Director, Compensation & Benefits

Hu-Friedy Mfg. Co., LLC•Des Plaines, IL

About The Position

HuFriedyGroup is a leading manufacturer of dental instruments and infection prevention products. Our 10,000-plus products, hand-crafted by highly skilled artisans, are known for their precision, performance, longevity, reliability, and quality. To help dental professionals be The Best in Practice, HuFriedyGroup provides a unique combination of world class products, value-added services, clinical education, and dental community platforms that result in superior clinician performance and enhanced safety for dental professionals and their patients. Working at HuFriedyGroup is so much more than a job, as every employee has a part in driving and supporting the organization’s inspirational vision to be a global force in advancing dental performance through Best-In-Practice dentistry that improves lives around the world. About this Role: The Director, Global Benefits & Compensation is a highly hands-on, execution-focused leader responsible for the day-to-day design, administration, analysis, and delivery of compensation and benefits programs across HuFriedyGroup’s global workforce. This role is explicitly operational and tactical in nature, with direct ownership for executing core compensation and benefits processes across multiple geographies. It is not a purely strategic or policy-setting role. The successful candidate will personally manage complex details, resolve issues, build models, and partner closely with HR, Finance, Payroll, Legal, and external vendors in a private-equity-backed environment. This role is ideal for a leader who enjoys doing the work, navigating global complexity, and building scalable programs while remaining deeply involved in execution

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in HR or related field
12+ years of progressive global compensation and benefits experience with significant hands-on execution
Strong experience operating in global, matrixed, and private-equity-backed environments
Advanced Excel and analytical skills; comfort building complex global cost and pay models
Deep knowledge of U.S. benefits and compensation regulations; working knowledge of EMEA/APAC practices
Proven experience partnering with Finance, Payroll, Legal, and external vendors globally
Detail-oriented, pragmatic, and comfortable operating independently across time zone

Nice To Haves

Deeply operational and execution-focused
Highly involved in calculations, systems, modeling, and issue resolution
A working global subject-matter expert
Embedded in the details of global compensation and benefits delivery

Responsibilities

Directly own and execute global compensation programs, including: Annual merit, bonus, and incentive cycles Global job architecture, leveling, and market pricing Executive, management, sales, and spot incentive programs
Personally conduct job evaluations, global market pricing, and pay analyses, balancing internal equity and local market competitiveness
Build and maintain detailed compensation models, cost scenarios, and global pay-impact analyses (highly Excel-driven and auditable)
Partner closely with Finance on global labor cost planning, AOP, forecasting, and private-equity cost expectations
Support M&A activity, integrations, and restructuring initiatives with hands-on compensation harmonization and modeling
Ensure global pay practices comply with applicable wage, hour, pay equity, and transparency regulations
Own the day-to-day administrationof global benefits programs across North America, EMEA, and APAC, including: Health, welfare, retirement, and statutory benefits Global leave programs and country-specific requirements
Serve as the primary escalation point for complex global benefits issues and employee cases
Lead annual benefits renewals and open enrollment processes across regions, coordinating vendors, brokers, and internal stakeholders
Manage global vendor relationships, including brokers, carriers, and retirement providers, ensuring service quality, cost control, and compliance
Oversee global benefits compliance activities, including ERISA (U.S.), local statutory requirements, and audit remediation
Partner closely with Payroll and local HR teams to resolve eligibility, deductions, and contribution issues across countries
Ensure global compensation and benefits programs meet regulatory requirements across jurisdictions
Personally manage audits, corrections, and remediation efforts (e.g., ERISA corrections, pension issues, local compliance gaps)
Maintain plan documentation, governance materials, and audit-ready records
Partner with Legal, Finance, and external advisors globally
Provide hands-on guidance to HR Business Partners and leaders across regions
Translate complex compensation and benefits concepts into practical guidance for managers and employees
May lead or mentor a small global team, while remaining personally accountable for execution
Act as a trusted, responsive partner to employees, leaders, and HR teams globally