Benefits Manager

The Senior Manager, Compensation & Benefits – North America is responsible for leading the design, administration, governance, and execution of compensation and benefits programs across the region. This role serves as a key advisor to HR leadership, executives, Finance, and business leaders on compensation, executive rewards, sales incentives, benefits strategy, and complex Total Rewards matters. The ideal candidate combines strong technical expertise with the ability to operate independently, analyze complex issues, provide sound recommendations, and drive programs from strategy through execution. Key Responsibilities Compensation & Executive Rewards Lead the annual merit and compensation planning cycle , including budgeting, market analysis, recommendations, approvals, communications, and implementation. Provide expertise on executive compensation , including benchmarking, incentive opportunities, pay positioning, retention arrangements, and executive compensation analysis. Lead compensation benchmarking, job evaluation, salary positioning, promotions, market adjustments, and internal equity reviews. Partner with HR leadership, Finance, and senior executives on complex compensation decisions and recommendations. Support compensation and Total Rewards activities associated with acquisitions, integrations, reorganizations, and other strategic initiatives. Design, administer, and govern Sales Incentive Plans (SIP) and other performance-based incentive programs. Partner with Sales leadership, Finance, and HR on plan design, targets, thresholds, eligibility, payout calculations, exceptions, and annual plan updates. Develop financial models and analyses to evaluate incentive effectiveness, cost, and alignment with business performance. Maintain strong governance and documentation around incentive plan administration and decisions. Benefits & Self-Funded Health Plans Lead the strategy and administration of North America employee benefits, with significant responsibility for U.S. self-funded medical plans . Manage annual benefits renewals, plan design analysis, utilization and claims trends, cost modeling, and recommendations. Lead Open Enrollment from planning through implementation, including system configuration, testing, communications, employee education, and issue resolution. Oversee ongoing benefits administration, eligibility, life events, employee deductions, escalations, and compliance. Monitor plan performance and identify opportunities to improve cost effectiveness, employee experience, and benefit value. Manage relationships with benefits brokers, carriers, TPAs, consultants, and other Total Rewards vendors . Lead RFPs, vendor evaluations, contract negotiations, implementations, renewals, and ongoing performance management. Hold vendors accountable for service levels, costs, issue resolution, and employee experience. Partner with Payroll, Finance, HRIS, Legal, and HR teams to ensure accurate and compliant program administration. Analytics, Systems & Governance Develop compensation and benefits analytics to identify trends, risks, costs, and opportunities and translate findings into actionable recommendations. Oversee Total Rewards processes within Darwinbox and ADP Workforce Now , including data accuracy, workflows, testing, reporting, and integrations. Establish effective controls, documentation, governance, and audit readiness across compensation and benefits programs. Continuously improve and automate processes to increase efficiency and strengthen the employee experience. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or related field. 7+ years of progressive Compensation, Benefits, or Total Rewards experience , preferably within a complex, multi-state or multinational organization. Strong hands-on experience with executive compensation, annual merit planning, market benchmarking, and incentive compensation . Demonstrated experience designing and administering Sales Incentive Plans . Strong experience with self-funded U.S. medical plans , benefits renewals, claims/utilization analysis, and Open Enrollment. Demonstrated experience managing brokers, carriers, TPAs, consultants, RFPs, and vendor negotiations. Advanced analytical and Excel skills with the ability to develop financial models and translate data into executive-level recommendations. Experience with ADP Workforce Now and/or Darwinbox preferred. Experience supporting Canada and Mexico compensation and benefits programs is a plus. Strong executive presence, communication, judgment, discretion, and ability to influence senior stakeholders. What Success Looks Like A successful candidate will be a hands-on Total Rewards leader who can independently own complex compensation and benefits programs , provide thoughtful recommendations to senior leadership, maintain strong governance, and ensure programs are competitive, financially responsible, and effectively executed. #J-18808-Ljbffr