Enjoy a career, packaged with care, whilst helping protect food, people and the planet
We are a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions. We’re on a mission to make all packaging recyclable, reusable, or compostable. Every day, we ensure the hygiene and safety of food and drink for people around the world. We are Huhtamaki.
You could be part of our vision. Because it’s our talented people that make it happen. Our people on the shop floor producing innovative, sustainable products. Our people in our offices delivering excellence for our customers every day. It’s every one of us working together.
We offer a place where you can feel safe, be supported, and make an impact so we can all focus on the future together.
Job Summary
The Benefits Manager leads and manages the company’s benefits programs serving 4,000+ active employees and 1,500 retirees. This role ensures seamless benefits administration, including HR outsourcing for key areas such as benefits calculations, leave management and enrollment platforms. Additionally, this position manages compensation structures, incentive programs, and executive benefits, maintaining full compliance with all regulatory requirements.
Key Responsibilities
Retirement & Deferred Compensation Plan Management
- Oversee the administration of two 401(k) plans, one active pension plan, and a Nonqualified Deferred Compensation plan, including accurate recordkeeping and plan documentation.
- Address retiree inquiries across six distinct pension retiree groups and manage retiree medical, life, and AD&D benefit programs for 10 separate retiree groups, ensuring seamless benefit transitions and retiree support.
- Serve as Chairperson of the Pension and 401(k) Committees, maintaining governance over the charters, investment policy, and fiduciary responsibilities; coordinate quarterly committee meetings.
- Conduct regular benchmarking and program analysis to recommend plan enhancements and ensure competitive, cost-effective offerings.
Health & Welfare Plan Management
- Oversee all health and welfare benefit programs, including plan documents, employee communications and compliance with applicable filings (such as 1095 forms).
- Analyze plan effectiveness, utilization, and cost trends, and present recommendations to senior management.
- Oversee the annual open enrollment process, working closely with HRIS, payroll, and communications teams.
- Support labor negotiations related to benefits and ensure all benefits programs for union employees adhere to relevant collective bargaining agreements.
- Ensure effective administration and compliance of all company and state leave programs, including guidance to HR partners and managers
- Partner with leadership and HR to evaluate and enhance total rewards strategies
Vendor Management
- Lead or oversee relationships with external partners, including benefits vendors, insurance brokers, third-party administrators, and investment managers.
- Negotiate contracts, monitor service levels, and oversee vendor performance.
Compliance & Reporting
- Maintain compliance with all federal, state, and local benefits laws, including ACA, ERISA, HIPAA, COBRA, and FMLA, as well as union contract provisions.
- Ensure timely and accurate completion of all regulatory filings, including 5500 and 1095 forms, and coordinate annual nondiscrimination testing and audits.
- Prepare, analyze, and present benefits reports and metrics for senior management; make strategic recommendations based on data and trends.
Leadership and Support
- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of benefits professionals, including two Benefits Specialists, a Benefits & HR Administrator, and an HRMS Specialist.
- Foster a culture of high performance, continuous learning, and exceptional service.
- Serve as a key resource for employees, retirees, and management, addressing complex benefits issues and providing clear, timely guidance.
- Develop and maintain benefits communication materials and facilitate educational meetings to increase understanding and engagement.
Qualifications
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field
- 8+ years of experience in benefits administration, including health, welfare, and retirement plans, 5500/1095 filings, plan audits, and online enrollment systems
- 5+ years of experience in a multi-site environment
- Experience managing benefit program vendors, brokers, and investment partners.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities; able to explain complex benefits matters to diverse audiences
- Proficiency in Excel and strong analytical skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Exceptional attention to detail and problem-solving abilities
Preferred:
- 5+ years of managerial experience
- Proven experience in retirement plan and pension administration, including committee governance.
- Experience working with union sites and contracts
Work Environment:
- Primarily office-based with a hybrid work model, offering flexibility to work remotely one day per week.
- Occasional travel for business purposes.
Join us. Help protect food, people and the planet.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field
- 8+ years of experience in benefits administration
- 5+ years of experience in a multi-site environment
- Experience managing benefit program vendors, brokers, and investment partners
- Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities
- Proficiency in Excel and strong analytical skills
- Experience in retirement plan and pension administration
- 5+ years of managerial experience
Huhtamaki Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Huhtamaki and has not been reviewed or approved by Huhtamaki.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive with dental and vision options, and employer contributions toward premiums are portrayed as generous. Feedback suggests this breadth makes the overall package feel competitive for many roles.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs include a 401(k) with pre‑tax and Roth options, with certain groups also having access to a pension and even deferred compensation. Feedback suggests these features stand out positively in a manufacturing context.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off, paid holidays, and generous parental leave are emphasized alongside meaningful PTO accruals. Feedback suggests this leave structure strengthens perceived total rewards even where base pay is viewed as only fair.
Huhtamaki Insights
What We Do
Huhtamaki is a key global provider of sustainable packaging solutions for consumers around the world, enabling wellbeing and convenience. Our innovative products protect on-the-go and on-the-shelf food and beverages, ensuring hygiene and safety, and help prevent food waste. We embed sustainability in everything we do. We are committed to achieving carbon neutral production and designing all our products to be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2030. We are a participant in the UN Global Compact and EcoVadis has awarded Huhtamaki with the Gold medal for performance in sustainability. To play our part in managing climate change, we have set science-based targets that have been approved and validated by the Science Based Targets initiative. With 100 years of history and a strong Nordic heritage we operate in 37 countries and 103 operating locations around the world. Our values Care Dare Deliver guide our decisions and help our team of around 18 000 employees make a difference where it matters. Our 2023 net sales totaled EUR 4.2 billion. Huhtamaki Group is headquartered in Espoo, Finland and our parent company, Huhtamäki Oyj, is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. Find out more about how we are protecting food, people and the planet on www.huhtamaki.com
