Career Category
Human Resources
Job Description
Role Description:
The Senior Associate, Benefits supports the administration, compliance, and daily operations of the EMEA benefits programs. This role is responsible for ensuring accurate plan administration, a seamless employee experience, and strong vendor performance across both countries. The position partners closely with HR, Payroll, Legal, Finance, local HR counterparts, vendors, and external advisors to deliver high-quality service and continuous improvement across EMEA benefit offerings.
Roles & Responsibilities:
Benefit Administration & Operations
- Oversee day‑to‑day administration of EMEA benefit plans (health, dental, life assurance, disability, retirement/pension schemes, wellness programs, statutory allowances, and local market‑specific benefits)
- Serve as primary contact for employees and HR partners regarding benefit inquiries, eligibility, and issue resolution.
- Manage enrollments, life‑event changes, terminations, and ensure timely updates in HR systems including Workday and vendor platforms.
- Coordinate with Payroll on benefit deductions, taxable benefit adjustments (e.g., Benefit‑in‑Kind, Share plans, Car Lease …etc), and data reconciliations
Vendor & Partner Management
- Partner with benefit providers (e.g., local health insurers, pension administrators, wellness vendors) to resolve operational issues and track adherence to SLAs.
- Review and validate vendor reports, eligibility files, invoices, and monthly/annual plan reconciliations.
- Support annual plan renewals, vendor transitions, new plan implementations, and configuration updates in Workday.
Compliance & Governance
- Ensure benefits align with EMEA statutory & upcoming requirements, including but not limited to EU changes requirements, Revenue Commissioner tax rules, Benefit‑in‑Kind taxation, maternity/parental leave entitlements, statutory reporting, local social security obligations, accident insurance rules, pension fund requirements, and insurer reporting.
- Maintain audit‑ready documentation, policies, SOPs, and benefits records.
- Support internal and external audits by providing complete and accurate data and responding to compliance inquiries.
Employee Experience & Communication
- Support the design, review, and delivery of clear benefits communications, including enrolment materials, intranet content, FAQs, and employee guides.
- Facilitate benefits onboarding and offboarding touchpoints for employees across Ireland and Switzerland.
- Identify and recommend opportunities to enhance employee understanding, satisfaction, and utilization of benefits programs.
Projects & Continuous Improvement
- Contribute to annual Open Enrollment planning and execution.
- Support benefits projects, including technology enhancements, process optimization, and vendor transitions
- Analyze trends in employee inquiries, vendor performance, enrollment patterns, and identify opportunities to streamline processes or improve service delivery.
Basic Qualifications and Experience:
- 5+ years of experience in benefits administration, preferably supporting EMEA or multi‑country benefits programs.
- Strong understanding of EMEA statutory frameworks and tax considerations.
- Experience with HRIS systems such as Workday, and third‑party administrator platforms; familiarity with ServiceNow is preferred.
- Experience working with global vendors, cross‑functional teams, and remote workforce support.
Skills:
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced global environment.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across time zones with employees, HR, and business partners.
- Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data and recommend improvements.
- High attention to detail, strong documentation discipline, and process‑oriented approach.
- Customer‑centric mindset with a focus on enhancing employee experience.
Ability to navigate complex, diverse, global organizational structures.
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