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The Lead, Benefits plays a critical role in advancing enterprise benefits strategy, plan governance, and employee experience. This highly independent role requires a specialized benefits skill set that extends beyond administration, with advanced expertise in strategy, plan design, governance, vendor management, senior stakeholder advisory, and a consultative mindset.

The successful candidate will bring market insight, innovative thinking to assess complex issues, manage risk, and deliver sustainable value for employees and the organization.

This role requires leadership presence, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to translate complex priorities into clear, actionable solutions that balance employee experience, cost, and risk.

The role may evolve to include team leadership as the function’s needs mature.

Key Accountabilities

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing sound strategic input into business decisions regarding benefits and shaping Canadian benefits strategies.
• Lead all aspects of annual benefits enrollment, including project plan development, option analysis, assessment of return on investment, program delivery and communications.
• Bring expert vendor management and commercial acumen to negotiate effectively, maximize value, and strengthen program operations.
• Continually monitor and be engaged in the competitive landscape and emerging trends to recommend key priorities and develop roadmaps to support execution of strategic initiatives.
• Develop and lead comprehensive change management and communication initiatives, simplifying complexity, promoting the value of BMO’s benefits offering and driving alignment with BMO’s strategic priorities.
• Serve as the primary subject matter expert for Canadian group benefit plans, ensuring strong governance and alignment across stakeholders.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners to advance BMO’s benefits strategy, while ensuring cost effectiveness, strong plan performance, and effective risk management for both employees and the organization.
• Leverage data-driven insights to inform decisions, measure outcomes, and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

What You Bring

• Specialized benefits professional with advanced expertise in strategy, plan design, funding, governance, and enterprise-level decision support.
• Exceptional communication, presentation and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Creative and strategic mindset to address unique or ambiguous situations and to find solutions to problems that can be complex and non-routine.
• Independent, self-directed thinker with strong judgment and accountability.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a data-driven approach.
• Highly motivated, results-oriented, and comfortable operating in a complex, matrixed environment.
• Collaborative and relationship-focused, with the ability to build alignment across diverse stakeholders.
• Able to manage ambiguity.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in group benefits.
• Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation preferred.
• Bilingualism (French) preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in program design, funding methodologies, governance, and vendor management.

The above represents BMO Financial Group’s pay range and type.

Salaries will vary based on factors such as location, skills, experience, education, and qualifications for the role, and may include a commission structure. Salaries for part-time roles will be pro-rated based on number of hours regularly worked. For commission roles, the salary listed above represents BMO Financial Group’s expected target for the first year in this position.

BMO Financial Group’s total compensation package will vary based on the pay type of the position and may include performance-based incentives, discretionary bonuses, as well as other perks and rewards. BMO also offers health insurance, tuition reimbursement, accident and life insurance, and retirement savings plans. To view more details of our benefits, please visit: