While this position is fully remote, we are only registered and can proceed with qualified candidates who reside and will work in one of the following states: AL, AZ, FL, GA, MI, MS, NE, NC, OH, OK, TN, TX.  No exceptions.  No relocation assistance is available.  Must be eligible to work in the US without employment sponsorship.  Direct Hire only, no third-party agency applications, please.  

Job Description

Job Title: Audit and Annual Reporting Analyst

Department: Data Integrity and Innovation        FLSA Status: Exempt            Job Status: FT

Reports To: Assistant Manager and Mgr-5500 Audit & Report    Positions Supervised: N/A

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, Shift Varies between 7:30 AM – 6:30 PM EST

The Audit and Annual Reporting Analyst independently prepares annual Form 5500 filings, supports plan audits, performs complex reconciliations, completes employer profit sharing and matching calculations, maintains process documentation, monitors assigned work, and supports workflow efficiency within established procedures and controls. This role manages an assigned book of business partners with clients, auditors, internal teams, and leadership, and serves as a knowledgeable resource on 401(k) plan reporting, employer contribution calculations, compliance requirements, and internal processes.

The position requires strong analytical, organizational, technical, and communication skills, as well as the ability to support internal and external stakeholders, resolve questions, manage deadlines, and identify opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiencies.

Assessments

Excel – Basic and Intermediate; General Competency

Essential Functions

·       Prepare and review Annual Returns/Form 5500 filings, including applicable Form 5500 schedules (A,C,D,DCG,G,H,I,R,MEP), Short Form filings, and other required filings such as Form 5330 and 8955-SSA.

·       Facilitate 401(k) plan audits by coordinating auditor requests and providing required support, including census data, contribution and distribution activity, investment and trust reports, plan documents, and responses to plan activity inquiries.

·       Prepare annual and ad-hoc 401(k) plan financial reporting, including balance sheets, income statements, supplemental schedules, contribution activity, distribution activity, asset and liability reconciliations, and supporting documentation required for annual reporting and audit completion.

·       Serve as a knowledgeable resource for Form 5500, plan analytics, employer contribution calculations, internal audits, SOC 1 requests, IRS/DOL inquiries, and related compliance processes; escalate novel, high-risk, or unusually complex matters to a Senior Analyst or department leadership.

·       Generate, review, and analyze reports used for Form 5500 preparation, plan audits, profit sharing, matching calculations, and departmental work tracking.

·       Monitor control sheets, work tickets, reporting tools, and other workflow resources to ensure filings, calculations, requests, and client communications are completed timely and accurately.

·       Perform complex reconciliations, including fund positions, self-directed brokerage accounts, paying agents, employer contributions, and related plan activity, using established procedures and escalating material discrepancies when appropriate.

·       Perform defined peer-review and quality-check activities under established procedures; identify discrepancies and elevate recurring, material, or complex issues for Senior Analyst or leadership review.

·       Create and maintain process documentation, reports, controls, and procedures for Form 5500, audit, reconciliation, testing, and plan analytics functions.

·       Identify opportunities to improve departmental workflows, optimize processes, create efficiencies, and support company goals and initiatives.

·       Participate in approved process, documentation, control, and automation improvements by testing changes, documenting results, and providing feedback to Senior Analysts or department leadership.

·       Remain current on ERISA, IRS, DOL, 401(k), Form 5500, audit, and plan compliance rules and regulatory changes.

·       Perform employer profit sharing, matching, safe harbor, and discretionary contribution calculations using client data and Company systems.

·       Provide expertise and consulting with the design, administration and communication of  annual employer profit sharing, matching, retro safe harbor, forfeiture and other employer contributions using data housed within company systems.

·       Collaborates closely with the plan analytics at-large team to manage an assigned caseload of profit sharing projections/calculations, proposals, reports, and, if necessary, revisions.

·       With support, demonstrates strong project management skills to manage the assigned profit sharing caseload in a timely and efficient manner. 

·       With minimal guidance, applies advanced retirement plan knowledge to prepare projections, perform calculations, and design cost comparisons – including, but not limited to, cross-tested profiting sharing, matching, match true-ups, plan aggregation, and safe harbor. 

·       Demonstrates a consultative approach toward plan designs with the client and focuses on client satisfaction, communication, and client retention.  

·       Develops proposals for potential clients highlighting benefits, such as cost savings and tax advantages, of the plan design.

·       Occasionally, performs client consultations via video conference or over-the-phone.

·       During consultations, ensuring clients are fully informed of plan limits, rules, regulations, requirements, testing principles, etc.

·       Remains up-to-date on acceptable formulas used for calculating 401(k) profit sharing calculations.

·       Provide guidance to team members related to nuanced 5500/audit and plan analytics scenarios.

·       Cross-train on other compliance-related activities and provide assistance as needed, including compliance testing and related plan analytics support.

·       Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills & Abilities

·       Working to intermediate knowledge of ERISA, IRS, and DOL regulations as they pertain to qualified retirement plans, with the ability to apply established guidance to assigned work.

·       Strong knowledge of 401(k) plan compliance, Form 5500 preparation, audit support, employer contribution calculations, and plan document provisions.

·       Effective communication skills, both written and verbal.

·       Ability to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks, deadlines, and workloads effectively.

·       Strong analytical, reconciliation, and problem-solving skills.

·       Intermediate to advanced Microsoft Excel skills, including VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, sorting, subtotals, and basic calculations.

·       Demonstrated knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

·       Ability to perform data analysis and prepare accurate reports.

·       Ability to support collaborative decisions and make independent decisions when appropriate.

·       Ability to share job knowledge, explain established processes, and support team members without formal supervisory responsibility.

·       Detail-oriented, organized, and able to meet strict deadlines.

·       Comfortable serving as a knowledgeable resource for routine and moderately complex questions from team members and internal stakeholders and escalating matters beyond established guidance.

·       Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

·       Professional client-service mindset with the ability to respond timely to internal and external partners.

Experience

·       2+ years of 401(k) industry experience in a compliance-related capacity required.

·       2–5 years of accounting, auditing, plan compliance, reconciliation, or related financial services experience required.

·       1+ year of client-facing or customer support experience in the financial services industry required.

·       Experience preparing Form 5500 filings preferred.

·       Experience supporting plan audits, auditor requests, IRS/DOL inquiries, or internal audit requests preferred.

·       Intermediate to advanced Excel experience required.

·       Experience using FIS Relius or similar proprietary retirement plan systems highly preferred.

Education

·       Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Business, or related field of study required; equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered where applicable.

Certificates & Licenses

·       QKA preferred.

·       Ability to obtain ASPPA Retirement Plan Fundamentals (RPF) I within 6 months of hire and RPF II or equivalent certificate within 1 year of hire required, based on departmental requirements.

Working Environment