Global Benefits Manager
IFS · Staines-upon-Thames, England, United Kingdom · hybrid
IFS is a billion-dollar revenue company with 7000+ employees on all continents. Our leading AI technology is the backbone of our award-winning enterprise software solutions, enabling our customers to be their best when it really matters–at the Moment of Service™. Our commitment to internal AI adoption has allowed us to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring our colleagues can unlock their creativity and productivity, and our solutions are always cutting-edge.
At IFS, we’re flexible, we’re innovative, and we’re focused not only on how we can engage with our customers but on how we can make a real change and have a worldwide impact. We help solve some of society’s greatest challenges, fostering a better future through our agility, collaboration, and trust.
We celebrate diversity and understand our responsibility to reflect the diverse world we work in. We are committed to promoting an inclusive workforce that fully represents the many different cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints of our customers, our partners, and our communities. As a truly international company serving people from around the globe, we realize that our success is tantamount to the respect we have for those different points of view.
By joining our team, you will have the opportunity to be part of a global, diverse environment; you will be joining a winning team with a commitment to sustainability; and a company where we get things done so that you can make a positive impact on the world.
We’re looking for innovative and original thinkers to work in an environment where you can #MakeYourMoment so that we can help others make theirs. With the power of our AI-driven solutions, we empower our team to change the status quo and make a real difference.
If you want to change the status quo, we’ll help you make your moment. Join Team Purple. Join IFS.
As Global Benefits Manager, you'll oversee benefits activity across IFS globally, helping ensure benefits are consistent, well-governed, commercially appropriate, and aligned to our defined Total Reward frameworks.
As part of your role you'll manage, guide and support the Benefits team, ensuring regional benefits activity is coordinated, visible and aligned to global standards. You'll maintain a clear, global view of benefits across countries, identifying inconsistencies, risks, gaps and opportunities for improvement, recommending practical actions for review and approval.
Across Europe, you'll work closely with local HR teams on benefit renewals, provider reviews, employee communications, benefit changes, and new benefit implementations, while local HR retains day-to-day benefits administration. You'll also manage the relationship with the global insurance brokers, using broker advice, market insight and renewal support to inform options, recommendations and governance discussions.
Other areas of responsibility will include:
- Coordination of global benefit renewals and provider reviews, partnering with brokers, vendors, regional Benefit Managers and local HR teams to prepare analysis, options and recommendations for accountable decision-makers.
- Supporting and maintaining benefits principles, governance standards and documentation so local and regional benefits activity is guided by clear, consistent frameworks.
- Working with regional Benefit Managers, local HR, Finance, Legal, Procurement and HR Operations to review benefits, costs, compliance, risk and operational impact within defined areas of responsibility.
- Helping ensure benefits communications and employee-facing information are clear, accurate, accessible and consistent, supporting employee self-service.
- Delivering defined benefits projects, including launches, implementations, vendor transitions, process improvements and governance enhancements within agreed scope, timelines and decision-making routes.
- Using market data, employee insight, utilisation trends and cost analysis to highlight risks, opportunities and practical recommendations for review and approval by accountable stakeholders.
- Providing benefits expertise, guidance and mentoring to HRBPs, regional Benefit Managers, local HR and the Global Benefits Coordinator on benefits governance, exceptions, escalations and communications.
- Global benefits expertise: You'll bring strong, in-depth benefits experience, including multi-country benefits oversight, regional coordination, governance support, renewals, vendor review, benchmarking and improvement activity in a complex international organisation.
- Technical benefits knowledge: You understand insured and non-insured benefits, pensions or retirement arrangements, wellbeing, leave, risk benefits, healthcare and country-specific statutory requirements, with the judgement to identify when specialist local advice is required.
- Oversight and governance: You'll use your benefits knowledge to oversee activity globally, support consistent standards, identify risks or inconsistencies and recommend practical improvements within defined Total Reward frameworks.
- People management and guidance: You'll be able to manage and guide the Benefits team, providing direction, coaching and support while ensuring work remains aligned to agreed priorities and governance standards.
- Regional and local partnership: You'll work effectively through regional Benefit Managers and local HR teams, particularly in Europe where local HR manages day-to-day benefits ownership and administration.
- Governance support and consistency: You can help apply global principles while recognising local market, legislative and cultural differences, ensuring local ownership is retained where appropriate.
- Stakeholder partnership: You can build trusted relationships with regional Benefit Managers, local HR, Finance, Legal, Procurement, HR Operations and external vendors to support effective outcomes within defined frameworks.
- Influencing through partnership: You influence through expertise, structure and practical recommendations, balancing employee experience, cost, compliance, governance and operational practicality without taking over local benefits administration.
- Data-led judgement: You can use market data, cost insight, utilisation trends, employee feedback and renewal modelling to analyse issues, present clear findings and recommend practical improvements.
- Clear communication: You can explain complex benefits matters clearly, adapting detail and style for different audiences and supporting clear documentation, employee communications and self-service content.
- Practical delivery and discretion: You'll work in a pragmatic, organised and solutions-focused way, using sound judgement and discretion when handling sensitive employee, cost, vendor and governance information.
We embrace flexibility and hybrid work opportunities to support diverse needs and lifestyles, while also valuing inclusive workplace experiences. By fostering a sense of community, we drive innovation, strengthen connections, and nurture belonging. Our commitment ensures you can work in a way that suits you best, while also engaging with colleagues to share ideas and build meaningful relationships.