Retirement Benefits Director

Morgan Stanley•Alpharetta, GA

About The Position

Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments and individuals in close to 40 countries. Morgan Stanley is deeply committed to the health & wellbeing of its employees. We believe the Firm is successful when its employees are healthy, engaged and supported. Our Health and Benefits Team is seeking a Retirement Benefits Director responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Firm’s US 401(k) retirement savings plan and frozen pension plan, along with support for our Canada RRSP, retirement plans in Latin America and global retirement benefits coordination. Attributes you will bring to the team: Analytical Mindset: You use data to inform decisions and continuously look for ways to improve strategy, administration, and outcomes through insight and analysis. Flexibility: You thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, adapt quickly to change, and pivot effectively as business needs evolve. Collaboration: You synthesize multiple perspectives, contribute thoughtful viewpoints, and partner effectively across teams and stakeholders. Authenticity: You bring your whole self to work and foster an inclusive, open, and supportive team environment. Ownership & Accountability: You take pride in delivering accurate, timely outcomes and proactively see issues through to resolution. Sound Judgment & Risk Awareness: You apply good judgment in complex situations and appropriately balance employee experience, compliance, and risk management.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
4-7 years of work experience on a corporate benefits team, retirement benefits administrator or consulting firm
Familiarity with defined benefit and defined contribution plans and working knowledge of core U.S. retirement compliance concepts
Demonstrated ability to manage vendors and programs
Strong problem-solving, technical and analytical skills
Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint

Responsibilities

Manage day-to-day administration of retirement plans, including eligibility, enrollments, contributions, loans, distributions, retirements, QDRO coordination (as applicable), and benefit commencements, ensuring operations align with plan documents and regulatory requirements.
Serve as day-to-day liaison for retirement plan vendors, monitoring service levels, resolving operational issues, and ensuring timely/accurate deliverables.
Conceptualize and execute employee communications; Partner with Benefits Communications team to develop employee engagement and education strategy
Provide high-quality customer service on escalated issues to plan participants
Support fiduciary governance processes (e.g., retirement plan committee preparation), including agenda management and meeting materials.
Stay current on regulatory and legislative developments; partner with ERISA counsel and vendors to assess impact and implement required plan and document updates.
Coordinate required annual compliance activities and regulatory filings, including nondiscrimination testing, Form 5500 filings, SPD development, plan disclosures, and PBGC-related obligations.
Partner with Payroll and Finance to support timely remittance of participant contributions.
Participate in internal controls testing (e.g., SOX or equivalent) and support plan audits
Analyze plan data and develop KPIs to identify trends, insights and opportunities
Benchmark plan features relative to market and peers; identify opportunities for plan changes and enhancements
Support retirement plan budgeting, forecasting and expense monitoring, including recordkeeping, advisory, audit, actuarial, and PBGC-related costs.