Global Benefits Manager (UK based)

Global Benefits Manager (UK based)

Apply locations: London, United Kingdom; Birmingham, United Kingdom; Harrogate, United Kingdom; Manchester, United Kingdom.

Time type: Full time

Posted on: Posted 5 Days Ago

Job Requisition ID: R00025211

Objective

The Global Benefits Manager is responsible for managing and supporting global benefits programs across multiple regions, ensuring alignment with the global reward strategy, whilst ensuring local compliance.

This role will initially lead a global benefits project, transitioning current benefits management and administration model to a Global Benefits Management approach, working closely with regional benefits managers in EMEA and North America, and supporting APAC and LAC regions directly.

The role will support the design, implementation, and administration of employee benefits, including health, retirement, insurance, wellness programs, and other offerings that promote employee well-being. The Global Benefits Manager will play a key role in supporting global benefits projects, ensuring cost-effectiveness, employee satisfaction, and legal compliance, while driving consistency across regions.

Key Accountabilities & Responsibilities

1. Global Benefits Strategy and Program Management:
   • Lead transition and implementation of the Global Benefits Management model.
   • Work closely with regional reward teams to support the design and delivery of benefit and retirement programs aligned to global benefits strategy and local compliance.
   • Develop, implement, and manage global employee benefit programs across all regions, ensuring alignment with company strategy and local legal requirements.
   • Manage vendor relationships for global benefits.
   • Conduct market analysis and benchmarking to maintain competitive benefit programs in each region.
2. Project Management and Execution:
   • Lead and manage global benefits projects, such as the rollout of new benefit programs, systems implementations, or mergers and acquisitions (M&A) integration.
   • Ensure successful project execution by defining timelines, coordinating with stakeholders, and monitoring progress.
   • Provide regular updates on project milestones, risks, and outcomes to senior leadership.
   • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including finance, legal, and external vendors, to ensure seamless implementation and execution of benefit programs.
3. Compliance and Governance:
   • Stay current with regulatory changes, ensuring benefits programs are updated to meet new legal requirements.
   • Work closely with regional reward and local HR teams to ensure all global benefit programs comply with applicable local, regional, and international regulations.
   • Manage the administration of global benefit plans, including annual audit and reporting requirements.
   • Conduct regular audits of benefit programs and processes to ensure adherence to internal policies and governance standards.
4. Communication and Employee Engagement:
   • Develop and implement effective global communication strategies to inform employees about benefit offerings, ensuring active engagement and understanding from employees.
   • Partner with HR teams to deliver benefits education and training to employees, increasing awareness and engagement.
   • Act as a subject matter expert on global benefits to answer employee and manager queries.
5. Data Analysis and Reporting:
   • Track and analyze benefits utilization, costs, and employee feedback to assess the effectiveness of programs.
   • Use data to monitor trends, measure ROI, and make recommendations for cost-effective solutions without compromising employee satisfaction.
   • Oversee the relationship with external benefit providers, including managing contracts, service level agreements (SLAs), and performance.
   • Evaluate vendor performance and recommend changes as needed to ensure optimal service delivery.

Influence And Decision Making Authority

The job holder will work within existing policies, procedures and work instructions whilst having the ability to recommend and develop areas for improvement. The job holder is required to communicate and influence, with a degree of independence in how day-to-day activities are managed. More complex work or issues will be escalated and may be supervised. Work will require medium term planning and support.

Job Requirements & Capabilities

Qualifications:

Degree qualified in relevant area, or significant experience in international/global benefits management.

Job specific capabilities/skills:

• Proficiency in HRIS systems and benefits administration platforms.
• Familiarity with benefits software and tools for tracking and reporting.
• Strategic Thinking: Ability to align benefits programs with the company’s strategic goals while addressing local needs.
• Problem-Solving: Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to address complex, cross-border benefits challenges.
• Detail-Oriented: High attention to detail in managing multiple benefit programs, contracts, and legal requirements.
• Adaptability: Ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage global projects across different time zones.
• Analytical Skills: Advanced Excel skills and strong data analysis skills with the ability to assess trends, costs, and employee satisfaction.
• Communication Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
• Vendor Management: Experience managing external vendors, negotiating contracts, and evaluating service delivery.
• Compliance Knowledge: Demonstrable understanding of global benefits regulations and compliance issues in multiple countries.
• Proven experience in global benefits management, including experience across multiple countries or regions and managing global benefits projects, ideally benefits broker transition, leading multi-regional rollouts or benefits harmonization.
• Strong knowledge of international benefits regulations, trends, and best practices.
• Project Management: Ability to lead global benefits projects from concept to completion, managing multiple priorities and deadlines.

About Us

At ERM, sustainability is our business. We are the world’s largest advisory firm focused solely on sustainability, offering unparalleled expertise across business and finance.

ERM partners with clients to operationalize sustainability at pace and scale, through our unique combination of strategic transformation and technical delivery capabilities.

Our diverse global team of experts works with the world’s leading organizations to help them set clear sustainability targets, measure progress and operationalize strategy through deep implementation and business transformation.

With more than 50 years of experience, our ability to integrate sustainability solutions and our depth and breadth of technical knowledge are why organizations choose to partner with us as their trusted advisor.

Every one of us firmly believes in the potential to create value for our clients through an integrated approach to sustainability (because we have personally seen it and professionally achieved it).

Our team members are passionate about client service. We work closely with our clients to help them operationalize their sustainability goals and meet their environmental, health and safety objectives while advancing ERM’s purpose through delivering tangible progress in what the United Nations coined The Decade of Action.

Organizing our people across globally integrated communities of technical and strategic talent positions ERM to be a “boots to boardroom” leader in bringing that value creation to our clients, partners, and the world.

We recruit exceptional professionals with a personal and professional passion for sustainability and nurture them to even greater success as specialists. We prepare our consultants to bring integrated, innovative and sustainable solutions to our clients and provide opportunities for ongoing development across a variety of subject areas related to technical, business, and personal growth.

At ERM, effort pays off and becomes career defining work that leaves a positive imprint on our planet.