Director, Corporate

• Compensation: USD 150,000 - USD 170,000 - yearly

Bertelsmann is a media, services and education company with about 75,000 employees that operates in some 50 countries around the world. It includes the entertainment group RTL Group, the trade book publisher Penguin Random House, the music company BMG, the service provider Arvato Group, Bertelsmann Marketing Services, the Bertelsmann Education Group and Bertelsmann Investments, an international network of funds. The company generated revenues of €19 billion in the 2024 financial year.

Bertelsmann stands for creativity and entrepreneurship. This combination promotes first-class media content and innovative service solutions that inspire customers around the world.

Bertelsmann is seeking a strategic, technically skilled, and hands-on Director, Corporate Benefits, to join our team.

The Director, Corporate Benefits leads the Corporate Benefits function responsible for the strategy, design, governance and delivery of Bertelsmann’s U.S health, welfare, and retirement programs across a decentralized, multi-company environment, including Penguin Random House, BMG, Fremantle, Arvato other holdings and groups, and newly acquired companies.

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, the Director, Corporate Benefits serves as the senior subject-matter expert and functional leader for Corporate Benefits, developing recommendations and making operational and technical decisions within established governance and approval frameworks. The Director leads the Manager, Corporate Benefits (H&W), and Manager, Corporate Benefits (Retirement Plans), with indirect oversight of the Benefits Analyst, Corporate Benefits.

This is a hands-on working leadership role requiring the Director to move fluidly between strategic planning, team leadership, and direct execution of complex technical, analytical, compliance, communication, and implementation work.

This role is based in New York City and currently requires in-office work at least two days per week. The work arrangement is subject to change based on business needs.

• Develop and execute the Corporate Benefits strategy, evaluating plan competitiveness, affordability, and sustainability through market benchmarking, utilization data, and financial analysis.
• Lead the design, administration, and continuous improvement of health and welfare programs; qualified retirement plans, including 401(k) and pension plans; non-qualified retirement plans; and deferred compensation programs.
• Develop plan design, renewal, funding, and cost-management recommendations for review by the Chief People Officer and other senior stakeholders.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to HR and business leaders on complex benefits matters and operational risk and establish service standards for operating-company support.
• Direct the administration and operational oversight of Corporate Benefits programs across participating operating companies.

• Direct benefits compliance, governance, audits, and regulatory reporting, ensuring compliance with applicable requirements, including ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, MHPAEA, Section 125, Medicare, applicable Internal Revenue Code requirements, and PBGC and Department of Labor requirements.
• Oversee the review and maintenance of plan documents, Summary Plan Descriptions, amendments, and participant materials, and establish appropriate governance controls, escalations procedures, and document-retention practices.
• Support applicable plan fiduciaries and the governance committee by preparing analyses, coordinating required reviews, implementing approved decisions, and maintaining governance documentation.
• Oversee funding, actuarial valuations, liability and risk-management, and de-risking activities, where applicable.
• Oversee the administration of retirement plan eligibility, contributions, deferrals, and distributions and lead the resolution of complex operational or compliance failures.
• Lead benefits budgeting, forecasting, renewal projections, cost modeling, and reconciliations in partnership with appropriate parties.

• Lead vendor relationships, RFPs, and vendor evaluations for carriers, consultants, actuaries, and recordkeepers; participate in contract and fee negotiations. Evaluate vendor performance, program outcomes and return on investment.
• Evaluate opportunities for vendor…