Director Benefits, Americas

The Director Benefits Americas within Global HR Services at Honeywell is a strategic leadership role responsible for the implementation and operational execution of employee benefits programs across the Americas regions with a significant focus on healthcare retirement programs 401(k) administration and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) integrations and spin-offs. Reporting to the Sr. Director Global Benefits this position ensures the seamless rollout and management of benefits programs (e.g. health wellness retirement equity) designed by the Center of Excellence (CoE). The role requires close partnership with IT for system implementation and integration with third-party operating suppliers as well as expertise in managing benefits transitions during M&A integrations and spin-offs. Collaboration with the CoE IT regional HR teams finance legal and vendors is essential to deliver compliant efficient and employee-centric benefits programs within the HR Services framework.

Key Responsibilities

• Americas Benefits Implementation: Lead the execution of CoE-designed benefits programs including health dental vision wellness and equity plans with a strong emphasis on healthcare insurance and retirement programs (e.g. pensions 401(k) plans) ensuring consistent delivery across Americas regions particularly in Honeywells diverse operational landscape.
• Benefits Programs Administration: Oversee the operational management of all benefits programs including healthcare insurance retirement programs including 401(k) plan administration participant enrollment contribution processing compliance with IRS and DOL regulations in the US (and relevant legislation outside the US) and coordination with plan fiduciaries and third-party administrators (e.g. Fidelity Conduent other).
• M&A Integrations and Divestitures: Manage benefits transitions during mergers acquisitions and divestitures ensuring seamless integration or separation of benefits programs. Coordinate with the CoE IT Legal Payroll and third-party vendors to align plans transfer participant data and maintain compliance with regulatory requirements (e.g. ERISA IRS rules). Address employee concerns and ensure continuity of benefits during organizational changes.
• IT Partnership for System Implementation: Collaborate with IT to implement and maintain HRIS and benefits administration systems changes (e.g. Oracle Service Now). Oversee system configuration testing and deployment to support CoE designs and operational needs including data migrations during M&A activities.
• Third-Party Supplier Integration: Manage integrations with third-party suppliers (e.g. retirement plan administrators insurance carriers wellness platforms) working with IT to ensure seamless data flows system compatibility and operational efficiency especially during M&A integrations and divestitures.
• CoE Collaboration: Partner with the Benefits CoE to implement their strategic designs providing operational feedback to refine future designs for benefits retirement and M&A-related programs to meet employee and business needs. Manage the renewal and remarketing changes implementation once annual changes and plan renewals are complete. Manage annual enrollment processes.
• Compliance and Governance: Ensure compliance with global and local regulations (e.g. U.S. ERISA IRS 401(k) rules regional labor laws) with a focus on retirement plan audits fiduciary oversight and M&A-related compliance (e.g. plan terminations or transfers). Coordinate with IT for secure data systems and with legal for compliance.
• Vendor Management: Oversee relationships with third-party vendors negotiate contracts to align with CoE designs IT requirements and cost efficiency goals. Manage day to day vendor performance to ensure adherence to SLAs and KPIs.
• Employee Experience and Communication: Manage benefits and 401(k) enrollment employee education and communication using IT-supported platforms (e.g. employee portals) to enhance accessibility and engagement especially during M&A transitions to address employee concerns and ensure clarity.
• Analytics and Process Optimization: Use data analytics to monitor program utilization system performance and employee feedback. Work with IT to optimize system integrations and streamline processes.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Collaborate with regional HR Services teams payroll finance IT and the CoE to integrate benefits retirement and M&A-related implementation with broader HR processes. Support governance meetings with implementation system and operational insights.
• Team Leadership: Lead the Americas benefits team within HR Services fostering collaboration with IT third-party vendors and the CoE to drive operational excellence

• Education: Bachelors degree in HR Business Administration Information Systems or a related field; Masters or MBA preferred. Certifications like Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) Global Remuneration Professional (GRP) SHRM-SCP or Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) are highly relevant.
• Experience: 7 years in benefits implementation or total rewards operations. Specific expertise in retirement/401(k) administration M&A integrations/spin-offs and IT system implementation (e.g. HRIS 401(k) platforms) is critical ideally within HR Services or shared services models. Experience with third-party supplier integrations is essential.
• Core Competencies:
  • Expertise in implementing benefits and retirement/401(k) programs including compliance with IRS/DOL regulations and M&A-related transitions.
  • Strong technical acumen to partner with IT on HRIS configuration data integration and system troubleshooting for benefits retirement platforms and M&A activities.
  • Exceptional collaboration skills to work with the CoE IT third-party vendors and the VP of HR Services.
  • Analytical skills to evaluate program performance 401(k) participation rates M&A outcomes and operational efficiency.
  • Cultural adaptability to manage diverse workforces and regulatory environments.
  • Project management expertise to lead complex IT-driven implementation projects particularly for retirement systems and M&A integrations/spin-offs.
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in HRIS platforms (e.g. Oracle Workday SAP SuccessFactors) retirement/401(k) administration systems (e.g. Fidelity NetBenefits Empower) and integration tools (e.g. APIs middleware). Knowledge of compliance frameworks (e.g. ERISA IRS 401(k) rules GDPR) and data security standards especially for M&A data migrations is essential.
• Location and Work Style: The role is based in Charlotte NC leveraging the citys corporate infrastructure and Honeywells collaborative culture. Hybrid 3 days per week in the office with potential travel (10-20%) to coordinate with global HR Services teams IT CoE or third-party vendors visiting hubs.
• Charlotte Context: This role aligns with Honeywells strategic initiatives in Charlotte focusing on implementing CoE-designed benefits programs leveraging IT partnerships for system integrations managing retirement/401(k) administration and handling M&A integrations/spin-offs. The Director will utilize Charlottes corporate infrastructure for Americas delivery ensuring alignment with Honeywells commitment to employee-centric benefits.