating to benefits, payroll and pensions, providing clear guidance and escalating more complex matters
• Partner with Total Rewards and HR Communications to maintain accurate benefits materials and deliver employee education activities
• Work closely with HR Technology and external providers to resolve system or service issues and support effective delivery
• Use reporting and root-cause analysis to identify discrepancies, recurring issues and opportunities to improve processes and workflows
• Support audit, tax-reporting and compliance activities by preparing accurate data, documentation and reconciliations, while maintaining controlled and audit-ready processes

What You'll Bring to Baird:

• 5+ years of experience in benefits administration, payroll or HR operations, ideally supporting UK or European employee populations
• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience
• Solid understanding of benefits administration, with exposure to payroll and pension processes
• Experience working with external vendors and service providers
• Experience using HR systems such as Workday
• Strong Excel skills, including data validation, reconciliation and reporting
• Microsoft Copilot proficiency, with the ability to leverage AI tools appropriately to improve efficiency and work quality
• Exceptional attention to detail, with a commitment to handling sensitive employee data accurately and confidentially
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to investigate discrepancies, identify root causes and recommend practical solutions
• Sound judgement, strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities, recurring deadlines and established processes with minimal supervision
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to explain complex information clearly and build collaborative relationships across HR, Finance, HR Technology, Total Rewards and external providers

Baird is committed to diversity and provides employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, citizenship, national origin, age, disability, military service, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other status protected by law.

About Us

Baird is an employee-owned, international financial services firm specializing in wealth management, capital markets, private equity and asset management. Our mission is straightforward. We strive “to provide the best financial advice and service to our clients and be the best place to work for all.” Our culture is like no other with extraordinary people who make Baird great for our clients and one another. Nationally recognized as a great place to work since 2004, we invite you to learn more about Baird, our culture and our people.

Baird is committed to inclusion & diversity for our clients, our associates and the communities where we live and work. This commitment stems from our culture of integrity, genuine concern for others and respect for the individual. We view inclusion & diversity as an ongoing journey – one of shared responsibility, continuous improvement and a focus on progress. We invite you to join us as we work together to foster an environment where diversity unites rather than divides us.