Assistant Manager - Global Benefits Operations

Job Description :

Context and scope

Global Benefits Operations delivers benefits administration through consistent processes, reliable data, effective controls and responsive employee support. The Assistant Manager leads the assigned team across markets and time zones, translating approved benefit policies into accurate, timely and controlled operational delivery.

The scope includes annual benefit enrolment, joiner, mover and leaver administration, vendor data exchanges, purchase orders, invoice reconciliation, reporting and query management. Benefits may include health insurance, pensions, product allowances, car benefits and other locally approved arrangements, where assigned to the team.

Purpose of the role

Own the day-to-day performance of the assigned benefits operations service, protecting employee benefit continuity and financial accuracy. Build a capable team, resolve operational escalations and improve processes through standardisation, simplification and automation in line with the global payroll and benefits strategy.

Financial responsibilities

• •Manage benefits purchase order creation, invoice validation and reconciliation within procurement requirements and delegated authority; coordinate timely payment with Finance and Accounts Payable.
• •Reconcile vendor charges to approved rates, eligibility and enrolment data. Investigate discrepancies, recover or correct errors and escalate unresolved liabilities before service continuity is affected.
• •Monitor assigned operational costs and spend against approved plans; provide variance insights and identify measurable efficiency opportunities.

Market complexity

• •Lead service delivery across the assigned markets, accommodating local benefit rules, enrolment calendars, currencies, languages, vendor arrangements and time zones.
• •Coordinate accurate and timely joiner, mover and leaver data and benefit changes across Workday, benefit platforms, vendors and Payroll. Validate payroll-impacting deductions, allowances and taxable benefit inputs within agreed cut-offs.
• •Partner with Reward, market HR, Payroll, Finance, Procurement, Tax and Digital teams to resolve dependencies and clarify ownership at process hand-offs.
• •Implement approved policy and regulatory changes with guidance from Reward, HR, Tax and Legal; maintain market-specific procedures and operational evidence.
• •Manage sensitive employee data through approved access, transfer and retention controls. Maintain service continuity during peak enrolment, organisational changes and vendor or system transitions.

Leadership responsibilities and capabilities

• •Lead Benefits Junior Managers and Case Specialists with clear accountabilities, work allocation, performance expectations and escalation routes.
• •Plan capacity for routine activity and peak cycles; establish trained backups, maintain knowledge coverage and address capability gaps through coaching and development.
• •Review service performance, aged cases, control exceptions and recurring failures. Hold team members and partners accountable for corrective actions and sustained results.
• •Make timely operational decisions within delegated authority. Escalate material employee, financial, compliance and service risks with clear impact, options and recommended action.
• •Build constructive relationships across functions and vendors; challenge missed commitments and resolve issues through evidence and clear ownership.
• •Create an inclusive team environment where colleagues raise concerns early, learn from errors and take responsibility for employee outcomes.
• •Deliver improvements with the Process Excellence and Transformation teams, ensuring implementation readiness, control integrity and measurable benefits.

Decision rights and governance

The role owns operational work allocation, quality assurance, service escalations and improvement delivery within the agreed scope. Approvals for expenditure, benefit changes and vendor commitments must follow delegated authority. Reward and market HR retain benefit policy and plan design decisions; Tax and Legal provide specialist interpretation. Vendor governance, including pensions, follows the agreed ownership model for each market.

Top five accountabilities

1. Benefits service delivery and employee experience

• •Own accurate and timely delivery of assigned benefits administration, reporting, vendor data exchanges and annual enrolment activities against agreed service levels and calendars.
• •Manage complex cases and escalations, prioritising employee impact and benefit continuity. Ensure timely updates, clear resolution ownership and follow-through.
• •Maintain readiness plans for peak cycles, absence cover and service disruption; resolve upstream dependencies before deadlines are missed.

2. Financial control compliance and assurance

• •Ensure assigned CARM controls, reconciliations and quality checks are performed, evidenced and independently reviewed in line with control design.
• •Oversee purchase orders, vendor invoices and reconciliation exceptions, maintaining clear audit trails and appropriate segregation of duties.
• •Coordinate audit requests and close findings; investigate control failures, implement root-cause actions and escalate material risks promptly.

3. Vendor and stakeholder management

• •Manage operational performance of assigned benefits vendors through service reviews, action tracking and escalation of missed commitments.
• •Work with Finance, Procurement and vendor owners to resolve billing and payment issues; support renewal and service improvement discussions with performance evidence.
• •Agree responsibilities and cut-offs with Reward, HR and Payroll, ensuring unresolved issues have a named owner and escalation route.

4. Digital enablement and process excellence

• •Maintain accurate process maps, work instructions, benefits matrices, guides, factsheets and FAQs; ensure changes are approved, communicated and supported by training.
• •Use Workday, benefits platforms and case management tools to improve data quality, reporting and workflow visibility.
• •Deliver prioritised standardisation and automation initiatives with relevant partners, validating employee outcomes, controls and realised efficiency.

5. Team leadership and capability building

• •Set individual objectives, review performance and coach the team in benefits administration, financial controls, problem-solving and stakeholder communication.
• •Maintain skills assessments, training plans and backup coverage for critical processes; address underperformance with clear expectations and support.
• •Embed ownership, respectful challenge and continuous learning; ensure delivery quality is sustained during staffing and scope changes.

Measures of success

Performance will be assessed against agreed annual targets for service accuracy, timeliness and case SLAs; enrolment and benefit continuity; invoice and reconciliation completion; control execution and audit closure; vendor performance; backup coverage; and verified improvement benefits.

Core skills required

• •Benefits operations expertise – understand eligibility, enrolment, lifecycle changes and links to payroll, finance and employee experience.
• •People leadership – plan work, coach colleagues, manage performance and build capability and backup coverage.
• •Stakeholder management and communication – explain issues clearly, manage expectations and influence resolution across markets and functions.
• •Analytical problem-solving and business acumen – investigate data and cost discrepancies, assess employee and financial impact and act on root causes.
• •Governance and ethical judgement – apply controls, protect confidentiality and make proportionate decisions within delegated authority.
• •Change agility and resilience – maintain operational discipline through competing priorities, peak cycles and process changes.

Digital and technical skills required

Practical experience with Workday or comparable HRIS, benefits ad