Senior Compensation and Benefits Specialist (m/f/d)

Requisition ID: 25008

Grace, a Standard Industries company, is a leading global supplier of catalysts, engineered materials and fine chemicals. We provide innovative products, technologies and services which our customers use to manufacture everyday products like renewable fuels, pharmaceuticals, toothpaste, cosmetics, food packaging, beer, edible oils and more. Our thousands of employees help shape a better future at our global headquarters in Columbia, MD and locations worldwide.

Job Description

The Sr Compensation & Benefits Specialist can be based in Poznań, Poland or Worms, Germany and will provide support mainly for German employees for pension&retirement schemes and other European countries benefit support.

This position will report to the Senior Manager, APAC & EMEA Compensation & Benefits

Responsibilities

German Benefits & Pension (70%)

• Manage German company pension and retirement schemes, including CBA-related pension programs for German entities.
• Act as the main contact for external pension and insurance vendors (e.g., AON, Allianz, VEK, Pension Consult), including ownership of vendor relationships and coordination of benefit processes.
• Handle and resolve pension-related inquiries from employees, retirees, and former employees, including clarification of complex cases with external providers.
• Administer pension and insurance programs, including registrations, deregistrations, premium adjustments, deferred compensation changes, and employee data updates.
• Coordinate annual pension adjustments and monthly reporting activities with external providers and Payroll.
• Support preparation of actuarial reports, accruals, and pension-related financial data in cooperation with Finance and external actuaries.
• Provide support for audits, pension protection association processes, and compliance-related pension activities.
• Support legal and works council related pension matters, including documentation and implementation of CBA requirements.
• Manage pension-related invoicing processes, PR creation, and invoice approvals/bookings.
• Act as the Subject Matter Expert for German Benefits & Pension topics for HR, Payroll, Finance, employees, and external partners.
• Maintain accurate documentation of pension cases, benefit processes, and agreements with external vendors.
  

European Benefits Support (20%)

• Manage benefits-related invoice processing and payment issue resolution across Europe.
• Support annual insurance renewals, employee enrollments, and benefit updates for selected European countries.
• Coordinate UK and Belgium bonus-to-pension processes.
• Support Swiss retiree insurance reimbursement processes.
• Assist with employee benefit communications and benefit booklet updates.
  

Regional Compensation Support (10%)

• Support compensation surveys, benchmarking, and benefits data analysis.
• Assist with salary review cycles, bonus eligibility checks, and compensation planning.
• Support local allowance reviews, market analysis, and compensation reporting.
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years experience in German pension and retirement schemes, ideally within a CBA/manufacturing environment.
• Minimum 5 years experience in Compensation & Benefits or Total Rewards experience in an international environment.
• Fluent German and English (written and spoken)
• Good understanding of European benefits programs and insurance structures.
• Experience with compensation review cycles and benchmarking surveys.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of HR systems such as SuccessFactors.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Detail-oriented with the ability to manage timelines and multiple stakeholders.

Benefits

Poznan

• Premium Medical Insurance (for employee & family members)
• Life Insurance (for employee & family members)
• Reimbursement for glasses for computer work
• Sports Card (Fit&More Package offers swimming pools, 4500+ sport-recreational facilities all over the country).
• Language Courses

Worms

• Employer funded Pension Plans
• Lifetime Work Account
• Corporate Health Management
• On Site Canteen
• Water and hot drinks for free

Grace is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Grace via email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Grace. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Grace as a result of the referral or through other means.