Senior Benefit Manager

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, NA Benefits & Retirement leads the strategy, design, governance, and management of the U.S and Canadian benefits and retirement programs. This role ensures programs remain competitive, compliant, and cost-effective while supporting business and talent objectives. This role partners with senior leadership to drive benefits strategy, support M&A due diligence and integration activities, and deliver programs that enhance the employee experience and overall value proposition. This is an individual contributor role that will lead and manage benefits and retirement programs across the US and Canada.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on benefits and retirement strategy, market trends, and vendor management
• Serve as the primary subject matter expert for complex benefits and retirement-related inquiries, providing strategic guidance and issue resolution
• Lead the design, implementation, and management of U.S and Canadian employee benefits programs, including health, life, disability, retirement, pension, and well-being benefits
• Provide strategic leadership including plan design, governance, sustainable programs for long-term program strategy
• Manage the Annual Open Enrollment process from Strategy through Enrollment
• Manage the Benefit Administration vendor relationship
• Oversee the administration and performance of benefits and retirement programs to ensure alignment with organizational objectives
• Manage/Oversee and improve the Leave of Absence programs
• Evaluate and enhance programs to maintain competitiveness, cost effectiveness, regulatory compliance, and support business goals
• Provide support for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other corporate transactions, including assessment of plan design, liabilities, compliance risks, and integration opportunities
• Develop strategies that support compliance, operational continuity, and a seamless Colleague experience
• Collaborate with Compensation, HR, Finance, Legal, Payroll, HRIS, Shared Services and communications leaders
• Partner with Benefit Broker and other external stakeholders to evaluate emerging point solutions and trends to optimize program performance
• Manage relationships with benefits, retirement, and wellness vendors, consultants, recordkeepers, trustees, and other service providers to ensure high-quality, cost-effective program delivery
• Oversee vendor and program performance and lead governance and service review processes to drive accountability and continuous improvement
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing health, welfare, and retirement programs, including ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, FMLA, IRS requirements, and related regulatory filings and reporting obligations
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments affecting benefits and retirement programs and recommend actions to maintain compliance and program effectiveness
• Oversee governance and compliance activities for health, welfare, and retirement programs, including audits, plan amendments, required notices, fiduciary oversight, and regulatory reporting, in partnership with payroll
• Partner with vendors to monitor program utilization, retirement plan participation, cost trends, compliance metrics, and overall program performance to senior leadership, including recommendations for program enhancements and cost optimization
• Develop and implement communication and education strategies that enhance employee understanding and engagement with benefits and retirement programs
• Promote employee financial wellness and retirement readiness through targeted educational initiatives
• Provide consultation and support to HR teams on benefits administration, retirement programs, compliance requirements, and employee escalations
• Analyze benefits and retirement plan data, employee feedback, benchmarking studies, and market trends to evaluate program performance and identify opportunities for enhancement
• Develop strategic recommendations based on data insights, regulatory developments, industry trends, and company objectives
• Identify opportunities to improve employee outcomes, optimize program performance, manage costs, and maintain a competitive Total Rewards offering

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or related field required
• 7+ years of experience in U.S. benefits management, including health, life, disability, retirement, and wellness benefits
• Proactive and collaborative leadership style
• Knowledge of US and Canadian Benefits and Retirement plans
• Workday or other HRIS knowledge
• Experience with Benefit Administration Systems
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate complex benefits information to employees and senior leaders
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to resolve employee benefits issues effectively and efficiently
• Requires sitting or standing at will while performing work on a computer