Benefits Director

SCI Shared Resources•Houston, TX

About The Position

Our associates celebrate lives. We celebrate our associates. The Benefits Director plays a critical leadership role in positioning SCI as an employer of choice by designing and executing a forward-looking, data-driven benefits strategy. This role provides strategic direction, operational excellence, and team leadership across health & welfare and retirement programs, ensuring an integrated, high-impact total rewards offering that supports associate well-being, financial security, and organizational performance. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership & Vision Define and lead the enterprise benefits strategy, aligning health, wellness, and retirement programs with organizational goals and workforce needs Drive continuous innovation in plan design to optimize cost, improve outcomes, and enhance the associate experience Establish a long-term roadmap for benefits programs, incorporating market trends, benchmarking insights, and emerging solutions Ensure alignment and integration across retirement and health & welfare strategies, governance, and policies Team Leadership & Development Build, lead, and develop a high-performing, collaborative benefits team Provide clear direction, coaching, mentoring, and professional development opportunities Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and innovation Process Improvement & Operational Excellence Champion process optimization and automation across benefits design, administration, and delivery Establish and monitor performance metrics to evaluate program effectiveness and operational success Partner with HRIS to translate business needs into technical requirements for benefits and absence management systems Health & Welfare Strategy Lead the development and management of medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug programs Implement holistic health and wellness solutions that improve associate outcomes and manage costs Utilize actuarial insights and financial modeling to inform decision-making and optimize plan design Retirement & Financial Well-being Develop and execute retirement and savings strategies that support associates across all career stages Enhance associate engagement through education, communication, and advisory tools Ensure offerings include diversified investment options and automated features that drive participation and outcomes Maintain deep understanding of retirement solutions to continuously evolve program effectiveness Financial Management & Governance Lead annual benefits budgeting, funding analysis, and financial forecasting Evaluate cost-saving opportunities through data-driven modeling and scenario analysis Ensure compliance with all applicable legislation and regulatory requirements (including ERISA) Vendor & Stakeholder Management Lead vendor strategy, including selection, negotiation, and performance management Manage service agreements and partnerships to maximize value and service delivery Conduct regular market reviews and benchmarking to ensure competitiveness Collaborate with internal stakeholders and leadership to align priorities and drive outcomes Data, Insights & Communication Leverage data and analytics to inform strategy, measure ROI, and guide decision-making Lead benchmarking efforts and translate insights into actionable strategy enhancements Develop and execute comprehensive communication strategies to drive associate engagement and understanding Gather and incorporate associate and leadership feedback to continuously refine programs

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field
Minimum 8+ years of progressive experience in benefits strategy, design, and administration
Deep expertise across health & welfare and retirement plans, including funding, pricing, and implementation
Strong background in financial modeling, cost analysis, and benefits benchmarking
Proven track record of leading teams and driving organizational change
Strategic Thinking: Ability to translate business objectives into impactful benefits strategies
Leadership & Talent Development: Builds strong teams and develops future leaders
Process Improvement: Identifies inefficiencies and drives scalable, automated solutions
Analytical Rigor: Uses data to inform decisions and measure outcomes
Business Acumen: Understands cost structures, ROI, and financial implications of benefits programs
Communication & Influence: Effectively engages stakeholders at all levels
Execution Excellence: Delivers results with a focus on quality, efficiency, and impact

Nice To Haves

CEBS certification preferred
Experience in healthcare consulting, brokerage, or actuarial environments preferred

Responsibilities

Define and lead the enterprise benefits strategy, aligning health, wellness, and retirement programs with organizational goals and workforce needs
Drive continuous innovation in plan design to optimize cost, improve outcomes, and enhance the associate experience
Establish a long-term roadmap for benefits programs, incorporating market trends, benchmarking insights, and emerging solutions
Ensure alignment and integration across retirement and health & welfare strategies, governance, and policies
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing, collaborative benefits team
Provide clear direction, coaching, mentoring, and professional development opportunities
Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and innovation
Champion process optimization and automation across benefits design, administration, and delivery
Establish and monitor performance metrics to evaluate program effectiveness and operational success
Partner with HRIS to translate business needs into technical requirements for benefits and absence management systems
Lead the development and management of medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug programs
Implement holistic health and wellness solutions that improve associate outcomes and manage costs
Utilize actuarial insights and financial modeling to inform decision-making and optimize plan design
Develop and execute retirement and savings strategies that support associates across all career stages
Enhance associate engagement through education, communication, and advisory tools
Ensure offerings include diversified investment options and automated features that drive participation and outcomes
Maintain deep understanding of retirement solutions to continuously evolve program effectiveness
Lead annual benefits budgeting, funding analysis, and financial forecasting
Evaluate cost-saving opportunities through data-driven modeling and scenario analysis
Ensure compliance with all applicable legislation and regulatory requirements (including ERISA)
Lead vendor strategy, including selection, negotiation, and performance management
Manage service agreements and partnerships to maximize value and service delivery
Conduct regular market reviews and benchmarking to ensure competitiveness
Collaborate with internal stakeholders and leadership to align priorities and drive outcomes
Leverage data and analytics to inform strategy, measure ROI, and guide decision-making
Lead benchmarking efforts and translate insights into actionable strategy enhancements
Develop and execute comprehensive communication strategies to drive associate engagement and understanding
Gather and incorporate associate and leadership feedback to continuously refine programs