Senior Manager, Benefits- Leave, Accommodations & Time Off Programs

Grainger; Lake Forest (IL); Hybrid; USD 134,000 - 224,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

6 PTO days? No, 18 PTO days annually

6 company holidays

401(k) with 6% company match

Tuition reimbursement

Student loan refinancing

Financial counseling tools

Maternity leave up to 14 weeks

Paternity leave up to 4 weeks

Job summary

Grainger, a leading MRO distributor, seeks a Senior Manager of Benefits (Leave, Disability & Time Off) to design and drive Grainger’s U.S. leave, disability, accommodation, and PTO programs. You will partner with HR, Legal, and external providers to optimize performance, compliance, and employee experience.

Based onsite in Lake Forest or Chicago with a hybrid schedule (2–3 days/week), you will lead a small team, manage vendors, and drive continuous improvement aligned with business strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in employee benefits, including benefit design, administration, vendor management, and health/retirement programs.
• People leadership experience managing employees, projects, or teams within benefits, total rewards, or a related function.
• Knowledge of ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, and relevant IRS requirements.
• Experience evaluating benefit plan design, program performance, market practices, vendor services, and related data.
• Experience managing benefit vendors, complex projects, annual planning activities, and escalated benefit matters.
• Experience communicating benefit strategies, program recommendations, risks, and complex information to leaders and vendors.

Responsibilities

• Design, administer, and continuously improve leave, disability, workplace accommodations, and PTO programs.
• Benchmark, analyze, and report on program effectiveness, compliance, cost, and risk.
• Partner with HR, Legal, Payroll, Benefits, Finance, and external providers to fulfill duties.
• Manage external consultants, brokers, and vendor relationships; oversee SLAs and QBRs.
• Lead benefits team members, set priorities, and resolve escalations.
• Monitor regulatory developments to ensure compliant programs and advise leadership.

Skills

Benefits design

Vendor management

Regulatory knowledge

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

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Location: LAKE FOREST, IL, US, 60045-5202 CHICAGO, IL, US, 60661-4555

Work Location Type: Hybrid

About Grainger

W.W. Grainger, Inc. is a leading broad line distributor with operations primarily in North America and Japan. At Grainger, We Keep the World Working®by serving more than4.6 million customersworldwide with maintenance, repair andoperating(MRO) products and value-added solutions delivered through innovative technology and deep customerexpertise. Known for its commitment to service and purpose-driven culture, the Company reported2025 revenue of$17.9 billion. For more information, visit www.grainger.com.

Compensation

The anticipated base pay compensation range for this position is $134,100.00 – $223,500.00. This role is eligible for an incentive target of up to 20% or $, based on the achievement of individual and company performance objectives in accordance with the current terms of the incentive program which are subject to change.

Rewards and Benefits

With benefits starting on day one, our programs provide choice and flexibility to meet team members' individual needs, including:

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment and 6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist to support your emotional wellbeing.
• 18 paid time off (PTO) days annually for full-time employees (accrual prorated based on employment start date) and 6 company holidays per year.
• 6% company contribution to a 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required.
• Employee discounts, tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and free access to financial counseling, education, and tools.
• Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents.

The pay range provided above is not a guarantee of compensation. The range reflects the potential base pay for this role at the time of this posting based on the job grade for this position. Individual base pay compensation will depend, in part, on factors such as geographic work location and relevant experience and skills.

Grainger reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion at any time, consistent with applicable law.

Reporting to the VP, Total Rewards, the Senior Manager, Benefits (Leave, Disability & Time Off Programs) is responsible for leading the design, implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of Grainger’s U.S. leave, disability, workplace accommodation, and paid time off programs aligned with business strategy and workforce needs. The role provides subject matter leadership for these programs and partners with leaders, employees, internal stakeholders, and external providers to evaluate program performance, resolve complex matters, recommend changes, and support compliant and effective delivery. The role leads a team of two benefits team members and oversees complex leave, disability, accommodation, and time off matters requiring cross-functional coordination and judgment.

This is a hybrid position that is based onsite in Lake Forest or Chicago 2-3 days a week.

You Will

• Responsible for the design, administration, and continuous improvement of workplace accommodations, short-term disability, long-term disability, and all leave programs. Responsible for all paid time off polices and programs to support business and workforce objectives in compliance with government requirements.
• Leverage benchmarking, analytics & insights, employee feedback, vendor reporting to evaluate program effectiveness, compliance, employee experience, trends, cost, and risk mitigation and recommend program and policy changes as needed.
• Partner with internal stakeholders, including HR Business Partners, Legal, Compliance, Payroll, HR Operations/ HRIS, Benefits, Finance & Risk, and external resources to fullfill role responsibilities.
• Manage external consultant and brokerage firm relationships. Manage and hold all vendors accountable by establishing expectations, monitoring service delivery (SLAs) and program performance; includes quarterly business reviews (QBRs). Lead contract renewals, resolving escalations, and driving continuous improvement.
• Lead benefits team members and oversee program operations, set priorities, and resolve escalations to support fair, consistent administration and timely resolution.
• Ensure leave, disability, workplace accommodation, and paid time off programs comply with applicable requirements while monitoring legislative developments and advising leadership on potential program impacts.
• Oversee program workflows, controls, systems, reporting, and data integrity to improve operational effectiveness and the employee and manager experience.
• Proactively manage stakeholder experience (HR, business and team members), and develop and maintain program policies, procedures, communications, training, and change plans to support consistent administration and implementation.

You Have

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field required. required
• Master's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field preferred. preferred
• 7+ years of experience in employee benefits, including benefit plan design, administration, vendor management, and health and welfare and/or retirement programs required. required
• None People leadership experience managing employees, projects, or teams within benefits, total rewards, or a related function required. required
• Knowledge of employee benefit programs and applicable regulatory requirements, including ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, and relevant IRS requirements.
• Experience evaluating benefit plan design, program performance, market practices, vendor services, and related data to develop recommendations and support benefit decisions.
• Experience managing benefit vendors, complex projects, annual planning activities, and escalated benefit matters involving multiple stakeholders.
• Experience communicating benefit strategies, program recommendations, risks, and complex information to leaders, employees, vendors, and cross-functional partners.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, protected veteran status or any other protected characteristic under federal, state, or local law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible work environment that includes both providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the application and hiring process as well as throughout the course of one’s employment, should you need a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, including, but not limited to use of our website, any part of the application, interview or hiring process, please advise us so that we can provide appropriate assistance.