Global Benefits Lead

Appian; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Paid parental leave

Medical, dental, and vision plans

Wellness programs

Employee stock purchase program

Job summary

Appian in McLean, Virginia, seeks a Global Benefits Lead to scale U.S. and international programs, owning health, welfare, and retirement administration while supporting EMEA and APJ. This role offers high visibility and ownership with opportunities to modernize benefit workflows using automation.

You will manage Day-to-Day U.S. benefits, coordinate with brokers and regional teams, ensure compliance, and drive strategic initiatives with analytics to inform open enrollment and vendor performance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of benefits administration experience with multi-region programs.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. health, welfare, and retirement plan administration.
• Experience with HRIS platforms, specifically Workday.

Responsibilities

• Lead Day-to-Day U.S. Benefits Administration (medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA, life/AD&D, leaves) and 401(k).
• Support International Benefits Delivery across EMEA and APJ with local statutes.
• Oversee compliance (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA) and vendor governance.
• Modernize administration and workflows using automation and enterprise tools like Workday.
• Analyze claims data and vendor reports to drive improvements and communications.

Skills

Benefits administration

Analytical skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree in HR/Business

Tools

Workday

Job description

Here at Appian, our values of Intensity and Excellence define who we are. We set high standards and live up to them, ensuring that everything we do is done with care and quality. We approach every challenge with ambition and commitment, holding ourselves and each other accountable to achieve the best results. When you join Appian, you’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to accomplishing hard things, together.

About the Team

The People Team at Appian plays a pivotal role in powering company growth by attracting, developing, and supporting world‑class talent. As our team expands globally, the Benefits group ensures our employees across North America, EMEA, and APJ receive robust, competitive, and seamless benefit support. Our work empowers the team behind Appian’s AI‑Powered Process Automation and Enterprise‑Grade Orchestration platforms to perform at their best every day.

The Opportunity

As Appian continues its rapid expansion, we need a proactive, execution‑oriented Global Benefits Lead to scale our U.S. and international benefits programs. Sitting at our headquarters in McLean, VA, you will serve as a core operational partner managing U.S. health, welfare, and retirement administration while supporting benefits delivery across EMEA and APJ. This role offers high visibility, a high degree of ownership, and the opportunity to leverage innovative automation to modernize benefit workflows for a modern global workforce.

What You’ll Do

• Lead Day-to-Day U.S. Benefits Administration: Support end-to-end U.S. health and welfare plans (medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA, life/AD&D, leaves) and the U.S. 401(k) program in partnership with financial advisors and plan administrators.
• Support International Benefits Delivery: Partner with local brokers, vendors, and regional HR teams to execute renewals, manage implementations, and align benefits administration across EMEA and APJ with local statutory requirements.
• Manage Compliance & Vendor Relationships: Oversee compliance requirements (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA) and partner with international stakeholders on governance, vendor invoice audits, implementation, and performance monitoring.
• Optimize Operations & Workflow Automation: Modernize administration by identifying efficiency gains, leveraging AI tools, and streamlining benefits enrollment workflows within enterprise tools like Workday.
• Drive Strategic Initiatives & Analytics: Analyze claims data, utilization trends, and vendor reporting to deliver insights, while leading critical execution cycles like Open Enrollment, system configuration, and employee communications.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field (required).
• 5+ years of experience in benefits administration with demonstrated ownership of complex, multi-region programs.
• Deep operational expertise in U.S. health, welfare, leave, and retirement plan administration.
• Proven experience leveraging enterprise HRIS platforms, specifically Workday.
• Strong analytical, spreadsheet, and data-auditing skills with a track record of driving operational efficiency.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exposure to international benefits administration across EMEA and APJ regions.
• Experience integrating AI-driven workflows or modern tech tools into HR and benefits operations.
• Enterprise Ecosystem Experience: We value experience within enterprise platform ecosystems such as Salesforce or ServiceNow, as these systems translate exceptionally well into our Enterprise‑Grade Orchestration environment.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary range represents a good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. Actual compensation will be dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant work experience, qualifications, internal peer equity, and market and business conditions that exist when extending an offer. A discretionary bonus may be awarded in recognition of individual and company performance. In addition, Appian provides generous benefits offerings that include a 401(k) plan with company match, flexible time off, paid parental leave, medical, dental, and vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance, wellness programs, flexible spending accounts, health savings account contributions, an employee referral bonus program, and learning and development resources. Certain positions may be eligible for equity awards. Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation, commission, bonus, or benefit plans.

Base Salary Range $100,000—$200,000 USD

Tools and Resources

Training and Development: During onboarding, we focus on equipping new hires with the skills and knowledge for success through department‑specific training. Continuous learning is a central focus at Appian, with dedicated mentorship and the First‑Friend program being widely utilized resources for new hires.

Growth Opportunities

Appian provides a diverse array of growth and development opportunities, including our leadership program tailored for new and aspiring managers, a comprehensive library of specialized department training through Appian University, skills based training, and tuition reimbursement for those aiming to advance their education. This commitment ensures that employees have access to a holistic range of development opportunities.

Community

We’ll immerse you into our community rooted in respect starting on day one. Appian fosters inclusivity through our 8 employee‑led affinity groups. These groups help employees build stronger internal and external networks by planning social, educational, and outreach activities to connect Appianites and larger initiatives throughout the company.

Benefits

Appian offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing, and financial future. Benefits may include health coverage, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free mental health support, life and disability insurance, an Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), a retirement/pension plan, wellness dollars, tuition reimbursement, family‑forming benefits and more. Benefits vary by country—please ask your Talent Acquisition contact for details specific to the location you are applying to.

About Appian

Appian provides AI automation for mission‑critical work. We automate complex processes in large enterprises and governments. Our platform is known for its unique reliability and scale. We’ve been automating processes for more than 25 years and understand enterprise operations like no one else. For more information, visit appian.com. [Nasdaq: APPN]

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Equal Opportunity Employment

Appian is an equal opportunity employer that strives to attract and retain the best talent. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Appian provides reasonable accommodations to applicants in accordance with all applicable laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail]. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address. Appian's Applicant & Candidate Privacy Notice