Director of Benefits

Summit Staffing Partners; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Summit Staffing Partners is assisting a premier nonprofit in Downtown Manhattan with a Benefits Director role. This hands-on leadership position oversees benefits operations, open enrollment, and benefits strategy while collaborating with senior People leadership.

The role requires extensive benefits experience, strong communication, and the ability to manage LOA and complex inquiries in a hybrid NYC environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in employee benefits with hands-on open enrollment.
• Experience overseeing benefits programs and contracts.
• Strong LOA (leave of absence) experience and handling complex inquiries.

Responsibilities

• Lead open enrollment activities with planning, implementation and communications.
• Oversee rollout and testing of benefits offerings and ensure timely implementation.
• Partner with senior leadership to execute benefits strategy.
• Support benefits contract review and coordination with internal and external partners.
• Develop and deliver clear benefits presentations for employees at all levels.
• Serve as a senior resource for complex benefits questions and escalated concerns.
• Partner on leave-of-absence administration and related inquiries.
• Coordinate benefits priorities and resolve operational challenges.
• Collaborate with People team to ensure consistent benefits administration.
• Build trusted relationships through proactive communication and dependable follow-through.

Skills

Benefits strategy

Open enrollment

Stakeholder partnering

People leadership

LOA management

Communication skills

Job description

Benefits Director (Consultant to Hire Role)

Location: Downtown Manhattan, NYC

Schedule: Hybrid - (In Office / Work From Home)

About the Opportunity

Our client, a premier nonprofit organization based in Downtown Manhattan, is seeking a Benefits Director to lead benefits operations, open enrollment and more.

This is a "hands-on" leadership opportunity for an experienced benefits professional who combines strong program oversight with direct involvement in day-to-day execution. Working closely with senior People leadership, the successful candidate will oversee the rollout of approved benefits offerings, help employees navigate their benefits and build strong relationships across the organization.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead open enrollment activities, including planning, implementation, employee communications and issue resolution.
• Oversee the rollout and testing of approved benefits offerings, coordinating activities to support an accurate and timely implementation.
• Partner with senior leadership to maintain and execute the organization’s benefits philosophy and strategy.
• Support benefits contract review and coordination with relevant internal and external partners.
• Develop and deliver clear, accessible benefits presentations for employees at all levels, including executive leadership.
• Serve as a senior resource for complex benefits questions and escalated employee concerns.
• Partner with colleagues on leave-of-absence administration and complex employee inquiries.
• Coordinate benefits priorities, identify operational challenges and follow issues through to resolution.
• Collaborate with People team colleagues to support consistent benefits administration and employee service.
• Build trusted relationships through proactive communication, patience and dependable follow-through.

Key Qualifications

• Approximately 10+ years of relevant employee benefits experience, including several years performing senior manager or director-level responsibilities, with demonstrated, hands‑on open enrollment and benefits administration experience.
• Experience overseeing benefits program implementation and working with benefits contracts.
• Ability to partner effectively with senior leadership while remaining directly involved in operational execution.
• Prior people management experience is required with experience working directly with key stakeholders / organizational leadership.
• Strong leave‑of‑absence (LOA) experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including confidence presenting benefits information to varied audiences.
• Strong attention to detail, organization and follow-through.
• Sound judgment and the ability to manage competing priorities with minimal supervision.
• A personable, collaborative and service‑oriented approach.
• Nonprofit experience is a plus but candidates from other industries are welcome.
• Ability to work a hybrid schedule in Downtown Manhattan.