Director, Pension & Benefits

Canadian National Railway Company•Montréal-Est, QC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The role is responsible for the enterprise strategy, governance, design, financial stewardship, and delivery of CN’s pension, benefits, and global mobility programs across Canada and the United States. The incumbent provides executive leadership over program sustainability, regulatory compliance, risk management, vendor performance, and service excellence. The role acts as the senior enterprise advisor on total rewards programs impacting employees, retirees, and business leaders, while enabling workforce mobility and supporting CN’s talent, financial, and operational priorities.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive experience leading pension, benefits, and/or global mobility functions within large, complex organizations
Extensive executive leadership experience overseeing senior leaders, multi-disciplinary teams, and enterprise-wide programs
Demonstrated experience across strategy, plan design, governance, and operational delivery
Strong track record managing regulatory compliance, risk, financial stewardship, and external vendors in complex environments
Experience advising executive leadership and influencing enterprise decisions involving workforce, financial, and business priorities
Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science, Finance, Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field
Deep knowledge of pension, benefits, and global mobility program design, governance, administration, and regulatory requirements
Strong financial, actuarial, and analytical acumen to assess costs, risks, trends, and business implications
Strong knowledge of vendor management, service governance, and performance oversight
Proficient in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
Fluently bilingual both written and verbal (English, French)

Nice To Haves

Post-graduate degree in a relevant discipline would be considered an asset
Professional actuarial, pension, benefits, or related designation
Any designation for these above would be considered as an asset

Responsibilities

Lead the enterprise strategy for pension, benefits, and global mobility programs in alignment with CN’s people, financial, and business priorities.
Define the long-term vision, design principles, and roadmap for programs that support attraction, retention, well-being, and workforce mobility.
Direct the evaluation and evolution of plan design to ensure market competitiveness, sustainability, and alignment with employee and retiree needs.
Provide executive oversight on funding, cost strategy, actuarial considerations, and financial implications associated with pension and benefits programs.
Translate complex legislative, regulatory, labor, and market developments into actionable recommendations and enterprise decisions.
Establish strategic priorities, policies, and governance frameworks that strengthen decision quality, accountability, and program integrity.
Champion innovation, benchmarking, and continuous improvement to modernize program design, administration, and employee experience.
Assess enterprise risks, opportunities, and trade-offs related to pension, benefits, and mobility strategy, and recommend mitigation plans.
Act as CN’s senior subject matter authority on pension, benefits, and mobility matters requiring executive interpretation and guidance.
Provide executive oversight of end-to-end delivery for pension, benefits, and global mobility programs across multiple jurisdictions.
Ensure operational excellence across critical cycles including enrollments, renewals, relocations, compliance activities, and issue resolution.
Direct service delivery models, controls, and administration practices to achieve accuracy, responsiveness, and a consistent employee experience.
Oversee governance processes, audits, regulatory filings, and internal controls to maintain compliance and audit readiness.
Lead enterprise risk management activities related to benefit obligations, pension administration, mobility exposure, and vendor delivery.
Monitor program performance, service metrics, and emerging trends to identify gaps, opportunities, and corrective actions.
Drive process simplification, data quality improvements, and systems optimization to enhance operational effectiveness and decision support.
Direct the management of external vendors, consultants, and service providers, including contracts, service levels, and performance outcomes.
Oversee program budgets, cost drivers, and financial results, ensuring disciplined stewardship and value realization.
Serve as the senior advisor to the Sr VP Chief Human Resources Officer and enterprise leaders on pension, benefits, and mobility strategy, risk, and decisions.
Provide executive-level recommendations to support labor strategy, financial planning, governance discussions, and enterprise change initiatives.
Build trusted partnerships with senior stakeholders across Human Resources, Finance, Legal, Treasury, Payroll, Tax, and business leadership.
Represent CN with external vendors, consultants, advisors, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders on complex program matters.
Lead the communication of strategic program changes, issues, and decisions to executive audiences with clarity and business relevance.
Set direction, allocate priorities, and establish performance expectations that enable high-quality execution and cross-functional alignment.
Develop organizational capability, succession depth, and leadership bench strength across the pension, benefits, and mobility portfolio.
Foster an inclusive, accountable, and high-performing culture focused on collaboration, service excellence, and continuous improvement.
Lead through change by aligning people, processes, and stakeholders to deliver sustainable outcomes and enterprise value.