Benefits Specialist

Benefits Specialist

The Benefits Specialist is responsible for the day-to-day administration and delivery of employee benefits and wellbeing programmes across multiple countries within Europe. The role serves as a key point of contact for employees, benefit providers, brokers, and internal stakeholders, ensuring that benefit programmes are administered accurately, remain compliant with local laws, and provide a positive employee experience.

The Benefits Specialist supports the management of core and voluntary benefits, including private medical insurance, life assurance, group income protection, pension schemes, salary sacrifice arrangements, annual leave programmes, and wellbeing initiatives. The role also assists with annual renewals, communications, data analysis, and ongoing benefits projects.

What you’ll be doing:

Administer employee benefits programmes, including (but not limited to):

• Private Medical Insurance (PMI)
• Life Assurance
• Group Income Protection (GIP)
• Pension schemes and auto-enrolment
• Dental and vision benefits
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Health cash plans
• Salary sacrifice arrangements (e.g., Cycle to Work, Electric Vehicle, Gym Membership)
• Annual leave purchase schemes
•  Coordinate new hire enrolment, qualifying life events, benefit changes, and annual enrolment activities.
• Maintain accurate employee benefits data within HRIS and benefit provider portals.
•  Liaise with benefit providers, brokers, and consultants to resolve employee queries and administration issues.
• Support benefit renewals, gathering data, preparing reports, and assisting with implementation of plan changes.
• Reconcile monthly benefit invoices and ensure accurate payroll deductions and employer contributions.
• Monitor and maintain eligibility, enrolment, and benefit records.
• Develop and maintain benefits policies, procedures, guides, and employee communications.
• Deliver employee presentations, onboarding sessions, and benefits education programmes.

Leave and Compliance (Multi-Country Scope)

• Support the administration of statutory and company leave programmes across multiple countries, including but not limited to:
• Family leave (e.g., maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental leave) in compliance with relevant national legislation.
• Parental bereavement leave in alignment with country-specific requirements.
• Sickness absence and disability-related leave in accordance with local laws and company policies.
• Assist in managing occupational sick pay and income protection claims (or equivalent benefits) in line with the regulations of each jurisdiction.
• Ensure benefit programmes comply with local employment legislation, tax authority requirements (e.g., HMRC in the UK), and other regulatory guidelines (e.g., FCA in the UK or equivalents in other countries). This includes adherence to country-specific pension and social security regulations, such as pension auto-enrolment in the UK and relevant schemes in the Netherlands, Ireland, and other covered regions.
• Support audits and compliance reviews related to employee benefits and pension administration, ensuring alignment with legal and regulatory standards across all operational territories.

Pension Administration

• Coordinate pension enrolment, re-enrolment, opt-in, and opt-out processes.
• Work with pension providers to ensure compliance with auto-enrolment obligations.
• Support employees with pension-related enquiries and signpost them to appropriate resources.

Wellbeing Programmes

• Assist in the planning, development, implementation, and promotion of wellbeing initiatives.
• Coordinate physical, mental, financial, and social wellbeing activities.
• Monitor participation and engagement metrics for wellbeing programmes.
• Support annual wellbeing campaigns, awareness initiatives, and employee events.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve benefits administration processes and employee experience.
• Support benefits harmonisation, integration, and acquisition-related projects.
• Assist with benchmarking and market reviews to ensure programmes remain competitive.
• Contribute to broader HR projects and initiatives as required.

What we are looking for:

• 2–5 years of experience in employee benefits administration within Europe.
• Strong understanding of UK employee benefits, including:
• Private Medical Insurance
• Life Assurance
• Group Income Protection
• Pension Auto-Enrolment
• Salary Sacrifice arrangements
• Knowledge of employment legislation affecting employee benefits.
• Experience working with HRIS systems and benefits providers.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).

Bonus Points:

• Experience supporting EMEA or multinational benefits programmes.
• Experience working with benefit brokers and insurers.
• Benefits, HR, or Reward-related qualification (CIPD, PMI, or equivalent).

Education:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience preferred.

Travel: 5%