Global Benefits Director

KBR Careers; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K plan with company match

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Disability, life insurance

Flexible spending account

Paid time off

Job summary

KBR, a global engineering and technology company, is seeking a Global Benefits Director in Houston, TX. You will lead strategy, design, governance, and delivery of global benefits programs across multiple regions, balancing global consistency with local requirements and ensuring cost effectiveness.

You will partner with HR, Finance, Legal, Payroll, HRIS, and Global Mobility to deliver scalable solutions, manage vendor performance, and drive continuous improvement in employee experience and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, finance or related field.
• 15+ years progressive experience in benefits/Total Rewards.
• Minimum 5+ years of people leadership, global/regional.
• Experience in multinational organizations preferred.
• Deep expertise in global benefits design and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead a globally aligned benefits strategy across health, welfare, retirement, and well-being programs.
• Oversee design, governance, and policy frameworks for global programs.
• Lead global vendor strategy, budgeting, and cost optimization.
• Ensure effective administration, renewals, enrollments, and reporting.
• Partner with HR, Finance, Legal, Payroll, HRIS, and Global Mobility.
• Drive communication strategies to improve employee engagement with benefits.
• Ensure compliance with global and local regulations and risk management.
• Develop and mentor the global benefits team.

Skills

Global benefits strategy

Cross-functional leadership

Regulatory compliance

Vendor management

Financial acumen

Stakeholder management & communication

HRIS experience (Workday, SAP)

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business/Finance or related field

Tools

Workday

SAP

Job description

Title: Global Benefits Director

We are KBR. When you become part of our KBR team, your opportunities are endless. Through internal collaboration, and with our partners and customers, we’re defining tomorrow’s challenges, then providing the innovative solutions to overcome those challenges, always maintaining our commitment to Zero Harm and our Sustainability Platform. In September 2025, we announced that we are spinning our Mission Technology Solutions business into a separate public company. This role would ultimately be part of that new company. Our Mission Technology Solutions business partners with governments and defense, intelligence, space, aviation, and critical infrastructure customers to deliver high-end engineering, science, technology, and mission support solutions. From national security and readiness to advanced research, cyber, logistics, and life-cycle sustainment, our teams help customers solve complex challenges in some of the world’s most demanding environments. Whether supporting operations on the ground, at sea, in the air, or in space, our clients trust us to deliver mission-critical capabilities every day. Working with us means being rewarded for your contributions. In addition to competitive benefits and professional development, our people are empowered to use all their potential, creating meaningful change for themselves and our clients. We attract the best minds in the world because our expertise thrives on creativity, resourcefulness and collaboration. That is how we supply our clients with cutting-edge solutions. As the needs of the world change, we’re ready to respond and guide the way forward with strategic, sustainable, and technological advancements grounded in more than a century of practical application and execution.

We Are the People Team

We are strategic partners to the business, shaping the talent, culture, and capabilities that enable sustainable growth and high performance. We operate across global markets, partnering with leaders and teams to design practical, scalable solutions that enhance how work gets done and how people thrive. Through strong business insight, data-driven decision making, and a commitment to continuous improvement, we build talent programs that drive impact at every stage of the organization’s evolution.

About the Role

Reporting to the Vice President, People Operations, the Global Benefits Director leads the strategy, design, governance, and delivery of KBR’s global benefits programs across a complex, multi-country environment. This role is accountable for shaping a globally consistent, locally relevant benefits framework that supports business objectives, enhances employee experience, and ensures regulatory compliance and cost effectiveness. As the enterprise leader for health & welfare, retirement, and well-being programs, you will partner closely with HR, Finance, Legal, and external advisors to deliver scalable and competitive solutions. You will balance long-term strategy with operational oversight, driving vendor performance, financial discipline, and continuous improvement while influencing senior stakeholders across a matrixed global organization.

About You

Accountability: You take full ownership of global benefits strategy and delivery. You are accountable for program effectiveness, financial outcomes, compliance, and employee experience across all regions. Collaboration: You build strong partnerships across HR, Finance, Legal, and business leadership. You influence effectively across a matrixed, global organization and align stakeholders toward common outcomes. Adaptability: You operate effectively in complexity and ambiguity, balancing global consistency with local requirements. You are comfortable shifting between strategic planning and operational problem-solving. Enterprise Mindset: You think globally and systemically, ensuring benefits programs are aligned, scalable, and integrated with broader Total Rewards, mobility, payroll, and employee experience strategies.

Key Responsibilities

• Global Benefits Strategy & Design: Define and lead a globally aligned benefits strategy covering health & welfare, retirement, and well-being programs. Ensure programs are competitive, scalable, and balanced between global consistency and local market requirements.
• Program Leadership & Governance: Oversee the design, implementation, and governance of global benefits programs, establishing policies, standards, and frameworks that ensure consistency, compliance, and operational effectiveness across regions.
• Vendor & Financial Management: Lead global vendor strategy including RFP’s, selection, contracting, and performance management. Own the global benefits budget, including forecasting, cost analysis, and identifying opportunities for optimization while maintaining program competitiveness.
• Operational Delivery & Continuous Improvement: Ensure effective administration and delivery of benefits programs through internal teams and external partners. Oversee renewals, enrollments, and reporting while driving process improvements, system optimization, and service delivery enhancements.
• Stakeholder Partnership & Advisory: Act as a trusted advisor to senior HR and business leaders, partnering cross-functionally with HR, Finance, Legal, Payroll, HRIS, Global Mobility, and others to deliver integrated benefits solutions. Support mergers, acquisitions, and organizational change initiatives.
• Employee Experience & Communications: Oversee global communication strategies and employee engagement efforts to enhance understanding, accessibility, and perceived value of benefits programs across a diverse workforce.
• Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure adherence to all applicable global and local regulatory requirements. Oversee audits, filings, and controls to mitigate risk and maintain strong governance.
• Leadership & Team Development: Lead and develop a global benefits team, fostering capability, accountability, and alignment within the broader Total Rewards function.

Basic Qualifications

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field required. 15+ years of progressive experience in benefits or Total Rewards. Minimum 5+ years of people leadership experience, including managing teams in a global or regional capacity.
• Experience in a complex, multinational organization preferred.
• Functional Expertise & Leadership: Deep expertise in global benefits design, strategy, and delivery across health & welfare, retirement, and well-being programs. Strong understanding of regulatory requirements, including U.S. benefits laws and the ability to partner on international compliance. Demonstrated experience managing global vendors, including RFPs, implementation, and performance oversight.
• Strong financial acumen, including experience managing budgets, analyzing cost trends, and working with actuarial concepts.
• Proven ability to lead large-scale, cross-functional programs and drive global standardization and improvements.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders.
• Experience working with HRIS systems (e.g., Workday, SAP) and using data and insights to inform decisions.

Location

The ideal candidate will be located in the Houston, TX or greater Washington D.C.-Baltimore area. While KBR strives to maintain a global, flexible, diverse, and sustainable work environment for our people, we currently offer flexible working arrangements, including hybrid, remote working, and virtual delivery to help reinforce and strengthen our strong commitment to becoming a more socially sustainable company, allowing us to provide greater work-life balance and flexibility.

Additional Compensation

KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be in the form of sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.

Benefits

KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include a 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule. We support career advancement through professional training and development.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and fosters an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow. We Deliver – Together.

Equal Opportunity Statement

KBR is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

KBR Values

We deliver solutions, change the world. KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives. In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals. Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries. At KBR, We Deliver.