Benefits Lead - EMEA & APAC

HRM Search Partners; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-related pay

Pension

Medical and dental cover

Car parking

Fully subsidised canteen

Onsite gym

Other employee benefits

Job summary

HRM Search Partners has been exclusively retained by a leading international financial services organisation to appoint a Benefits Lead - EMEA & APAC. Based in Dublin, you will own the benefits portfolio across EMEA and APAC, guiding governance, benchmarking and modernisation while partnering with markets across Dublin, London, Sydney, Hong Kong and wider APAC.

The role blends strategic leadership with hands-on delivery, including programme design, analytics, vendor management and employee

Responsibilities

• Take clear ownership of the benefits landscape across EMEA and APAC, developing a detailed understanding of existing programmes and identifying the most material opportunities for enhancement.
• Help evolve the international portfolio towards stronger governance, determining where greater consistency creates employee or commercial value and where local legislation, healthcare systems, tax or market practice require differentiation.
• Lead the review and modernisation of established programmes, particularly across European markets, while translating existing market insight and benchmarking into implementation across growing APAC locations.
• Take initiatives through the full lifecycle - from market assessment and business case development through vendor selection, stakeholder approval, implementation, testing and launch.
• Bring appropriate commercial challenge to broker and vendor relationships, including contracts, renewals, service performance and opportunities to leverage relationships across markets.
• Build and develop a small regional benefits team, creating clear ownership and accountability while remaining sufficiently close to the detail.
• Use employee insight, utilisation and cost data, systems and market intelligence to understand how benefits are experienced and where targeted improvements can make a meaningful difference.

Job description

Dublin | International Financial Services | Executive Benefits Appointment

HRM Search Partners has been exclusively retained by a leading international financial services organisation to appoint a Benefits Lead - EMEA & APAC. This is a newly elevated regional leadership mandate, based in Dublin, with responsibility for the organisation's benefits portfolio across EMEA and APAC.

The appointment represents the next stage in the development of the organisation's international benefits capability. The successful candidate will become the principal benefits specialist outside the United States, taking ownership of an established portfolio while determining where greater governance, consistency and modernisation can add value.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Head of Global Benefits, the Benefits Lead - EMEA & APAC will have responsibility across a diverse international footprint encompassing Dublin, London, Sydney, Hong Kong and a broader APAC presence.

This is not a remediation mandate. The existing benefits environment is fundamentally sound, but has developed largely market by market as the organisation has grown. The opportunity is to bring greater regional ownership and specialist thinking: understanding what is in place, challenging where appropriate and translating market insight and benchmarking into considered, practical change.

The role combines strategic benefits leadership with hands-on delivery, spanning programme design and review, governance, analytics, vendor management, employee experience and implementation. It will also lead a small regional benefits team.

The Benefits Lead will:

• Take clear ownership of the benefits landscape across EMEA and APAC, developing a detailed understanding of existing programmes and identifying the most material opportunities for enhancement.


• Help evolve the international portfolio towards stronger governance, determining where greater consistency creates employee or commercial value and where local legislation, healthcare systems, tax or market practice require differentiation.


• Lead the review and modernisation of established programmes, particularly across European markets, while translating existing market insight and benchmarking into implementation across growing APAC locations.


• Take initiatives through the full lifecycle - from market assessment and business case development through vendor selection, stakeholder approval, implementation, testing and launch.


• Bring appropriate commercial challenge to broker and vendor relationships, including contracts, renewals, service performance and opportunities to leverage relationships across markets.


• Build and develop a small regional benefits team, creating clear ownership and accountability while remaining sufficiently close to the detail.


• Use employee insight, utilisation and cost data, systems and market intelligence to understand how benefits are experienced and where targeted improvements can make a meaningful difference.

The Person

We are interested in engaging with experienced benefits specialists who have operated across multiple jurisdictions and are comfortable moving between strategy and execution.

The successful candidate will bring strong technical knowledge of benefits alongside the judgement to recognise that effective international benefits strategy is not simply about standardisation. They will be able to determine where global or regional consistency makes sense and where local differentiation produces the better outcome.

Of particular importance will be evidence of:

• International or multi-country benefits experience, ideally incorporating EMEA and/or APAC.


• Ownership of benefits programmes from initial assessment and recommendation through to implementation.


• Strong vendor, broker and commercial management capability.


• The ability to use market intelligence, employee insight and data to develop evidence-based recommendations.


• Credibility with senior HR and business stakeholders and the ability to influence effectively without relying on formal authority.


• Experience leading or developing a small specialist team while remaining close to operational delivery.


• Resilience, adaptability and the ability to operate effectively within a pragmatic, collaborative and relatively non-hierarchical environment.

The role is based in Dublin city centre, alongside an established HR and business support community. The organisation operates principally on-site, with flexibility provided through an allocation of remote-working days rather than a fixed weekly hybrid model.

The broader reward proposition includes performance-related pay, pension, comprehensive medical and dental cover, car parking, fully subsidised canteen, onsite gym and a range of additional employee benefits.

The Search

HRM Search Partners has been exclusively retained to undertake this appointment. All direct and third-party applications will be managed through HRM as part of the retained search process.

The search will initially focus on suitably qualified candidates in Ireland while also considering internationally based benefits professionals with a connection to Ireland or a willingness to relocate.

For a confidential discussion regarding the Benefits Lead - EMEA & APAC opportunity, please contact Ashling Edwards, HRM Search Partners. T: [phone] E: [e-mail]