Benefits Manager - UK&I

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UK Benefits Manager

Function: Talent – UK & Ireland Pensions, Reward, Performance & Wellbeing

Level 3: Assistant Director

Location: UK wide

Hybrid working: Currently a minimum two days per week in the office, at least once a month travel to London

Reporting to: UK&I Benefits Lead

The Opportunity

At EY, we believe an exceptional employee experience is fundamental to attracting, developing and retaining outstanding talent.

As UK Benefits Manager, you will play a key role in shaping and delivering our employee benefits and financial wellbeing strategy. Working across reward, pensions, wellbeing and talent, you will ensure our benefits portfolio creates value for our people, strengthens our employee value proposition and supports the firm's broader business objectives.

This role combines strategic thinking, commercial insight and programme leadership. You will use data, market intelligence and stakeholder engagement to identify opportunities, shape future direction and deliver meaningful improvements to the employee experience.

What you will do

Support the development and delivery of EY's benefits and financial wellbeing strategy

You will help define and evolve EY's benefits proposition, ensuring it remains competitive, sustainable and aligned to the needs of a diverse workforce.

You will:

• Help develop and maintain the strategic roadmap for benefits and financial wellbeing.
• Assess how benefits support attraction, retention, engagement and productivity.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the employee value proposition.
• Build business cases and recommendations that balance employee experience, commercial value and organisational priorities.
• Drive the implementation of agreed strategic initiatives and programme enhancements.

Use insight to inform decision making

You will act as a trusted adviser, using data and market intelligence to guide investment decisions and future priorities.

You will:

• Analyse utilisation, employee feedback, workforce demographics and market trends.
• Measure programme effectiveness and return on investment.
• Identify opportunities to optimise benefits spend and improve outcomes.
• Develop reporting, insights and recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Translate complex data into clear and compelling business narratives.

Drive innovation and market competitiveness

You will maintain a strong understanding of the external benefits, wellbeing and financial wellbeing landscape.

You will:

• Lead market reviews and benchmarking activities.
• Monitor emerging trends, legislation and workforce expectations.
• Evaluate new products, solutions and delivery models.
• Recommend innovative approaches that enhance employee experience and business value.
• Help ensure EY maintains a differentiated and competitive benefits offering.

Provide governance, operational oversight and vendor management

You will help ensure benefits programmes are delivered effectively and within robust governance frameworks.

You will:

• Support governance, risk management and compliance activities across the benefits portfolio.
• Oversee the successful delivery and ongoing effectiveness of key benefits programmes.
• Manage relationships with selected external providers, advisers and consultants, ensuring services deliver value and meet expected standards.
• Contribute to procurement, contract review and benefit implementation activities where required.
• Support the resolution of complex operational issues and continuous improvement opportunities.

Build strong stakeholder partnerships

Success in this role will depend on your ability to influence, collaborate and build credibility across the organisation.

You will:

• Partner with colleagues across Reward, Wellbeing, Pensions and Talent.
• Work closely with Finance, Procurement, Legal, Risk and People Consulting teams.
• Engage stakeholders to understand emerging workforce priorities and business challenges.
• Foster strong relationships with external partners and industry networks.
• Promote a joined-up approach to benefits, health & wellbeing and financial wellbeing.

What we are looking for

Essential

• Significant experience within employee benefits, reward or related areas.
• Experience developing, influencing or delivering benefits strategy within a complex organisation.
• Strong understanding of UK employee benefits and broader reward principles.
• Knowledge of financial wellbeing programmes and employee financial health initiatives.
• Proven ability to use data and insight to influence decision making.
• Strong commercial, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience managing stakeholders and driving outcomes across multiple priorities.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence senior audiences.

Desirable

• Experience within professional services or another complex matrix organisation.
• Knowledge wider wellbeing programmes.
• Experience leading market benchmarking and vendor reviews.
• Experience working with benefits technology platforms and digital employee experiences.
• Exposure to large-scale benefits transformation or change programmes.

Skills and Capabilities

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking and commercial judgement.
• Curiosity and awareness of external market trends.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing capability.
• Analytical rigour and evidence based decision making.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills.
• Ability to balance strategic priorities with practical delivery.
• Confidence working in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
• Passion for creating meaningful employee experiences and business value.

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