Senior Director – Global Benefits

Hines; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 200,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Hines is seeking a Senior Director, Global Benefits to design and lead a comprehensive global benefits program. You will partner with HR and business leaders to balance global standards with local execution across diverse markets.

Responsibilities include governance, procurement oversight, and risk management, all while driving cost visibility and employee experience. The role reports to senior Total Rewards leadership and builds a scalable global function.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required; advanced degree or credentials are helpful.
• 15+ years of relevant experience in global benefits management or consulting.
• Experience coordinating broker, consultant, carrier, and vendor relationships.
• Ability to influence in a matrixed organization and balance global vs local ownership.
• Experience with benefits cost analysis, budgeting, and benchmarking.
• Strong communication skills with senior leaders and HR partners.

Responsibilities

• Own the design and execution of Hines’ global benefits strategy aligned with Total Rewards.
• Establish governance, minimum standards, review cycles, and escalation paths.
• Coordinate broker, consultant, carrier, and vendor relationships and procurement.
• Improve visibility, risk management, and local support while preserving local ownership.
• Partner with Global Mobility on international assignments and cross-border scenarios.
• Lead and develop benefits staff as the function grows.

Skills

Global benefits strategy

Governance & operating model

Stakeholder management

Data privacy & compliance

Vendor management

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree or credentials helpful

Job description

Overview

When you join Hines, you will embark on a career journey fueled by vision and guided by leaders who set the standards of our industry. Our legacy is rooted in innovation and excellence, earning us a spot on Fast Company’s esteemed annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies, as well as recognition as one of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Companies to Work For in 2024. Discover endless opportunities to grow and make your mark at Hines.

Responsibilities

The Senior Director, Global Benefits will grow and lead Hines’ global benefits function with oversight of employee benefits including health and welfare, retirement, leave and absence, and wellness programs. The role will be responsible for design and execution of Hines’ global benefits strategy, while establishing the governance, data, and operating model needed to support it. The role will partner with business and HR leaders to improve visibility, manage risk, and identify opportunities for greater consistency and efficiency while preserving appropriate local ownership.

Build the global function and strategy

• Own the design and execution of Hines’ global benefits strategy, aligned with the company’s Total Rewards philosophy, business priorities, and workforce needs.
• Establish global governance, decision rights, minimum standards, review cycles, escalation paths, and clear roles for Total Rewards, geography business and HR leadership, and external advisors.
• Hold recurring reviews with business and HR leaders on plan design, renewals, risks, employee concerns, and improvement opportunities; and recommend where Hines should apply global standards, coordinate geographically, or leave decisions local based on local laws and market practices.

Coordinate broker services and procurement

• Assess benefits broker, consultant, carrier, and vendor relationships, including service models, fees, scope, performance, and renewal timelines.
• Develop a coordinated global approach to broker and benefits procurement under a common framework that accounts for local market expertise and legal requirements; establish standards for selection, RFPs, contracting, renewals, service reviews, and performance measurement.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate or coordinate services and purchasing to improve service, value, or oversight, and partner with local HR leaders on a phased, practical transition to the coordinated model.

Improve visibility, risk management, and local support

• Build reliable cross-country processes for collecting and maintaining benefits data with appropriate privacy and access controls, and use a risk-based approach to review local plans and practices with qualified local advisors.
• Help local HR leaders assess competitiveness, compliance considerations, service quality, and cost; support decisions with consistent tools and relevant benchmarks; and establish escalation protocols for significant plan, provider, compliance, or employee-service issues.
• Partner with Global Mobility on benefits considerations for international assignments and cross-border employee situations.

Manage strategy, cost, and employee experience

• Partner with geography HR and other functions to improve global cost visibility, forecasting, and benefits-spend analysis; use employee feedback, local input, service data, and available utilization information to identify issues and improve the employee experience.
• Develop global communication principles and resources that help employees understand their benefits while enabling accurate local explanations.
• Support benefits due diligence and integration for acquisitions, new country entry, and significant organizational changes, and prepare business cases for material changes to benefits strategy, procurement, or service delivery.

Lead and influence

• Advise the Head of Total Rewards and senior HR leaders on global benefits trends, emerging risks, and strategic priorities.
• Build productive relationships with HR and business leaders, other Hines functions, brokers, and other providers; develop the capabilities, tools, and support model needed for a sustainable global benefits function as Hines’ needs evolve.
• Lead and develop benefits staff or project resources as the function grows.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements include:

• Bachelor’s degree is required; advanced degree or benefits-related professional credentials are helpful.
• 15+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience in both global corporate benefits management and consulting is preferred.
• Demonstrated success building strategy, governance, or operating processes in an evolving organization.
• Experience coordinating broker, consultant, carrier, and vendor relationships, including procurement, RFPs, renewals, or contract negotiations.
• Ability to work through influence in a matrixed organization and distinguish global oversight from local plan ownership.
• Experience with benefits cost analysis, budgeting, vendor performance, and market benchmarking.
• Sound judgment handling sensitive employee and plan information, and ability to work with Legal and local experts on jurisdiction-specific matters.
• Clear communication skills and ability to explain complex benefits issues and practical next steps to senior leaders and local HR teams.

Closing

At Hines, we believe the built world is ultimately about people. As one of the world’s largest privately held real assets firms, we bring nearly seven decades of investment, development, and management experience to work that shapes cities and communities around the world.

Our people make that possible. Across 29 countries, more than 4,600 colleagues bring different perspectives and expertise to Hines, with opportunities to take on meaningful responsibility, learn from leaders across the business, and build a career with room to evolve. We support that journey through professional development, competitive rewards, comprehensive benefits, and a culture grounded in trust and high standards.

Hines is proud to be named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2024.

We are an equal opportunity employer and support workforce diversity.