Firmwide Director of Benefits & Compensation

Perkins&Will; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 157,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Perkins&Will seeks a Firmwide Director of Benefits and Compensation to lead the design, strategy, and governance of our global benefits programs, aligning with talent strategy and business objectives. This role drives health, retirement, wellness, and leave programs while collaborating to strengthen employee experience across locations.

In partnership with the Chief Talent Officer, you will steer market intelligence, benchmarking, and analytics to shape compensation decisions and workforce

Qualifications

• Deep knowledge of benefits administration, retirement programs, leave management, wellness strategies, and total rewards practices.
• Strong understanding of ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, and related regulatory requirements.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen with the ability to interpret data and develop meaningful recommendations.
• Experience with Workday and other HR technology platforms preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, administration, and continuous improvement of health and welfare programs, including retirement, leave, and wellbeing initiatives.
• Oversee annual renewals, open enrollment, and ongoing program administration across all locations.
• Negotiate contracts and manage relationships with brokers, consultants, carriers, and third-party administrators.
• Provide market intelligence, benchmarking, and analytics to inform compensation planning and workforce decisions.
• Develop and oversee the total rewards communication strategy and ensure employee awareness of programs.
• Support governance and compliance through plan documents, regulations, audits, and Form 5500 filings.

Skills

Benefits leadership

Total Rewards

ERISA knowledge

Analytics

Vendor management

Workday

Tools

Workday

Job description

Position Summary

The Firmwide Director of Benefits and Compensation is responsible for the strategic leadership, design, administration, communication, and continuous enhancement of Perkins&Will’s benefits programs, with a primary focus on ensuring a comprehensive, competitive, and employee-centered benefits experience. This role leads the development and execution of health, welfare, retirement, wellbeing, leave, and other benefit offerings that support the needs of our people while aligning with the firm's culture, talent strategy, and business objectives.

In partnership with the Chief Talent Officer, this position also supports compensation programs by providing market intelligence, benchmarking, analytics, and insights that inform compensation decisions and workforce planning. While compensation partnership is an important component of the role, the primary emphasis is the strategic oversight and continuous evolution of the firm's benefits programs.

Through close collaboration with Corporate Leadership, Talent, Finance, Legal, external vendors, and colleagues across Perkins&Will, this leader ensures benefit programs are effectively managed, well-communicated, compliant, and responsive to the evolving needs of the workforce. The role plays a critical part in strengthening the employee experience and supporting the attraction, engagement, and retention of exceptional talent.

Key Responsibilities

Benefits and Well-Being

• Lead the design, administration, and continuous improvement of all health and welfare programs, including retirement, leave of absence, and well-being programs.
• Monitor benefits trends and best practices, evaluate plan design opportunities, and make recommendations to Leadership.
• Oversee annual renewals, open enrollment, and ongoing program administration in all geographic locations where we practice.
• Negotiate contracts and manage relationships with brokers, consultants, carriers, auditors, and third-party administrators.
• Develop and implement well-being initiatives that support the physical, emotional, financial, and social well-being of employees.
• Review engagement and spend to determine program effectiveness and employee experience.
• Knowledge of Canadian benefit plan administration.
• Provide strategic oversight of other international benefit programs and ensure alignment with local market practices.

Compensation

• Partner closely with the Chief Talent Officer and Chief Financial Officer to support the firm's compensation philosophy and programs.
• Provide market intelligence, benchmarking, and workforce analytics to inform compensation planning and decision-making.
• Assist in the administration and execution of annual compensation programs, including salary reviews, and bonus processes.
• Conduct compensation analyses related to market competitiveness, pay equity, and internal alignment.
• Maintain compensation structures, job architecture frameworks, and supporting documentation.
• Serve as a trusted resource to Talent leaders regarding compensation policies, practices, and market trends.

Communication And Employee Experience

• Develop and oversee the firm's total rewards communication strategy.
• Ensure employees understand and appreciate the value of their compensation, benefits, and rewards programs.
• Create educational resources and communication materials to support annual enrollment and year-round employee awareness.
• Oversee benefits-related content within employee-facing systems and internal resources.
• Support Talent Acquisition efforts by effectively communicating Perkins&Will's total rewards offerings to prospective employees.
• Handle escalated employee inquiries and concerns regarding benefits and rewards programs.

Compliance and Governance

• Ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, and applicable federal, state, local, and international regulations.
• Oversee preparation and maintenance of plan documents, policies, agreements, amendments, audits, and Form 5500 filings.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments and recommend appropriate program changes.
• Ensure compliance with all benefits-related recordkeeping requirements.
• Partner with Legal and external advisors to ensure strong governance and risk management practices.

Operations and Technology

• Provide strategic oversight of benefits administration processes and operating procedures.
• Ensure HRIS systems effectively support benefits administration, compensation processes, reporting requirements, and vendor integrations.
• Collaborate with IT colleagues on systems enhancements, reporting, analytics, and process improvements.
• Ensure accurate payment and reconciliation of vendor invoices and program expenses.

Leadership and Collaboration

• Lead and develop members of the benefits team.
• Provide training and consultation to Talent Team members and firm leaders on total rewards programs and policies.
• Partner with Finance, Legal, Talent Acquisition, and Corporate Leadership on firmwide initiatives impacting employee rewards and experience.
• Participate in acquisition due diligence and integration efforts, including evaluation of benefits programs, transition planning, and employee communications.

Qualifications

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive experience in Benefits or Total Rewards leadership roles.
• Experience developing and administering complex employee benefits programs.
• Experience supporting compensation programs through benchmarking, analytics, and administration.
• Experience in a professional services environment preferred.
• Experience supporting multinational employee populations preferred.

Knowledge And Skills

• Deep knowledge of benefits administration, retirement programs, leave management, wellness strategies, and total rewards practices.
• Strong understanding of ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, and related regulatory requirements.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen with the ability to interpret data and develop meaningful recommendations.
• Experience utilizing workforce and market data to support business decisions.
• Exceptional leadership, relationship-building, communication, and influencing skills.
• Ability to effectively partner with senior leadership and manage complex vendor relationships.
• Experience with Workday and other HR technology platforms preferred.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Perkins&Will has established and adopted an Equal Employment Opportunity Employment policy (“EEO”), which is part of the Company’s Human Resources Policy. The purpose of this EEO policy is to ensure that all employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis, and without regard to sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, gender reassignment, citizenship, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law. In some cases, local laws and regulations may provide greater protections than those outlined here, and employees will be covered by the laws of their local jurisdiction.

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision

Perkins&Will will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Compensation

We foster a culture that is diverse and inclusive and strive for pay practices that are fair, competitive and reflect our commitment to pay equity. Our compensation decisions include but are not limited to a candidate’s qualifications including skill sets, education, experience and training, licensure and certifications credentials if applicable, and business-related factors. This practice extends to all employees, including performance considerations for merit increases, job promotions, and transfer opportunities. We additionally review our pay practices, conduct pay equity audits, and ensure our managers are trained in our pay practices on an annual basis. At the time of posting this job advertisement, the annual pay salary range for this position is between $157,000 to $190,000 commensurate with qualifications and dependent on geographic location.