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
- Begin planning for the upcoming open enrollment cycle
First 12 Months:
- 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
