US Retirement Sr Associate

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.