Senior Manager, Global Benefits

Position Summary

The Benefits Manager leads strategy, design, governance, and operational excellence for the company’s global benefits portfolio and U.S. health and welfare and retirement programs, including medical, life, voluntary health plans as well as the 401(k) and pension plans. This role partners closely with HR, Finance, Legal/Compliance, Payroll, and regional leadership to deliver competitive, cost-effective, and compliant plans that support a diverse, global workforce across office, field, offshore, and rotational environments typical of the oil & gas sector. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in global health & welfare, retirement (Defined Contribution and Defined Benefits), vendor management, analytics, and change management.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Design

• Lead multi‑year global benefits strategy aligned to business priorities, workforce demographics (office, field, offshore, rotational), and local market norms.
• Own U.S. and expatriate retirement strategies for 401(k) and offshore retirement savings plan, including plan design (match, true‑up, automatic features), investment menu governance in partnership with Investment Committee/advisors, and plan health metrics (participation, deferral, leakage).
• Own U.S. and expatriate health and welfare strategies, including plan design, plan performance/direction and regulatory compliance.
• Participate on Pensions Committee to oversee global retirement programs (defined benefit plans, where applicable).
• Evaluate and recommend global health & welfare offerings (medical, dental, vision, life/AD&D, disability, EAP, expatriate medical/assistance, pooling/captive arrangements).
• Drive wellbeing, mental health, and preventive care strategies adapted for remote sites, offshore, and shift work.

Governance, Compliance & Risk

• Ensure compliance for U.S. plans (ERISA, IRC, DOL, IRS, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, Section 125,  Form 5500, SAR, 1095‑C/1094‑C as applicable).
• Ensure the timely payment of required annual fees for U.S. based plans (PCORI fees, PBGC premiums) and timely reporting of required filings (5500s, Medicare Part D certification, PBGC and PCORI reports to support payments)
• Support fiduciary governance (committee charters, minutes, IPS adherence, fee benchmarking, QDIA reviews, plan document reviews, investment monitoring, vendor SOC reports).
• Oversee global compliance with local regulations, statutory benefits, and works councils/collective agreements (where applicable).
• Maintain robust internal controls (SOX if applicable), audit readiness, and accurate plan documentation/SPDs.

Operations & Vendor Management

• Lead vendor strategy, selection (RFP/RFI), contracting/SLAs, and performance management across carriers, TPAs, PBMs, recordkeepers and brokers/consultants.
• Own annual renewals and global benefits budgeting/forecasting, cost containment, and funding strategies (ASO vs. fully insured, stop‑loss, pooling).  Lead plan renewals for U.S. and expatriate benefits.      Provide support to local HR and broker teams in all other countries and participate in renewal negotiations for major plans outside the U.S.
• Subject matter expert in employee benefit programs. Provide guidance and direction to benefit teams and other internal partners with respect to plan operations. 
• Ensure accurate eligibility, payroll deductions, and interfaces with HRIS/benefits admin/recordkeeper systems; resolve escalations and complex cases.
• Drive process standardization and operational excellence across geographies; build and track operational KPIs.

Communications & Engagement

• Build a compelling benefits brand with multi‑channel, plain‑language communications to improve understanding and utilization.
• Lead Annual Enrollment initiatives in U.S. to ensure technical updates are made and the event is effectively communicated to U.S. based and expatriate employees
• Deliver 401(k) financial wellness education, targeted campaigns (auto‑increase, leakage reduction), and plan transition communications (e.g., recordkeeper changes).
• Partner with regional HR to localize message content and meet cultural/market needs.

Analytics & Insights

• Develop dashboards and reporting for cost, utilization, trend, investment performance, participation, and outcomes; recommend interventions based on data.
• Conduct fee and plan design benchmarking (industry and market), annual nondiscrimination testing, and scenario modeling for 401(k) plan changes.

M&A, Global Mobility & Special Populations