Sr. Director of Benefits, Compensation & HR Technology
Red Lobster, Inc., Orlando, FL, United States
Overview
Must live in Orlando and be in office 4 days a week
Position Overview The Director of Benefits and Compensation is a senior People leader responsible for the strategic design, governance, and execution of the organization's total rewards programs, including health and welfare benefits, retirement programs, compensation frameworks, and enterprise leave of absence (LOA) governance. This role supports a large, multi‑state workforce with both hourly and salaried populations and ensures programs are competitive, compliant, scalable, and aligned with the company's talent, operational, and financial strategies.
The Director partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, Payroll, Legal, Risk Management, Operations, IT, and external vendors to manage risk, ensure regulatory compliance, and enable data‑driven decision‑making while delivering a consistent, high‑quality employee experience.
Key Responsibilities Benefits Strategy & Administration
Provide strategic and operational leadership for all employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, wellness, and voluntary benefits.
Oversee vendor selection, contract negotiation, renewals, and performance management to ensure cost effectiveness, service quality, and regulatory compliance.
Lead annual open enrollment strategy, communications, and execution for diverse employee populations across multiple jurisdictions.
Ensure benefits programs comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including ACA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and Department of Labor requirements.
Leave of Absence (LOA) Governance & Compliance
Establish and maintain enterprise‑wide governance for all leave of absence programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, PWFA, USERRA, state and local paid leave programs, military leave, and company‑sponsored leaves.
Own the design, documentation, and ongoing maintenance of LOA policies, ensuring consistency, legal compliance, and equitable application across all employee populations and jurisdictions.
Provide oversight and governance of third‑party LOA administrators, including contract management, service‑level performance, compliance accuracy, escalation management, and audit readiness.
Partner closely with Legal, Risk Management, HR Business Partners, Payroll, and Operations to mitigate compliance risk, manage complex and high‑risk cases, and ensure seamless coordination between leave administration, pay, and benefits continuation.
Establish controls, reporting standards, and documentation requirements to support audits, litigation readiness, regulatory inquiries, and internal reviews.
Oversee employee and leader education related to leave rights, responsibilities, and processes to promote clarity, consistency, and a positive employee experience.
Monitor legislative and regulatory developments impacting leave programs and proactively recommend policy, vendor, or process updates to maintain compliance and operational effectiveness.
Retirement & Fiduciary Oversight
Serve as the operational fiduciary lead for the company's retirement plans, including 401(k) programs, ensuring prudent governance and compliance with ERISA fiduciary standards.
Oversee plan design, eligibility, contributions, distributions, audits, vendor performance, participant communications, and regulatory filings (including Form 5500).
Partner with Legal, Finance, and external advisors to support fiduciary committee governance, documentation, and investment oversight processes.
Compensation Strategy & Programs
Lead the design, implementation, and governance of compensation programs, including salary structures, incentive plans, merit processes, and market pricing for hourlyand salaried roles.
Ensure compensation practices are competitive, equitable, compliant, and aligned with organizational goals and financial parameters.
Partner with Finance and HR leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling related to compensation and incentive programs.
Oversee job architecture, job descriptions, and market benchmarking to support internal equity, career frameworks, and workforce planning initiatives.
HR Technology
Lead the strategy, implementation, and optimization of enterprise‑wide HR systems.
Oversee the digital roadmap for all HR technology platforms to support organizational goals and enhance employee experience.
Improve operational efficiency through technology‑enabled HR solutions.
Partner with HR, IT, Finance, and business leaders to drive transformation, data governance, and process automation.
Lead and develop a high‑performing HR Technology team.
Manage vendor relationships and ensure system reliability, security, and compliance.
Leverage analytics to inform workforce and business‑driven decisions.
Serve as a visionary leader aligning HR technology solutions with overall business strategy and innovation goals.
Compliance, Risk & Governance
Ensure total rewards and LOA programs are audit‑ready, supported by strong internal controls, documentation, and reporting.
Monitor legislative and regulatory changes impacting benefits, leave, and compensation and proactively assess organizational impact.
Partner with Risk Management and Legal to mitigate exposure related to benefits, leave administration, wage and hour, and pay practices.
Leadership & Collaboration
Lead, mentor, and develop a high‑performing Benefits and Compensation team.
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on total rewards, leave governance, regulatory risk, and employee impact.
Collaborate with HR Business Partners, Operations, Payroll, IT, and Communications to ensure consistent execution and clear employee messaging.
Qualifications Education & Experience
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field required; Master's degree preferred.
10+ years of progressive experience in benefits and compensation, including leadership responsibility in a multi‑state organization.
Demonstrated expertise in ERISA, ACA, FMLA, ADA, PWFA, wage and hour, and compensation‑related regulations.
Skills & Competencies
Strong analytical, financial modeling, and data interpretation skills.
Proven ability to influence executive and senior leaders.
Experience managing complex vendor relationships and cross‑functional initiatives.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex programs into clear, employee‑friendly messaging.
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Position Overview The Director of Benefits and Compensation is a senior People leader responsible for the strategic design, governance, and execution of the organization's total rewards programs, including health and welfare benefits, retirement programs, compensation frameworks, and enterprise leave of absence (LOA) governance. This role supports a large, multi‑state workforce with both hourly and salaried populations and ensures programs are competitive, compliant, scalable, and aligned with the company's talent, operational, and financial strategies.
The Director partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, Payroll, Legal, Risk Management, Operations, IT, and external vendors to manage risk, ensure regulatory compliance, and enable data‑driven decision‑making while delivering a consistent, high‑quality employee experience.
Key Responsibilities Benefits Strategy & Administration
Provide strategic and operational leadership for all employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, wellness, and voluntary benefits.
Oversee vendor selection, contract negotiation, renewals, and performance management to ensure cost effectiveness, service quality, and regulatory compliance.
Lead annual open enrollment strategy, communications, and execution for diverse employee populations across multiple jurisdictions.
Ensure benefits programs comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including ACA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and Department of Labor requirements.
Leave of Absence (LOA) Governance & Compliance
Establish and maintain enterprise‑wide governance for all leave of absence programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, PWFA, USERRA, state and local paid leave programs, military leave, and company‑sponsored leaves.
Own the design, documentation, and ongoing maintenance of LOA policies, ensuring consistency, legal compliance, and equitable application across all employee populations and jurisdictions.
Provide oversight and governance of third‑party LOA administrators, including contract management, service‑level performance, compliance accuracy, escalation management, and audit readiness.
Partner closely with Legal, Risk Management, HR Business Partners, Payroll, and Operations to mitigate compliance risk, manage complex and high‑risk cases, and ensure seamless coordination between leave administration, pay, and benefits continuation.
Establish controls, reporting standards, and documentation requirements to support audits, litigation readiness, regulatory inquiries, and internal reviews.
Oversee employee and leader education related to leave rights, responsibilities, and processes to promote clarity, consistency, and a positive employee experience.
Monitor legislative and regulatory developments impacting leave programs and proactively recommend policy, vendor, or process updates to maintain compliance and operational effectiveness.
Retirement & Fiduciary Oversight
Serve as the operational fiduciary lead for the company's retirement plans, including 401(k) programs, ensuring prudent governance and compliance with ERISA fiduciary standards.
Oversee plan design, eligibility, contributions, distributions, audits, vendor performance, participant communications, and regulatory filings (including Form 5500).
Partner with Legal, Finance, and external advisors to support fiduciary committee governance, documentation, and investment oversight processes.
Compensation Strategy & Programs
Lead the design, implementation, and governance of compensation programs, including salary structures, incentive plans, merit processes, and market pricing for hourlyand salaried roles.
Ensure compensation practices are competitive, equitable, compliant, and aligned with organizational goals and financial parameters.
Partner with Finance and HR leadership on budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling related to compensation and incentive programs.
Oversee job architecture, job descriptions, and market benchmarking to support internal equity, career frameworks, and workforce planning initiatives.
HR Technology
Lead the strategy, implementation, and optimization of enterprise‑wide HR systems.
Oversee the digital roadmap for all HR technology platforms to support organizational goals and enhance employee experience.
Improve operational efficiency through technology‑enabled HR solutions.
Partner with HR, IT, Finance, and business leaders to drive transformation, data governance, and process automation.
Lead and develop a high‑performing HR Technology team.
Manage vendor relationships and ensure system reliability, security, and compliance.
Leverage analytics to inform workforce and business‑driven decisions.
Serve as a visionary leader aligning HR technology solutions with overall business strategy and innovation goals.
Compliance, Risk & Governance
Ensure total rewards and LOA programs are audit‑ready, supported by strong internal controls, documentation, and reporting.
Monitor legislative and regulatory changes impacting benefits, leave, and compensation and proactively assess organizational impact.
Partner with Risk Management and Legal to mitigate exposure related to benefits, leave administration, wage and hour, and pay practices.
Leadership & Collaboration
Lead, mentor, and develop a high‑performing Benefits and Compensation team.
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on total rewards, leave governance, regulatory risk, and employee impact.
Collaborate with HR Business Partners, Operations, Payroll, IT, and Communications to ensure consistent execution and clear employee messaging.
Qualifications Education & Experience
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field required; Master's degree preferred.
10+ years of progressive experience in benefits and compensation, including leadership responsibility in a multi‑state organization.
Demonstrated expertise in ERISA, ACA, FMLA, ADA, PWFA, wage and hour, and compensation‑related regulations.
Skills & Competencies
Strong analytical, financial modeling, and data interpretation skills.
Proven ability to influence executive and senior leaders.
Experience managing complex vendor relationships and cross‑functional initiatives.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex programs into clear, employee‑friendly messaging.
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