Manager, Total Rewards

Alvarez & Marsal; New York (NY); On-site; USD 110,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare plans

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Parental leave

Discretionary bonus

Job summary

Alvarez & Marsal is seeking a Manager, Total Rewards to lead retirement and financial benefit programs across the U.S. and Canada, including 401(k), cash balance, RRSP, and financial wellness initiatives.

You will guide a team responsible for day-to-day administration, employee inquiries, compliance, vendor relationships, and stakeholder communication. The role requires retirement plan expertise, strong analytical skills, and the ability to explain complex provisions clearly.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business administration or related field.
• 6+ years of Total Rewards/Benefits experience with a focus on retirement plan administration (401(k), cash balance, RRSP).
• Experience with recordkeepers, actuaries, auditors, legal counsel, payroll, finance, and HR partners to support compliant retirement plan administration.
• Knowledge of ERISA, plan documentation, audits, nondiscrimination testing, notices, and governance activities.

Responsibilities

• Lead retirement and financial benefit programs across the U.S. and Canada (401(k), cash balance, RRSP, financial wellness).
• Lead, coach, and support a team responsible for program administration, employee questions, issue resolution, and operational execution.
• Act as a trusted resource on retirement plan administration, including cash balance and RRSP provisions, participant questions, stakeholder guidance, and communications.
• Manage cash balance plan operations: annual interest credits, pay credits, data reviews, benefit calculations, eligibility questions.
• Support governance and compliance: plan documents, notices, funding and census requests, audits, nondiscrimination testing, and participant explanations.
• Collaborate with Payroll, Finance, Legal, Compliance, HRIS, People Partners, and vendors to deliver accurate, compliant programs on time.
• Build vendor partnerships, manage escalations, support reporting needs, and drive process improvements for a smoother employee experience.
• Create clear employee communications, FAQs, presentations, and educational materials explaining retirement programs.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Project management

Strategic thinking

Discretion

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field

Tools

Workday

Job description

About Alvarez & Marsal

Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) is a leading independent global professional services firm, specializing in providing turnaround management, performance improvement and corporate advisory services. With over 10,000 professionals based in 70+ locations across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America, our firm excels in problem solving and value creation. Drawing on a strong operational heritage and hands‑on approach, our professionals work closely with organizations and stakeholders to help tackle complex business issues and maximize value.

The Team

As Manager, Total Rewards, you will lead retirement and financial benefit programs that support employees across the U.S. and Canada, including 401(k), cash balance, registered retirement savings, and financial wellness programs. In this role, you will guide a team responsible for day‑to‑day administration, employee support, compliance coordination, vendor relationships, issue resolution, and stakeholder partnership, while helping improve processes and create a more seamless employee experience. This role is a strong fit for someone with retirement plan expertise, including hands‑on experience with cash balance plans and registered retirement savings plan (RRSP) administration, who enjoys solving complex problems, building trusted relationships, and making technical benefits topics clear and practical.

How you will contribute

• Lead the administration of retirement and financial benefit programs across the U.S. and Canada, including 401(k), cash balance, registered retirement saving plan (RRSP), and financial wellness programs.
• Lead, coach, and support a team responsible for program administration, employee questions, issue resolution, and operational execution.
• Act as a trusted resource on retirement plan administration, including cash balance plan and registered retirement savings plan provisions, participant questions, stakeholder guidance, and employee communications.
• Help manage cash balance plan operations, including the review of annual interest credits and pay credits, participant data reviews, benefit calculations, and eligibility questions.
• Support cash balance plan governance and compliance by assisting with plan document reviews, required notices, annual funding and census requests, audit support, nondiscrimination testing coordination, and clear participant-facing explanations of plan features and account balance changes.
• Partner with Payroll, Finance, Legal, Compliance, HRIS, People Business Partners, and external vendors to deliver programs accurately, compliantly, and on time.
• Build strong vendor partnerships, manage escalations, support reporting needs, and identify process improvements that make the employee experience smoother and more consistent.
• Create clear employee communications, FAQs, presentations, and educational materials that make retirement and financial benefit programs easy to understand.
• Support Benefits strategy by analyzing benefits data (including but not limited to program effectiveness, market competitiveness, employee experience and cost trends) to support decision-making, reporting and program recommendations.
• Lead or support projects such as RFPs, annual enrollment, plan changes, vendor transitions, service model enhancements, policy updates, and employee education campaigns.
• Stay current on U.S. and Canadian retirement, financial benefit, and compliance requirements, and share relevant updates and recommendations with key stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field
• 6+ years of progressive Total Rewards/Benefits experience, ideally with a strong focus on retirement plan administration, including 401(k), cash balance plans and registered retirement savings plans.
• Experience working with recordkeepers, actuaries, auditors, legal counsel, payroll, finance, and HR partners to support accurate and compliant retirement plan administration.
• Working knowledge of retirement plan compliance, including ERISA, plan documentation, audits, nondiscrimination testing, participant notices, and related governance activities.
• Ability to explain complex retirement plan provisions, cash balance plan concepts, and compliance requirements in a clear, practical, and approachable way.
• Advanced analytical skills with expertise in data analysis, financial modeling, and benefits cost projections
• Proven experience with HRIS (Workday) and benefits administration platforms
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to handle complex, multi-faceted benefits issues
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and interact effectively with senior executives and employees at all levels
• Demonstrated project management skills and ability to lead cross-functional teams
• Ability to manage confidential information with the highest level of discretion

Your journey at A&M

At A&M, professional growth is tied directly to performance, not tenure. Our people take on meaningful, hands‑on work supported by a performance development process that rewards contribution and fosters a culture of meritocracy. Stretch roles, evolving business needs, and firm growth create ongoing opportunities for ownership and building new skills, while direct access to senior leaders provides mentorship and real‑time coaching along the way. We also prioritize your wellbeing through comprehensive benefits and resources. Together, these elements create an environment where high‑performing professionals can continue to grow and advance from day one.

Regular employees working 30 or more hours per week are also entitled to participate in Alvarez & Marsal Holdings’ fringe benefits consisting of healthcare plans, flexible spending and savings accounts, life, AD&D, and disability coverages at rates determined periodically as well as a 401(k) retirement savings plan. Provided the eligibility requirements are met, employees will also receive an annual discretionary contribution to their 401(k) retirement savings plan from Alvarez & Marsal. Additionally, employees are eligible for paid time off including vacation, personal days, seventy‑two (72) hours of sick time (prorated for part time employees), ten federal holidays, one floating holiday, and parental leave. The amount of vacation and personal days available varies based on tenure and role type. more information regarding A&M’s benefits programs.

The salary range is $110,000 - $135,000 annually, dependent on several variables including but not limited to education, experience, skills, and geography. In addition, A&M offers a discretionary bonus program which is based on a number of factors, including individual and firm performance. Please ask your recruiter for details.

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