Director of Benefits

Grant Thornton • Chicago, IL

27d • Hybrid

About The Position

Grant Thornton is seeking a Director of Benefits to join the team in Chicago, IL
or Downers Grove, IL.

The Director of Benefits is a senior-level leader responsible for the overall
strategic design, administration and execution of our employee benefit
offerings/programs.  This includes health insurance, retirement plans and all
wellness initiatives. Reporting to the U.S. Managing Director of People and
partner closely with the Chief People Officer, this role is a key member of the
People & Culture (P&C) People Experience leadership team.

This individual will be a partner in the development of our holistic Global
Total Rewards strategy to develop policies, programs, recommending and
implementing approved, new, or modified plans, and procedures that are aligned
with the firm’s strategic goals and competitive objectives.  The Benefits
Director will lead a team of dedicated professionals focused on the discipline
of Total Rewards, which includes colleagues both in the United States and
across the multinational platform. 

The Director of Benefits will partner and work closely with other Grant Thornton
operations within the People & Culture (P&C) function across the multinational
platform, to use best practices, data, insights, and trends to design and
implement innovative strategies, benefits and resources to support Grant
Thornton’s commitment to putting people first in supporting employee health and
wellness.  The Benefits Director will execute effective benefits and wellbeing
programs and will be a visible leader and key partner in helping to bring Total
Rewards forward.  This role will present the benefits vision and initiatives in
key business meetings. They will also lead complex, large-scale change
initiatives, emphasizing stakeholder engagement, enterprise level financial and
risk management, and operational excellence.

Key responsibilities include leveraging data and insights to inform program
design and measurement strategy, managing vendor relationships to optimize
service delivery and costs, and staying updated on industry best practices and
legislative changes to ensure compliance and program effectiveness.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive HR or Total Rewards experience, preferably within a professional services or partnership environment.
• Deep technical expertise in U.S. health and welfare and retirement programs, including experience redesigning legacy plans.
• Experience supporting retirement plan mergers and terminations in the context of M&A activity.
• Demonstrated success leading complex programs, vendor negotiations, and enterprise-scale change initiatives.
• Proven people leader with a strong track record of coaching, mentoring, and developing high-performing teams.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to operate effectively at both enterprise and operational levels.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence at all levels across a matrixed organization.
• Highly analytical and metric-driven, with the ability to translate data into actionable business decisions.
• Exceptional judgment, integrity, discretion, and attention to detail.
• Strong negotiation, problem-solving, and decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
• Action-oriented, adaptable, and comfortable operating in ambiguity.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field.
• Ability to travel up to travel (~10% or as needed)

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive benefits and wellbeing strategy aligned to business objectives, firm values, and Total Rewards priorities.
• Lead the evaluation, design, and ongoing optimization of health, welfare, retirement, absence, and ancillary benefit programs.
• Monitor market trends, healthcare landscape changes, and industry best practices to ensure programs remain competitive and innovative.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive benefits and wellbeing strategy aligned to business objectives, firm values, and Total Rewards priorities.
• Lead the evaluation, design, and ongoing optimization of health, welfare, retirement, absence, and ancillary benefit programs
• Monitor market trends, healthcare landscape changes, and industry best practices to ensure programs remain competitive and innovative.
• Design and implement effective communication strategies to educate employees about benefits programs.
• Ensure all benefits programs comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulations (including ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, FLSA, and related requirements).
• Oversee audits, regulatory filings, and retirement plan governance; support and advise the retirement plan committee.
• Develop and manage the benefits budget, including forecasting, cost modeling, and financial reporting.
• Partner with actuaries and consultants to evaluate benefit costs, funding strategies, and plan sustainability.
• Lead planning and execution of key annual processes, including open enrollment and regulatory reporting.
• Manage and negotiate vendor, broker, and consultant relationships to optimize service quality, cost, and performance.
• Drive operational excellence through process improvement, documentation, controls, and effective use of HR and Total Rewards technology.
• Resolve complex and escalated employee benefits issues with sound judgment and discretion.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing benefits team across onshore and offshore locations.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and employee-centric service.
• Partner closely with global P&C leaders and business stakeholders to translate strategy into effective implementation across geographies.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing benefits team across onshore and offshore locations.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and employee-centric service.
• Partner closely with global P&C leaders and business stakeholders to translate strategy into effective implementation across geographies.
• Use data, metrics, and insights to inform decision-making, identify trends, and drive systemic improvements.
• Design and execute clear, effective communication strategies to drive employee understanding, engagement, and utilization of benefits programs.
• Present benefits strategy, outcomes, and recommendations in senior leadership and business forums.

Benefits

• Whether it’s your work location, weekly schedule, or flex time off, we empower you with the options to work in the way that best serves your clients and your life.
• Here, you are supported to prioritize your overall well-being through work-life integration options that work best for you and those in your household.
• We understand that your needs, responsibilities and experiences are different — and we think that’s a good thing. That’s why we support you with personalized and comprehensive benefits that recognize and empower all the identities, roles and aspirations that make you, well, you.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director