Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leads and manages a professional team in the strategy, design, implementation and delivery of Compensation and health and welfare Benefit programs in the US and Canada in support of both union and non-union professional, management and executive populations.  Ensures compliance of these programs with existing legislative requirements at the federal, state, province, city and/or port authority regulations, as well as the local (CAN) and national (US) union contracts. 
• Monitors legislative developments in all locations through a professional staff responsible for implementing, administering, and maintaining compliance.
• Leads the Compensation and Benefits functions and develops business plans to reduce or contain the Company's costs.
• Creates and implements strategies that leverage technology to automate and streamline HR business processes, with the objective of improving services, value and strategic impact in all areas of the business. 
• Builds and maintains effective working relationships between HR and Regioinal and Global Business Leaders in support of transforming and demonstrating the value proposition of HR as a strategic business partner.
• Leads the annual benefit plan design process to ensure plans are competitive and cost effective.  Evaluates, compares and recommends improvements/changes to existing company benefits by utilizing market data from various consultants, surveys, and other sources of information. Plans, develops, and/or participates in area and industry surveys. 
• Develops specifications for new plans or modifies existing plans to:

• Maintain company's competitive position in labor market, and
• Ensure consistency across all regions while complying with union agreements and federal, state, province, city and port authority regulations. 

• Responsible for effective vendor management including ensuring, establishing, communicating and adhering to policies and procedures.  Identifies needs for vendor service offerings and changes, leads the case development and justification for changes within gategroup, then leads efforts to develop RFP’s, response evaluation, selection and implementation of approved product and/or service changes.
• Works effectively with external benefits and compensation consultants, and internally with compensation, benefits, HRIS & payroll leaders in development of financial strategies to align with business goals while providing competitive offerings which support recruitment and retention efforts. 
• Develops overall benefits communication strategy including new hire orientation materials, on-going employee communications, exit materials, and annual enrollment communications. 
• Evaluates and monitors the effectiveness of compensation and benefits plans, programs and incentives, with an emphasis on aligning total rewards to business drivers.
• Manages the company wage and salary structure, pay policies, and variable pay programs.
• Leads competitive market research to establish benefit plan design and pay practices which support recruitment and retention of employees at all levels.
• Establishes human resources policies, enforces and advises on same.
• Coaches and provides direction to Human Resources personnel at units throughout the North American Region, as appropriate.
• Continuously challenges current practices and procedures as the business evolves to implement improvements in policy, procedure and systems.
• Reviews and utilizes HR metrics, dashboards, scorecards and reports in areas of oversight.
• Manages the administration of all group employee benefits programs including medical, dental, life and disability, executive benefit plans, 401(k) savings plans and legacy pension plan.
• Serves as central point of contact for escalated issues as related to eligibility and vendor performance.
• Provides regular communication updates to field human resources team, and advises and counsels management and employees on existing benefits.
• Paraticipates in development of company bargaining proposals for employee benefits and analyzes union benefits demands. Obtains and prepares cost data for company and union proposals and final settlements.
• Working with HRIS manager and benefits administrator, ensures integrity of all benefits related employee data.  Ensures compliance with HIPAA and other privacy regulations as it relates to benefits administration.  Works with benefits consultants to provide regular metrics via scorecards, dashboards and reports for management review and performance assessment
• Implements union national master agreement compensation and benefit provisions as outlined in national master agreement and any side letters
• Accomplishes human resources and organization mission by completing related tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

Education:
• Bachelor’s degree from four-year college or university required; Master’s degree is a plus.
• CEBS, CBP and/or CCP strongly preferred
• SPHR or SHRM-SCP preferred 

Work Experience:
• At least ten years of progressively responsible management experience, including professional staff management in compensation and Benefits functions.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing shared service model in a large organization.
• Experience working in transportation, hospitality, manufacturing or food service environment highly desirable.

Technical Skills:
• Demonstrated expertise in Employee Group Benefits Plan administration and Compensation plan development and administration.
• Knowledge of and experience with administration of employee pay and benefit programs in Canada is highly desirable.
• Position requires experience and demonstrated competency in: 
o Business acumen
o Leadership
o Presentation and facilitation
o Strategic planning
o Budgeting
o Influencing & persuading
o Effective relationship building
o Business partnering
o Cross-functional collaboration
o Change management
o Project management
o Program design and development
o Negotiation
o Establishing metrics for human resources performance
o Analysis
o Time management
o Prioritizing multiple projects/tasks
• Candidate must be action oriented, highly organized problem solver who enjoys challenges and working collaboratively.

Language / Communication Skills:
• Superior oral and written communication skills; must be able to interact effectively with all levels within the organization from top executives to hourly employees.
• Must be able to effectively persuade and influence leadership to approve and buy-in to proposals.

Job Dimensions

Geographic Responsibility: US and Canada
Type of Employment: Full-time
Travel %:  Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.
Exemption Classification: Exempt
Internal Relationships: Corporate leadership, legal, field HR team
External Relationships: vendors, consultants, auditors
Work Environment / Requirements of the Job:  Regular office environment
Budget / Revenue Responsibility:
Organization Structure
Direct Line Manager (Title): Sr. Director, HR Programs & Talent Mgmt
Dotted Line Manager (Title, if applicable):  none
Number of Direct Reports: 4
Number of Dotted Line Reports: none
Estimated Total Size of Team: 9