Director, Benefits – EMEA

Position Summary
The Director, Benefits – EMEA is a senior regional leader responsible for elevating, modernising, and integrating Marriott’s employee benefits practices across the EMEA region. This role exists to simplify and strengthen a complex and decentralised benefits landscape, transforming it into a coherent, competitive, and easy‑to‑navigate ecosystem that supports attraction, engagement, and retention across diverse markets.

Reporting to the Vice President, Total Rewards – EMEA, the role drives forward‑looking benefits strategy, governance, and optimisation. The position ensures benefits remain locally relevant, competitive, compliant, and financially sustainable while positioning benefits as a strategic enabler of talent and employee experience.

The role requires a highly self‑directed, strategic, delivery‑focused leader capable of driving complex, multi‑country initiatives without direct line management.

Scope

• Location: London
• Hybrid Model: 2-3 days in the office
• Role Type: Individual Contributor

Key Responsibilities

EMEA Benefits Strategy & Modernisation

• Define, own, and evolve the EMEA Benefits Strategy aligned to Total Rewards and People Strategy.
• Position benefits as a strategic talent lever for attraction, retention, wellbeing, and engagement.
• Modernise benefit practices to reflect market expectations and employer‑of‑choice standards.
• Establish clear design principles: competitiveness, equity, sustainability, affordability, and experience.

Benefits Ecosystem Simplification & Governance

• Lead transformation of fragmented market‑specific practices into a unified EMEA ecosystem.
• Create a consistent benefits taxonomy, framework, and standards.
• Clarify governance, policies, and decision rights.
• Balance simplification with legal, regulatory, and cultural requirements.

Insured Benefits Pooling & Financial Optimisation

• Lead development and optimisation of EMEA pooling strategies (medical, life, disability, risk).
• Improve benefit value, reduce cost, and enhance governance via pooling.
• Partner with Finance, brokers, and insurers on financial outcomes and reinvestment opportunities.
• Serve as regional subject‑matter expert on insured benefits financing.

Vendor, Broker & Platform Strategy

• Own EMEA relationships with brokers, insurers, consultants, and TPAs.
• Drive consistency and simplification of vendor/platform strategies.
• Lead tenders, renewals, and performance reviews.
• Improve transparency on costs, utilisation, and long‑term exposure.

Benefits Review, Harmonisation & Transformation Projects

• Lead large, multi‑country transformation reviews (e.g., leave, wellbeing, insured benefits).
• Introduce repeatable, data‑driven evaluation frameworks.
• Prioritise initiatives based on competitiveness, equity, and employee experience.
• Manage complex project plans, risks, timelines, and stakeholder expectations.

Policy, Compliance & Local Relevance

• Own and maintain EMEA benefits policies and governance documentation.
• Ensure compliance with legislation, social security, works councils, and labour requirements.
• Maintain cultural relevance and local competitiveness.

Retirement & Pension Oversight

• Provide oversight and governance for EMEA retirement and pension programs.
• Partner with internal and external experts on renewals, compliance, and provider evaluations.
• Ensure fiduciary and regulatory standards are met.

Senior Stakeholder Partnership & Influence

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior HR, Finance, and Global Total Rewards partners.
• Translate complexity into business‑focused recommendations.
• Provide thought leadership to EMEA Total Rewards evolution.

Collaboration & Networked Delivery

• Deliver results through influence rather than authority.
• Collaborate with Total Rewards, HR Operations, HRBPs, and country HR leaders.
• Drive alignment and adoption through frameworks, tools, and decision support.
• Enable HR teams with simplified playbooks and guidance.

Candidate Profile / Experience

Required

• 10+ years’ experience in Benefits or Total Rewards in complex multi‑country environments.
• Proven track record in modernising and integrating benefits practices.
• Experience leading complex multi‑stakeholder initiatives.
• Deep understanding of EMEA benefits and employment environments.
• Highly self‑driven, strategic, and comfortable with ambiguity.

Preferred

• Experience in hospitality, consumer, or similarly complex labour‑intensive industries.
• Exposure to insured benefits pooling or multinational benefits structures.
• Experience partnering with global headquarters Total Rewards teams.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic and hands‑on leadership.
• Ability to simplify complexity into practical frameworks.
• Credibility with senior executives.
• Strong financial discipline and analytical capability.
• Employee‑centric mindset.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influence across matrixed environments.

Why Join Marriott International?

Bring your talent expertise to the world stage and help shape a modern, competitive, and compelling benefits ecosystem across one of the world’s most diverse regions.

Bring your talent expertise to the world stage. Apply today and make your mark with Marriott International.

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At Marriott International, we are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer, welcoming all and providing access to opportunity. We actively foster an environment where the unique backgrounds of our associates are valued and celebrated. Our greatest strength lies in the rich blend of culture, talent, and experiences of our associates.  We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, including disability, veteran status, or other basis protected by applicable law. 

Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company, with more brands, more hotels and more opportunities for associates to grow and succeed. Be where you can do your best work,​ begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global​ team, and become the best version of you.