What are the responsibilities and job description for the Benefits Strategy and Design Manager position at Kuehne+Nagel?
It's more than a job
This Kuehne Nagel Human Resources role covers recruiting, compensation, talent management and... toys. Yes, toys. Because your efforts create a functional and positive workplace that allows teams to stay focused on helping toy manufacturers, for example, get their products to stores and children around the world. Working in HR at Kuehne Nagel brings more joy than we imagine.
The Benefits Strategy and Design Manager is responsible for leading the strategic design and development of the our national benefits programs in the United States. This role steers the evolution of benefit offerings by evaluating current policies, identifying opportunities for improvement, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals and workforce needs.
Working closely with Total Rewards leadership, HR partners, and external partners, this position drives initiatives that enhance the employee experience, strengthen workplace culture, and support talent attraction and retention. Through effective communication, data-driven insights, and continuous program optimization, the Benefits Strategy and Design Manager ensures that benefits strategies promote employee well‑being, reduce absenteeism, increase engagement, and contribute to a positive, productive work environment. This role is a senior individual contributor and subject matter expert reporting into the Director of Total Rewards within the Global Total Rewards Center of Excellence and offers excellent opportunities for career growth within the global human resources organization.
How you create impact
Benefits Program Design & Enhancement:
At Kuehne Nagel we strive daily to inspire, empower, and deliver not only to our customers, but also to our colleagues. We offer a dynamic global work environment with opportunities for excellent training programs and career mobility. The target base salary range for this position is between $120,000 and $160,000. Base salary is part of a competitive total rewards package that includes health and welfare benefits, a 401k retirement savings plan, tuition reimbursement, and incentive compensation for eligible roles. Individual pay may vary from the target range and is determined by a number of factors including experience, skills, job location, internal pay equity, and other relevant business considerations. Kuehne Nagel reviews pay ranges regularly to ensure competitive and fair pay based on industry market data.
Kuehne Nagel participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.
Who we are
Logistics shapes everyday life - from the goods we consume to the healthcare we rely on. At Kuehne Nagel, your work goes beyond logistics; it enables both ordinary and special moments in the lives of people around the world.
As a global leader with a strong heritage and a vision to move the world forward, we offer a safe, stable environment where your career can make a real difference. Whether we help deliver life-saving medicines, develop sustainable transportation solutions or support our local communities, your career will contribute to more than you can imagine.
Kuehne Nagel is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) and to compliance with all federal, state, and local laws that prohibit workplace discrimination and unlawful retaliation. Kuehne Nagel strictly prohibits all discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, religious creed or belief, physical or mental disability, marital or familial status, legally protected medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical condition), gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sexual orientation, citizenship status, protected activity (such as opposition to or reporting of prohibited discrimination or harassment. Kuehne Nagel will also make reasonable accommodations for disabled applicants and employees, including accommodations for pregnancy and childbirth, and for the sincerely held religious beliefs of applicants and employees depending upon individual circumstances unless such accommodation would create an undue hardship on Kuehne Nagel.
This Kuehne Nagel Human Resources role covers recruiting, compensation, talent management and... toys. Yes, toys. Because your efforts create a functional and positive workplace that allows teams to stay focused on helping toy manufacturers, for example, get their products to stores and children around the world. Working in HR at Kuehne Nagel brings more joy than we imagine.
The Benefits Strategy and Design Manager is responsible for leading the strategic design and development of the our national benefits programs in the United States. This role steers the evolution of benefit offerings by evaluating current policies, identifying opportunities for improvement, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals and workforce needs.
Working closely with Total Rewards leadership, HR partners, and external partners, this position drives initiatives that enhance the employee experience, strengthen workplace culture, and support talent attraction and retention. Through effective communication, data-driven insights, and continuous program optimization, the Benefits Strategy and Design Manager ensures that benefits strategies promote employee well‑being, reduce absenteeism, increase engagement, and contribute to a positive, productive work environment. This role is a senior individual contributor and subject matter expert reporting into the Director of Total Rewards within the Global Total Rewards Center of Excellence and offers excellent opportunities for career growth within the global human resources organization.
How you create impact
Benefits Program Design & Enhancement:
- Lead the design, and continuous improvement of national benefits programs—including health plans, retirement savings (401k), mobility and car programs, vacation policies, fitness and well‑being initiatives, and mental health offerings.
- Ensure programs are competitive, cost‑effective, and aligned with organizational strategy.
- Partner with the HR Service Delivery team to develop clear, user‑friendly communication materials and training resources to support new or updated benefits programs.
- Deliver presentations, informational sessions, and toolkits that promote understanding, utilization, and employee engagement.
- Ensure national benefits initiatives adhere to global Total Rewards standards while reflecting local needs and market practices.
- Conduct ongoing analysis of market data, benchmarking studies, and regulatory changes to inform program adjustments and maintain competitive positioning.
- Guide HR teams (including national benefits administration team) and local HR stakeholders (HR managers, HRBPs) through benefits-related changes by providing training, documentation, and compliance support.
- Gather ongoing feedback from internal partners and translate insights into recommendations for the Global Total Rewards Partner to support continuous improvement.
- Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience designing employee benefits programs, including health and wellness and retirement plans.
- Demonstrated experience driving the benefits portfolio review and open enrollment process.
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance or a related field.
- Proficiency in Excel, Powerpoint and Microsoft Suite.
- Analytical skills to problem-solve, interpret, and simplify data.
- Strong knowledge of US benefits laws and regulations; benefits certification a plus.
- Exceptional leadership, communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills.
- Self-starter who is attention to detail-oriented and possess a continious improvement mindset.
- Ambition to grow your career within total rewards or human resources
- Comfortable working a 4:1 hybrid schedule from our beautiful corporate office in downtown Jersey City
At Kuehne Nagel we strive daily to inspire, empower, and deliver not only to our customers, but also to our colleagues. We offer a dynamic global work environment with opportunities for excellent training programs and career mobility. The target base salary range for this position is between $120,000 and $160,000. Base salary is part of a competitive total rewards package that includes health and welfare benefits, a 401k retirement savings plan, tuition reimbursement, and incentive compensation for eligible roles. Individual pay may vary from the target range and is determined by a number of factors including experience, skills, job location, internal pay equity, and other relevant business considerations. Kuehne Nagel reviews pay ranges regularly to ensure competitive and fair pay based on industry market data.
Kuehne Nagel participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.
Who we are
Logistics shapes everyday life - from the goods we consume to the healthcare we rely on. At Kuehne Nagel, your work goes beyond logistics; it enables both ordinary and special moments in the lives of people around the world.
As a global leader with a strong heritage and a vision to move the world forward, we offer a safe, stable environment where your career can make a real difference. Whether we help deliver life-saving medicines, develop sustainable transportation solutions or support our local communities, your career will contribute to more than you can imagine.
Kuehne Nagel is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (“EEO”) and to compliance with all federal, state, and local laws that prohibit workplace discrimination and unlawful retaliation. Kuehne Nagel strictly prohibits all discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, color, age, national origin, ethnicity, religious creed or belief, physical or mental disability, marital or familial status, legally protected medical condition, genetic information, military or veteran status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical condition), gender (including gender identity and gender expression), sexual orientation, citizenship status, protected activity (such as opposition to or reporting of prohibited discrimination or harassment. Kuehne Nagel will also make reasonable accommodations for disabled applicants and employees, including accommodations for pregnancy and childbirth, and for the sincerely held religious beliefs of applicants and employees depending upon individual circumstances unless such accommodation would create an undue hardship on Kuehne Nagel.
Salary : $120,000 - $160,000