Director, Global Benefits

Overview

NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council) works to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. NRDC combines the power of more than 3 million members and online activists with the expertise of some 800 policy advocates, lawyers, scientists, and communication experts to confront the climate crisis, protect nature, ensure the rights of all people to clean air, clean water, and healthy communities.  As an international nonprofit environmental organization, NRDC is working to address the world’s most urgent environmental challenges, and advance innovative, science-based, and enforceable solutions.

Since our founding in 1970, NRDC has helped craft and deliver many of America’s foundational environmental laws, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act. Today, we continue to lead in advancing and defending strong environmental protections at the local, state, federal and international levels, as well as through the marketplace. Our team works across the United States and around the world, from offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., as well as in Beijing, and New Delhi (a subsidiary of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd.).

Supported by our members and online activists, NRDC is driving impactful solutions that confront the climate crisis, defend nature and safeguard public health across Asia, Africa, and the Americas. At NRDC, we believe lasting change happens when people bring their talent, passion, and expertise together for a common purpose: to build a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient world. Learn more at nrdc.org

Position Summary

The Director, Global Benefits is a vital member of NRDC’s People and DEI team, responsible for the strategic planning, design, and implementation of our benefits and wellness offerings based on market trends, employee feedback, and NRDC culture and mission. The Benefits Director oversees both the day-to-day administration of our benefit programs as well as the strategic oversight of the plans, including health and welfare benefits, retirement programs, leave and statutory benefits, and wellness and employee engagement initiatives.

The Director, Global Benefits is responsible for the full lifecycle of NRDC’s benefits programs, from strategy, plan design, and annual renewals through implementation, administration, compliance, employee communication, and ongoing evaluation. The Director serves as a strategic and solutions-oriented partner to organizational leadership, balancing employee needs, market competitiveness, regulatory requirements, operational effectiveness, and financial sustainability.

Providing advice and guidance, tools, and resources, as required across all NRDC in executing our benefits programs, the Director, Global Benefits partners closely with People and DEI colleagues, Finance, Payroll, Legal, Labor Relations, employee representatives, and external advisors to ensure the consistent and effective delivery of NRDC’s benefits programs.

Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the following essential functions:

Direct strategies for short- and long-range objectives regarding benefits offerings.

Provide NRDC leadership with a strategic vision for all employee benefits plans, wellness programs, and services. Develop recommendations informed by workforce needs, utilization and claims data, financial analysis, market practices, regulatory developments, and employee feedback.

Proactively assess benefit offerings to maintain competitiveness as an integral component of our total rewards package across all offices. Evaluate plan effectiveness, employee experience, affordability, utilization, and financial sustainability, and recommend appropriate plan design or administrative changes.

Lead the annual benefits renewal process from beginning to end, including establishing the renewal strategy, analyzing claims and utilization data, evaluating plan design alternatives, modeling financial impact, negotiating with carriers and vendors, presenting recommendations to leadership and the Benefits Committee, implementing approved changes, and communicating changes to employees.

Responsible for the development and maintenance of the annual Benefits operating budget. Monitor program costs and trends, prepare forecasts, evaluate financial exposure, and identify opportunities to improve value and manage costs without compromising program quality or the employee experience.

Safeguard benefits compliance, ensuring that all benefits programs adhere to relevant state, federal, and local regulations. Maintain appropriate compliance processes, documentation, governance practices, and internal controls for health and welfare, retirement, leave, and statutory benefit programs.

Ensure compliance with applicable requirements under ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, and other federal, state, and local laws. Oversee the preparation, review, distribution, and retention of required plan documents, summary plan descriptions, notices, filings, and employee disclosures.

Provide strategic oversight of NRDC’s 403(b) retirement plan, including plan administration, governance, participant communications, vendor performance, and compliance with applicable ERISA, IRS, and Department of Labor requirements.

Coordinate and oversee retirement and benefit plan audits, annual filings, compliance testing, corrective actions, and responses to auditor or regulatory inquiries. Partner with recordkeepers, auditors, legal counsel, investment advisors, and other fiduciary partners to support sound plan governance.

Lead Benefits Committee meeting agendas and present subjects for discussion and approval. Collaborate with the Retirement Plan Committee on administrative updates and educational campaigns. Prepare analyses and recommendations that enable committee members and organizational leaders to make informed fiduciary and business decisions. Maintain appropriate records of decisions, approvals, and follow-up actions.

Partner with brokers, benefit plan administrators, and service providers to develop wellness initiatives to engage staff in emotional, physical, financial, and social well-being.

Develop and oversee wellness and employee engagement strategies and activities that encourage employees to understand and use available benefits and resources. Evaluate participation, employee feedback, utilization, and program outcomes to measure effectiveness and identify opportunities for improvement.

Oversight of benefits communications to promote education on our benefits offerings, including announcements in the weekly Roundup. Lead annual enrollment communications and year-round benefits education, ensuring information is clear, accessible, timely, and responsive to the needs of NRDC’s diverse workforce.

Provide HR/DEIO colleagues and corporate counsel with expertise during special leave and employment cases.

Provide oversight of leave and accommodation programs, including FMLA, ADA, short- and long-term disability, paid family and medical leave, workers’ compensation, and other state and local statutory benefits. Monitor and establish consistent policies, procedures, escalation protocols, and service standards for leave administration across applicable jurisdictions.

Partner with employees, managers, People and DEI colleagues, Payroll, Legal, and third-party administrators to resolve complex leave and accommodation matters while maintaining compliance, consistency, appropriate documentation, and an employee centered approach.

Oversee administrative processes, implement them, and communicate changes by developing educational sessions for managers and employees. Establish documented procedures, internal