Benefits Senior Consultant Job Listing at Alcoa in Pittsburgh, PA (Job ID Req-33532)

Description

Shape Your World

At Alcoa, you will become an essential part of our purpose: to turn raw potential into real progress. The way we see it, every Alcoan is a work-shaper, team-shaper, idea-shaper, world-shaper.

Summary

The Benefit and Retirement Lead is a subject matter expert role within the Total Rewards function and focuses on strategies, design recommendations to harmonize practices, cost control measures while ensuring governance and compliance with US legislation by working with external benefits consultants, vendors, and various internal stakeholders. The role provides expertise on Health and Welfare and retirement plans (both pension and savings plans) and plays an active role in global initiatives.  The Benefit and Retirement Lead will also play a critical role during CBA negotiations for the various plants across the US with the support of various external consultants. 

Employee benefits (40%)

• Drive Strategic Governance and Compliance
  Lead the strategic oversight of annual H&W benefit plan compliance, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and enterprise risk management. Oversee non-discrimination testing, participant notifications (SPDs, SMMs, SARs), and proactively monitor legislative changes. Provide insights and recommendations to senior leadership on regulatory impacts and strategic responses.
• Lead Vendor Strategy and Contract Management
  Spearhead the end-to-end strategy for H&W vendor relationships, including contract renewals and RFP processes. Collaborate cross-functionally with People Services, Procurement, Legal, Data Privacy, and IT, leveraging consultant expertise (Aon) to ensure optimal vendor performance, cost efficiency, and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Shape Annual Enrollment Strategy and Execution
  Will develop and lead the US annual enrollment strategy, including benefit design recommendations, pricing strategy, and budget development for Finance and leadership approval. Partner with People Solutions and vendors (Alight) to ensure seamless execution, system readiness, and impactful employee communications. Drive innovation in employee experience through targeted messaging and change management.

• Influence Labor Relations and Union Strategy
  Serve as a strategic advisor in US union negotiations, providing data-driven insights, cost modeling, and plan design recommendations. Act as a key liaison between internal stakeholders and external consultants to ensure alignment with business goals and labor strategies.
• Policy Stewardship and Program Optimization
  Own the strategic development and continuous improvement of US H&W and paid leave policies. Ensure policies reflect evolving workforce needs, regulatory changes, and organizational values.
• Strategic HR Partnership and Advisory
  Provide expert guidance to HR and business leaders on benefit programs, policy interpretation, and strategic initiatives. Act as a trusted advisor to drive consistency, compliance, and employee engagement across the organization.
• Global Collaboration and Thought Leadership
  Represent the US Total Rewards function in global initiatives and surveys (I&D, HR, Legal), contributing insights and best practices to shape enterprise-wide strategies.
• Communications and Change Leadership
  Lead the development of strategic communications for H&W benefits in the US, including MyAlcoa content, enterprise-wide updates, and executive presentations. Ensure messaging supports organizational change, enhances employee understanding, and drives engagement.
• Project Leadership and Strategic Initiatives
  Lead and support high-impact, cross-functional projects that advance the Total Rewards strategy. Provide strategic direction, stakeholder alignment, and execution excellence in response to evolving business needs.

Pension and retirement savings plan (40%)

• Governance & Fiduciary Oversight
  Provide strategic leadership in the governance of qualified and non-qualified retirement plans, ensuring fiduciary responsibilities are met and aligned with Alcoa's broader business strategy. Recommend and implement enhancements to plan design and administration in response to legislative changes and evolving workforce needs. Prepare and present materials for Board-level committee approvals and lead enterprise-wide communications on plan changes.
• Strategic Project Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement
  Lead cross-functional initiatives to implement retirement plan changes, developing robust project plans and ensuring timely execution. Engage key stakeholders including People Services, Procurement, Legal, and external vendors to drive alignment and accountability. Ensure all mandatory filings are completed accurately and on time, reinforcing Alcoa's commitment to compliance and operational excellence.
• De-risking and Performance Optimization
  In partnership with the Pension Investment Team, monitor investment fund performance and recommend changes. Oversee implementation of fund changes with Alight and Alcoa's custodian, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and alignment with long-term financial goals.
• Participant Education & Financial Wellness Strategy
  Act as the subject matter expert and content owner for retirement and financial wellbeing programs. Collaborate with internal and external partners to design and deliver impactful educational materials, webinars, and annual communication campaigns focused on investment literacy, estate planning, and holistic financial health.
• Risk Mitigation & Liability Management
  Lead strategic de-risking initiatives including annuity purchases, managing transitions and communications with precision. Partner with external consultants and Alcoa's Mergers, Divestitures & Acquisitions Team to ensure seamless integration or divestiture of retirement benefits, safeguarding plan integrity and participant experience.
• Technology & Systems Leadership
  Oversee the configuration and ongoing optimization of retirement plan administration within Workday, ensuring accuracy, scalability, and alignment with evolving business needs.
• Audit & Controls Excellence
  Lead the annual independent audit of Qualified Pension Plans, ensuring rigorous controls, data integrity, and continuous improvement. Conduct internal audits to validate plan administration accuracy and proactively address discrepancies.

Other (20% of time)

• Reporting: Creates, improves, updates and automates various reports using various sources and tools such as Workday, Power BI.
• Documentation of processes, policies, guidelines and programs. Improves processes, programs to ensure they support business objectives with the aim of attracting, retaining and achieving high employee engagement. Recommends necessary updates.
• On an Ad Hoc basis, takes charge of special projects such as global initiatives such as variable pay census, standardization of practices or other tasks as required.
• Replace or substitute other team members as directed by line manager.
• Perform other duties as required.

Knowledge

• Bachelor's degree in HR, industrial relations, finance or other relevant fields.
• 12-15 years' experience in a similar benefit role
• Minimum 5 years in DB pension plans (Actuarial evaluation, Investment policy, custodian relationship)
• Minimum 5 years' experience in retirement savings plans (401K)
• CEBS membership preferred
• Advanced expertise with Microsoft Excel: advanced IFS formula, complex combined pivot tables, intermediate level VBA macros, validation techniques, automation.
• Intermediate knowledge of HRIS systems and databases (Workday preferred) and HR processes/tools
• Experience of working with various benefits models.

Skills

- Strong project management skills

- Good communicator written and verbal

- Demonstrates a strong sense of customers service and ability to keep stakeholders informed

- Must be a self-starter with the ability to manage priorities and multiple, competing customers in a corporate environment.

- Ability to work well during peak periods, combined with critical and tight deadlines to meet.

- Attention to detail and accuracy.

- Ability to anticipate challenges, next steps and propose solutions based on best practices and customers needs

- Data-driven and analytical.

- Strong quantitative and analytical skills.

- Demonstrated experience in providing practical business information to complex problems.

- Customer service attitude with responsibility for deadlines, strong discretion and ability to generate practical and timely solutions while working under pressure and to tight deadlines.

About the Location

Working at the Pittsburgh Alcoa Corporate Center, located on the thriving North Shore of Pittsburgh, allows employees to experience firsthand, whether working virtually or on-site or a hybrid of the two, what being a values-based company means. Through daily interactions with colleagues and exposure to some of the organization's highest-level executives, the office creates an environment in which all employees can develop and contribute to their full potential. Outside of the office, Pittsburgh itself is one of the country's most livable and affordable cities – combining the city feel with small town charm.

We are values led, vision driven and united by our purpose of transforming raw potential into real progress.  Our commitments to Inclusion, Diversity & Equity include providing trusting workplaces that are safe, respectful and inclusive of all individuals, free from discrimination, bullying and harassment and that our workplaces reflect the diversity of the communities in which we operate.

As a proud equal opportunity workplace and affirmative action employer, Alcoa is dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of a person's gender, age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, nation of origin, disability, veteran status, language spoken or any other characteristic or status protected by the laws or regulations in the places where we operate.  

If you have visited our website in search of information on U.S. employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Alcoa Recruiting via email at gssrecruiting@alcoa.com.  

This is a place where you are empowered to do your best work, be your authentic self, and feel a true sense of belonging. Come join us and shape your career!  

Your work. Your world. Shape them for the better.