Benefits Manager

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About the Role:

We are looking for an experienced and detail-oriented Benefits Manager – APAC to lead the administration, implementation, and continuous improvement of employee benefits programs across the Asia-Pacific region.

In this role, you will play a key part in delivering a seamless and competitive benefits experience for employees across multiple APAC markets, including India, Singapore, Australia, China, and other regional locations. You will ensure benefits programs are compliant with local statutory requirements, aligned with business needs, and consistent with the organization's global Total Rewards philosophy.

You will work closely with global HR, Payroll, Finance, Legal teams, insurance brokers, and external benefits providers to manage regional programs, analyze benefits data, optimize costs, and enhance the overall employee experience.

The ideal candidate brings strong expertise in benefits administration, statutory compliance, vendor management, and benefits analytics, along with the ability to navigate the complexities of a multinational work environment.

Location: India (Remote)
Working Hours: US Time Zone
Reports to: Director, Benefits

Key Responsibilities:

Benefits Strategy & Administration

• Manage the end-to-end administration and delivery of employee benefits programs across APAC, including health and life insurance, accident coverage, retirement plans, leave benefits, wellness initiatives, and statutory benefits.

• Support the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of regional benefits programs in alignment with global Total Rewards strategies.

• Coordinate annual benefits renewals, enrollment cycles, employee communications, and benefits education initiatives.

• Support the setup and implementation of benefits programs for new countries and locations across APAC.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure benefits programs comply with applicable local labor laws, statutory requirements, regulatory guidelines, and internal company policies.

• Stay informed about regulatory changes across APAC markets and proactively recommend updates to benefits programs and policies.

• Conduct regular audits of benefits data, processes, and vendor deliverables to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance.

Vendor & Stakeholder Management

• Manage relationships with insurance brokers, third-party administrators, insurers, and other benefits vendors across the region.

• Partner with HR, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and global Total Rewards teams to ensure accurate and timely benefits administration.

• Oversee vendor performance, resolve service-related issues, and drive improvements in service delivery.

• Manage complex employee queries related to benefits eligibility, enrollment, claims, coverage, and vendor escalations.

Benefits Analytics & Cost Management

• Analyze benefits utilization, cost trends, and employee feedback to identify opportunities for program enhancements and cost optimization.

• Prepare and maintain benefits reports, dashboards, and presentations to provide actionable insights to stakeholders.

• Benchmark regional benefits offerings against market practices to ensure competitiveness and alignment with employee needs.

• Leverage HRIS platforms and data analytics tools to improve reporting accuracy and operational efficiency.

Process Improvement & Global Collaboration

• Identify opportunities to streamline benefits processes through automation, standardization, and operational improvements.

• Support global Total Rewards projects and collaborate with international stakeholders on cross-regional initiatives.

• Support benefits integration and transition activities related to mergers, acquisitions, and organizational changes.

• Contribute to initiatives that enhance the overall employee benefits experience across the organization.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related discipline.

• 5–7 years of progressive experience in employee benefits administration, preferably within a multinational organization.

• Strong knowledge of Indian statutory benefits, labor laws, and employment regulations.

• Experience managing employee benefits programs, insurance renewals, vendor relationships, and employee queries.

• Exposure to benefits administration across multiple APAC countries, ideally including India, Singapore, Australia, and China.

• Strong analytical skills with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and data analysis.

• Experience working with HRIS platforms such as Workday or similar systems.

• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.

• Strong attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, global environment.

• Ability to work effectively with international stakeholders across different time zones, including US business hours.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certifications such as CEBS, WorldatWork, SHRM, or equivalent benefits/Total Rewards qualifications.

• Experience supporting regional or global benefits programs within a multinational organization.

• Hands-on experience with Workday or other enterprise HRIS platforms.

• Experience in benefits benchmarking, cost analysis, and vendor negotiations.

• Project management experience, particularly involving benefits implementation or process transformation.

• Experience setting up and implementing benefits programs for new countries or locations.

Key Skills & Competencies

• Regional Benefits Administration and Program Management

• APAC Benefits Knowledge and Statutory Compliance

• Benefits Analytics and Cost Optimization

• Vendor and Broker Relationship Management

• HRIS and Data Reporting

• Employee Support and Benefits Query Resolution

• Process Improvement and Automation

• Cross-functional and Global Stakeholder Collaboration

• Strong Communication and Project Management Skills

What Success Looks Like

• Effective and accurate administration of employee benefits programs across APAC.

• Strong compliance with local statutory and regulatory requirements.

• Positive employee experience through responsive and effective benefits support.

• Effective vendor management and continuous improvement in service delivery.

• Data-driven recommendations that improve benefits offerings and optimize costs.

• Streamlined processes, improved operational efficiency, and successful delivery of regional and global benefits initiatives.

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About Kong:

Kong Inc., the AI Connectivity Company, is building the connectivity layer of AI. Trusted by the Fortune 500® and AI-native startups alike, Kong’s unified API and AI platform enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI traffic — on any model, any cloud. For more information, visit www.konghq.com.