Career Category
Human Resources
Job Description
Role Description:
The Senior Associate, US Retirement Plans supports the day-to-day administration and compliance of Amgen’s U.S. retirement programs, including 401(k) and non-qualified plans. This role partners closely with internal stakeholders, external vendors, and cross-functional teams to ensure accurate plan operations, compliance with ERISA and IRS/DOL regulations, strong data integrity, and exceptional participant experience. The position plays a critical role in annual plan cycles such as audits, compliance testing, government filings, and year-end processes.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Program Administration & Operations
Administer daily operations for the 401(k) and non-qualified plans, ensuring timely and accurate handling of contributions, eligibility, enrollments, distributions, and corrections.
Serve as a primary resource to HR, Payroll, and internal partners for plan-related inquiries, guidance, and policy interpretation.
Research and resolve participant issues in partnership with record-keepers and other vendors, ensuring outcomes align with plan provisions.
Compliance & Controls
Monitor plan operations to ensure compliance with ERISA, Internal Revenue Code requirements, and plan document provisions.
Support and manage required annual processes including nondiscrimination testing, audit activities, governmental reporting, and Form 5500 preparation.
Review internal and vendor controls, assess compliance reports, and escalate issues to leadership as appropriate.
Maintain detailed and audit-ready documentation in accordance with established standard operating procedures.
Vendor & Partner Management
Serve as a day-to-day liaison with retirement plan vendors including record-keepers, auditors, and consultants.
Review and validate vendor reporting, service metrics, and performance to ensure adherence to service-level expectations.
Support vendor RFPs, implementations, plan changes, and payroll integrations as needed.
Data Integrity, Reporting & Analytics
Conduct regular audits of payroll and participant data to ensure accuracy in plan operations and contributions.
Analyze participant demographic and contribution trends to identify anomalies, issues, or improvement opportunities.
Prepare recurring and ad-hoc reports for Finance, Legal, Total Rewards leadership, and other stakeholders.
Collaborate with Payroll and HR Technology teams to troubleshoot and resolve data issues.
Annual Cycle Operations
Support execution of the year-end calendar including audit activities, compliance testing, required disclosures, funding verifications, and annual plan communications.
Assist in preparation, distribution, and review of legally required notices and plan amendments.
Participate in cross-functional initiatives tied to mergers & acquisitions, system upgrades, and corporate projects.
Basic Qualifications and Experience:
5+ years of experience administering and ensuring compliance for ERISA-governed retirement plans.
Experience working with and managing US 401(k) and Deferred Compensation Plans.
Knowledge of local US regulations, including ERISA and SOX and how they govern and impact retirement plans in the US.
Experience with Workday and vendor recordkeeping systems.
Strong analytical skills with exceptional accuracy and proficiency in Excel.
Strong attention to detail, analytical skills and ability to analyze and audit data.
Demonstrated ability to manage external vendors and cross-functional partnerships.
Strong communication and customer service orientation.
Excellent communication, project management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Ability to analyze data and translate insights into actionable program improvements.
.
