Europe Benefit Manager

At U.S. Bank, we’re on a journey to do our best. Helping the customers and businesses we serve to make better and smarter financial decisions, enabling the communities we support to grow and succeed in the right ways, all more confidently and more often—that’s what we call the courage to thrive. We believe it takes all of us to bring our shared ambition to life, and each person is unique in their potential. A career with U.S. Bank gives you a wide, ever-growing range of opportunities to discover what makes you thrive. Try new things, learn new skills and discover what you excel at—all from Day One. 

As a wholly owned subsidiary of U.S. Bank, Elavon is committed to building the platforms and ecosystems that help over 1.5 million customers around the world to achieve their financial goals—no matter what they need. From transaction processing to customer service, to driving innovation and launching new products, we’re building a range of tailored payment solutions powered by the latest technology. As part of our team, you can explore what motivates and energizes your career goals: partnering with our customers, our communities, and each other. 

What is the purpose of this Role?

This newly created role will lead the development and delivery of the European employee benefits strategy at U.S Bank. Reporting to the European Head of Total Rewards and HR Risk, the role holder will be a key member of the Total Rewards team, responsible for the successful implementation and management of European benefit programs covering our pension, health, wellbeing, and lifestyle offerings.

This newly created role provides an exciting opportunity to shape the overall benefit strategy across our 9 European countries (Ireland, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and U.K.) to support one of HR’s key objectives of attracting, retaining and engaging the best talent.

Which jobs(s) does this Role report to?

Direct line reporting:

• Head of Total Rewards and HR Risk Europe

Fitness and Probity

Not Applicable. This role is not classified as a regulated role under either the CBI’s Individual Accountability Regime and/or the FCA/PRA Senior Managers and Certification Regime.

1. Accountabilities for your role – what are you expected to do?

• Lead all benefit matters across the European footprint, partnering with vendors (and brokers where applicable) to manage our current benefits programmes, including completing local benchmarking and renewal processes. 
• Partner effectively with the global benefits team, payroll and benefits administration team, European HR service centre, talent consultants, internal communications, finance and tax teams to ensure effective delivery of the benefits programmes across. 
• Provide benefits-related guidance to HR/business colleagues and act as a point of contact for benefits escalations from the HR Service Centre or payroll and benefit administration teams ensuring that escalations are handled in a timely and efficient manner. 
• Lead all benefit and pension projects including the implementation of new benefits/changes to current offerings including the assessment of any financial impact of benefit design changes. 
• Ensure health, wellness and retirement administration services are delivered in accordance with relevant rules and regulations across the European region.
• Respond to complex employee or regulatory requests ensuring compliance with government and regulatory agencies.
• Contribute to broader HR benefit initiatives, such as health and wellbeing initiatives. 
• Lead the management of benefit vendors ensuring that vendor relationships are managed in a cost-effective manner and evaluate the quality of services and costs on an on-going basis.
• Ensure compliance with all internal risk management initiatives.

2. Competencies for your Role - how are you expected to behave?

1. Drive for Results

Pursues goals with energy and perseverance; rarely gives up before succeeding; works to overcome barriers and challenges to produce desired results; can be counted on to achieve or surpass goals; consistently a top performer among peer group; Hold self and others accountable to consistently achieve meaningful results.

2. Collaboration

Develops good working relationships with others; recognizes and values differences; encourages an inclusive collaborative environment and open dialogue; puts team’s goals ahead of personal agendas; shares information openly and transparently; openly supports team members and their efforts.

3. Agility & Innovation

Demonstrate flexibility in dealing with fast-changing priorities, and different or challenging situations. Help others to continuously improve and achieve results. Explore multiple solutions to overcome obstacles. Anticipate future needs that may affect the team or the bank.

4. Talent Development & Engagement

Provides others with a clear direction; Sets appropriate standards of behaviour; Motivates and empowers others.

5. Risk Management

Appropriately identify and manage risks, in compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and with bank policies.

6. Ethics and Trust

Maintain high ethical standards; gain the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity and authenticity. Conducts themselves honestly and ethically; adheres to a core set of values and standards appropriate to the situation and acts; accordingly, is consistent in own words and actions; inspires trust and respect by dealing openly with people; keeps confidences and admits mistakes.

7. Communication and Relationships

Excellent communications skills required to manage intra company and external relationships. Ability to use insights and relationships to influence and deliver. The ability to build connections and partnerships within HR and beyond, through formal and informal channels, using considerable tact, diplomacy and people skills.

8. Inclusion

Sustain a culture of equity and inclusion in which diverse ideas, talent and perspectives are welcomed and encouraged.

9. Leadership

Management and leadership skills, with the ability to adapt and make things happen.

3. Qualifications and experience required to perform your Role?

• Generally, the role requires a degree or equivalent but candidates with exceptional experience without a qualification to degree level will be considered. 
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in pension and benefit management, preferably within the financial services. A good understanding of tax and social security across Europe is also desirable. 
• Demonstrable proven success in designing and implementing a long-term benefit strategy including creating and delivering change/additions within benefit programs which have contributed to measurable improvements to the employee experience.
• Practical knowledge and understanding of key European compliance and regulatory topics applicable to credit institutions and investment firms.
• Experience in developing, implementing, and managing risk and compliance associated with frameworks, policies, and procedures.
• Proven track record of designing communications to senior executives and broader employee communications.
• Demonstrable experience of interaction, influencing and reaching agreed upon solutions at a management and executive levels.
• Proven track record of working independently on their own initiative and delivering practical outcomes to a professional standard.
• Proven to be resilient and able to handle multiple priorities, meeting deadlines whilst maintaining high work standards, with impeccable attention to detail in performance of all tasks.
• Experience in managing different stakeholders including second and third lines of defense.
• Collaborative in approach with strong emphasis on delivery and execution.
• Proven analytical skills.
• Intermediate computer skills are needed; including experience with Microsoft Office applications.

4. Control Function Disclosure

Not Applicable. This role is not classified as a regulated role under either the CBI’s Individual Accountability Regime and/or the FCA/PRA Senior Managers and Certification Regime.

The role offers a hybrid/flexible schedule, which means there's an in-office expectation of 3 or more days per week and the flexibility to work outside the office location for the other days.

Elavon supports Equal Opportunity and is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

If there’s anything we can do to accommodate a disability during any portion of the application or hiring process, please refer to our disability accommodations for applicants.

Benefits:

We offer an exciting, fast-paced and diverse working environment with employees of many different nationalities. We provide benefits to help you protect your health and financial security; and give you peace of mind. We also invest in your career growth with development resources that give you the opportunity to stretch and shine.