Director - US Benefits Strategy

Director - US Benefits Strategy

As the head of US Benefits Strategy, you will be a strategic leader responsible for the enterprise-wide vision, roadmap, and delivery of our US Benefits ecosystem. You will lead the multi-year strategy across Health & Welfare, Financial Benefits, Wellbeing, and Time Off programs, ensuring alignment with Enterprise HR’s strategic objectives and enabling every associate to thrive in life and at work. In this role, you will act as an organizational change agent, leveraging modern technology, generative AI tools, and automated workflows to elevate delivery standards, foster technical fluency across teams, and sharpen overall work quality while balancing bold strategy with sound human judgment, ethical frameworks, and strong operational governance.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Vision and Roadmap Leadership

Design the multi-year vision and strategic roadmap across US Benefits to create a unified, human-centric benefits ecosystem where every associate can thrive at work and in life. Leverage quantitative and qualitative data to identify high-level strategic opportunities for new programming, policy adjustments, and benefit innovations grounded in company strategy, market trends, and enterprise needs. Solve end-to-end associate experience issues at enterprise scale, leveraging customer data, quantitative insights, and empathy research to build friction-free, consumer-grade experiences. Maximize operational leverage and scale across HR, prioritizing enterprise-first solutions, tool reuse, and standardized delivery over arbitrary customization.

Technological Integration and AI Orchestration

Build and cultivate a technologically fluent benefits team that actively integrates AI tools, prompt engineering, and modern digital platforms into everyday operations. Model how advanced tools and automation can optimize workflows, streamline plan reporting, expand team output, and shift day-to-day execution norms. Assess and evaluate external vendor technology platforms and digital solutions to modernise health, retirement, and time-off administration. Foster a possibilities mindset across teams, encouraging continuous technical experimentation with emerging tools to solve root‑cause process challenges.

Elevated Judgment and Governance

Manage robust governance strategies, risk management frameworks, and fiduciary oversight across all US ERISA and non-ERISA plans. Ensure tool-generated outputs, automated workflows, and technology-assisted analytical insights are rigorously validated against domain expertise, data privacy policies, and compliance parameters. Oversee executive management committee engagement and fiduciary reporting while championing responsible innovation across all benefits processes.

Leadership and Change Management

Serve as a trusted thought partner to senior executive leadership and executive management committees, driving consensus on complex, high-impact strategies. Build strategic networks across Compensation, Risk, HR Business Partners, Legal, Finance, Product, and Tech to incite enterprise behavioral change and promote a unified "one-HR" operating mindset. Establish team structures with clear ownership, building repeatable decision‑making frameworks that scale and coaching leaders on decision‑making principles. Foster an environment that rewards technical experimentation, inclusive leadership, and cross‑functional collaboration.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree or military experience. At least 8+ years of experience in benefits design, strategy, and leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s degree or Juris Doctor preferred. At least 4+ years of experience leading strategy in benefits for organizations with 10,000+ employees. At least 2+ years of experience with benefits governance practices. At least 1+ years of hands‑on experience utilizing Generative AI tools and workflow automation in a professional environment. Deep expertise in ERISA and IRS regulations, risk management, fiduciary oversight, and governance for jumbo benefit plans.

Professional Human Resources certification

Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) or Certified Benefits Professional (CBP) designation. Proven track record in design‑thinking or agile methodologies to solve complex customer experience challenges. Strong executive presence with demonstrated ability to influence senior leadership and lead large-scale organizational transformations.

At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization, or offer any immigration related support for this position (e.g. H1B, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, F-1 CPT, J-1, TN, E-3, and O-1, or any other forms of work authorization that require immigration support from an employer).

The minimum and maximum full-time annual salaries for this role are listed below, by location. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Capital One is willing to pay at the time of this posting. Salaries for part‑time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked. McLean, VA: $206,000 - $235,100 for Director, Benefits Richmond, VA: $187,300 - $213,700 for Director, Benefits Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.

This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well‑being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part‑time status, exempt or non‑exempt status, and management level.

Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non‑discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug‑free workplace.

Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23‑A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.

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Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).

At Capital One, we’re building a leading information-based technology company. Still founder‑led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Fairbank, Capital One is on a mission to help our customers succeed by bringing ingenuity, simplicity, and humanity to banking. We measure our efforts by the success our customers enjoy and the advocacy they exhibit.