What's Exciting About the RoleThis is a dual-focus benefits role sitting within the global HR team. The primary responsibility is ownership of the US benefits program, one of the organization's largest and most complex benefit portfolios, covering medical, dental, vision, 401(k), life insurance, short- and long-term disability, FSA/HSA, commuter benefits, and the Employee Assistance Program.
Alongside the US remit, the role takes ownership of benefit programs in Canada and Latin America - managing renewals, compliance, and employee experience across the Americas region in partnership with regional HR managers and local brokers. The role also provides ad-hoc support to EMEA and APAC as required.
This role is ideal for a benefits professional who has deep US expertise and is ready to extend their scope across the Americas or someone with broad North American experience who wants to anchor their role in a large, high-visibility US program. Familiarity with Canadian and/or LATAM benefit landscapes is a plus!
Key ResponsibilitiesUS Benefits - Program Ownership- Own and manage the full US employee benefits program, serving as the primary subject matter expert for all US benefit matters
- Lead the annual US Open Enrollment process end to end: plan design review, vendor negotiations, system configuration (HRIS/benefits platform), employee communications, and post-enrollment reconciliation
- Manage relationships with US benefit carriers and brokers (medical, dental, vision, life, disability, FSA/HSA, EAP, commuter).
- Negotiate annual plan renewals and renewals strategy with carriers, benchmarking costs and coverage against market data; prepare recommendations for sign-off
- Administer and optimize the 401(k) plan in partnership with the record-keeper (Fidelity); ensure plan compliance including non-discrimination testing, Form 5500 filing, and plan document updates
- Manage COBRA administration and ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, FMLA, and all applicable federal and state regulations
- Partner with Payroll to reconcile benefit deductions, resolve discrepancies, and ensure accurate W-2 reporting of benefit-related income
- Oversee the benefits administration, including employee-facing content, and Open Enrollment workflow
- Respond to escalated employee benefit queries and ensure a high standard of employee experience throughout the benefits lifecycle
US Compliance & Governance- Maintain a compliance calendar covering all federal and state benefit filings, notices, and deadlines (ACA 1094/1095, PCORI, Form 5500, SARs, SPDs, SMMs)
- Ensure Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs) and plan documents are current and legally compliant; coordinate with Legal and external counsel as required
- Manage ACA affordability analysis and ensure the organization remains compliant with employer mandate requirements; track and resolve IRS inquiries
- Stay current on legislative and regulatory changes (e.g. state-level mandates, SECURE Act updates, mental health parity rules) and assess impact on plan design
- Manage annual non-discrimination testing for all applicable plans; liaise with actuaries and plan administrators on corrective distributions where required
- Support internal and external audits of benefit plans, providing documentation, data, and process narrative as required
US Wellbeing & Employee Experience- Lead the day-to-day management of the employee wellbeing program for the region, including EAP, mental health resources, wellness reimbursements, and any voluntary benefit offerings
- Design and deliver benefit communications throughout the year - Open Enrollment guides, new hire onboarding materials, life event communications, and benefits FAQs
- Analyze benefits utilization, claims experience, and employee feedback to identify gaps, cost trends, and plan improvement opportunities; present findings and recommendations annually to senior leadership
Americas Benefits - Canada & LATAM- Own the renewal cycle for benefit plans in Canada and Latin America, managing timelines, broker relationships, and stakeholder approvals across all entities in the region
- Maintain a renewal calendar for Americas markets, flagging upcoming renewals to relevant stakeholders and ensuring no deadlines are missed
- Review broker renewal submissions, benchmark proposals where possible, and escalate significant cost increases or plan changes for approval
- Coordinate with Finance on purchase orders, invoice processing, and fringe rate tracking for Americas entities; provide input into global fringe tracking as required
- Provide ad-hoc support to EMEA and APAC regional teams as required
- Provide benefits data and support during M&A activity, restructuring events, and HR due diligence processes
Vendor & Stakeholder Management- Serve as the primary contact for all US benefit vendors and brokers; conduct regular performance reviews and hold vendors accountable to SLA commitments
- Partner closely with US HR Business Partners, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and IT to deliver seamless benefit administration and employee experience
- Build effective working relationships with regional HR leads across the Americas, and act as a collaborative point of contact for EMEA and APAC HR leads on benefits queries as required
- Manage external consultants and benefit advisors on project-specific work (benchmarking, plan design reviews, compliance projects)
Essential Experience and Skills- 5-8+ years of progressive US benefits experience, experience with an unbundled self-insured program is preferred
- Deep knowledge of US benefit plan types (medical, dental, vision, 401(k), life, STD/LTD, FSA/HSA, COBRA, EAP) and the vendor/carrier landscape
- Strong working knowledge of US benefits compliance: ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, FMLA, IRS regulations, non-discrimination testing, and Form 5500
- Proven experience managing Open Enrollment end to end - from plan design and carrier negotiations through to system build and employee communications
- Experience administering or overseeing a 401(k) plan, including record-keeper management and annual compliance filings
- Proficiency in benefits administration platforms and HRIS systems (e.g. Workday, ADP)
- Strong analytical skills - comfortable working with claims data, utilization reports, cost modelling, and presenting insights to senior stakeholders
- Excellent project management and organizational skills; able to manage multiple vendors, deadlines, and workstreams simultaneously
- Clear, confident communicator - able to simplify complex benefit topics for employees and articulate data-driven recommendations to leadership
