Director of Benefits
5 days ago
Boston
Position Summary: Our client, a global, multi-site retail and consumer services organization, is seeking a Benefits Director to lead the day-to-day operations of their employee benefits function. This role reports directly to the VP of Total Rewards and is based on-site at the company’s office in the greater Boston area. This is a high-impact leadership role focused on overseeing the administration, compliance, and continuous improvement of benefits programs across a large, multi-state workforce, supporting both retail and corporate populations. Absolute Minimum Must-Have’s / Experience / Requirements: • Bachelor’s degree required (HR, Business, or related field), • 5–7+ years of progressive experience in benefits administration or total rewards, • Strong knowledge of benefits regulations including ERISA, HIPAA, ACA, and COBRA, • Comprehensive experience with health & welfare and retirement plan administration, • Experience with leave of absence programs, • Experience managing a team and direct reports, • Vendor management experience (brokers, TPAs, and related partners), • Advanced Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, data analysis), • Experience administering benefits across a multi-state workforce, • Experience managing open enrollment for a large, distributed employee population, • Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with ability to diagnose issues and implement solutions, • Ability to translate complex benefits data into actionable insights and recommendations, • Strong understanding of internal controls, risk management, and benefits governance, • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume environment, • High level of discretion, confidentiality, and sound judgment, • Strong program and process management skills Key Responsibilities: What You’ll Do • Oversee administration of all health, welfare, and retirement benefit programs, ensuring accuracy, efficiency, and strong internal controls, • Partner with HRIS, Payroll, and Finance to ensure seamless benefits operations including enrollment, billing, and data integrity, • Lead end-to-end open enrollment strategy and execution, including communications and employee education across corporate and field populations, • Manage vendor relationships including brokers, third-party administrators, and other partners, ensuring accountability and service delivery, • Ensure full compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations and maintain all required plan documentation and communications, • Analyze benefits utilization, market trends, and cost data to support plan renewals and program effectiveness, • Support ongoing efforts to enhance the competitiveness and cost-effectiveness of benefit offerings, • Serve as escalation point for complex benefits issues, ensuring a strong employee experience, • Lead, develop, and coach the benefits team, fostering a high-performing and service-oriented culture, • Partner cross-functionally to improve data quality, reporting, and system capabilities Key Desired Business Outcomes What Success Looks Like First 6 Months: • Build strong relationships with Total Rewards, HR, Finance, Payroll, and key vendor partners, • Assess current benefits programs, processes, and systems to identify gaps and improvement opportunities, • Gain full understanding of existing plans, costs, and employee utilization, • Identify and address any immediate compliance or operational risks, • Establish clear priorities, workflows, and expectations for the benefits team, • Successfully execute a full open enrollment cycle across a large, distributed workforce, • Support improvements to benefits programs to enhance competitiveness and cost efficiency, • Establish reliable benefits data, reporting, and operational processes, • Ensure full compliance with all regulatory requirements, • Build a high-performing, process-driven benefits team with strong vendor management, • Be recognized as a trusted resource for benefits across the organization