The Director, Benefits APJ – is responsible for designing, implementing, and managing employee benefits programs across the region. This role ensures that benefits offerings are competitive, cost-effective, and compliant with local regulations while aligning with the company’s global total rewards strategy. The Director will collaborate with regional HR teams, vendors, and leadership to enhance employee well-being and support talent attraction and retention.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Benefits Leadership

• Develop and execute the benefits strategy, ensuring alignment with global total rewards objectives.

• Evaluate, design, and manage healthcare, retirement, wellness, and leave programs tailored to each country’s regulatory and market requirements.

• Act as a strategic advisor to senior HR and business leaders on benefits trends, innovations, and compliance requirements.

Benefits Program Management

• Oversee health, welfare, and retirement plans across APJ, including medical insurance, life insurance, pension schemes, and other employee benefits.

• Lead annual benefits renewals, negotiations, and benchmarking to maintain market competitiveness.

• Ensure a consistent employee experience by standardizing benefits where possible while allowing for local market differentiation.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure regulatory compliance with local labor laws, tax regulations, and statutory benefits across multiple APJ countries.

• Partner with legal, finance, and HR teams to manage benefits governance, audits, and reporting.

• Monitor and respond to changes in government regulations and industry best practices.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Manage relationships with third-party benefits providers, brokers, and consultants to optimize program effectiveness and costs.

• Partner with regional HR teams to implement and communicate benefits programs effectively.

• Work closely with payroll, finance, and HR operations teams to ensure smooth administration of benefits.

Employee Engagement & Communication

• Develop and execute benefits communication strategies to improve employee awareness and utilization of programs.

• Partner with the HR business partners (HRBPs) to provide training and support on benefits-related topics.

• Drive initiatives to enhance employee well-being and mental health programs across the region.

Data Analytics & Cost Management

• Analyze benefits utilization, costs, and employee feedback to inform program enhancements.

• Provide leadership with dashboards, reports, and insights on the effectiveness of benefits programs.

• Develop strategies for cost containment and return on investment (ROI) while maintaining competitive offerings.

This senior resource would play a critical role in driving accuracy, efficiency, compliance, and mentoring junior staff, all while taking on more complex responsibilities within the AP function.

Invoice Processing and Quality Control

• Oversee and review invoice processing to ensure compliance with company policies, procedures and regulatory requirements.

• Lead efforts to improve automation tools and optimize the AP process, including troubleshooting and enhancing system performance.

• Conduct quality checks and data integrity audits to ensure accuracy and adherence to SLAs.

• Provide mentorship and guidance to junior team members to guide them in resolving complex invoice processing issues.

AP Payments and Treasury Support

• Oversee the AP wire and ACH transfer process, ensuring efficient collaboration with the treasury team and accurate approvals.

• Review high-value or complex transactions and ensure compliance with company policies and regulations.

• Develop and implement process improvements for better accuracy and efficiency in payments.

Payment Selection and Oversight

• Take a leadership role in the payment selection process, working closely with the AP manager to ensure payments are accurately and timely initiated and executed.

• Assist in refining payment approval workflows and troubleshooting payment issues.

• Provide oversight for payment operations including accuracy in general ledger coding to mitigate risk and ensure smooth execution.

Process Improvement and Project Management

• Lead special projects related to AP improvements, system implementations, and data migration efforts from acquired companies.

• Drive initiatives to streamline AP processes and improve operational efficiency through technology enhancements or workflow optimizations.

• Motivate team to adhere to Service Level Agreements for both accuracy and efficiency.

• Lead team with a customer service approach to enhance the AP presence within the organization.

Reporting and Analytics

• Generate and analyze AP-related reports to identify key performance indicators (KPIs) and areas for process enhancement.

• Provide data insights to senior management and assist in decision-making for strategic initiatives.

• Collaborate with the finance team on reporting needs, audits, and compliance.