Senior Manager, US Retirement Benefits

Senior Manager, US Retirement Benefits

Location: On-Site, Morristown, NJ; Portsmouth, NH; or Walkersville, MD (East Coast locations; flexible on final site placement).

Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Standard Business Hours).

We are seeking a high-caliber professional to join our global team as the Senior Manager, US Retirement Benefits. Reporting to the Senior Director, Global Benefits and HR M&A, you will oversee the day-to-day administration and compliance of our U.S. retirement savings portfolio, managing over $1 billion in plan assets. Operating with broad autonomy, you will secure strict regulatory compliance (ERISA/IRS), direct external vendor networks, chair the internal Retirement Committee, and manage M&A integration activities while providing direct line leadership to a dedicated benefits specialist.

What will you get? The full-time base annual salary for this position is expected to range between $96,000 to $128,000. Compensation within this range will be determined by the successful candidate’s qualifications, skills, experience, and job-related knowledge. In addition, we offer a comprehensive benefits package:

• An agile career and dynamic working culture

• An inclusive and ethical workplace

• Compensation programs that recognize high performance

• Medical, dental and vision insurance, as well as PTO and more

• Our full list of global benefits can be found here: https://www.lonza.com/careers/benefits.

What you’ll do:

• End-to-End Plan Administration: Command the day-to-day operational mechanics of all company retirement savings programs, ensuring error-free contribution funding, compliance, and an engaging participant experience.

• Fiduciary & Vendor Governance: Act as the primary corporate liaison and account manager for global plan recordkeepers, fiduciary managers, benefit consultants, and external service providers to maintain target service level agreements (SLAs).

• Strict Regulatory Compliance: Oversee absolute adherence to ERISA, IRS, and Department of Labor (DOL) regulations; direct mandatory non-discrimination testing (NDT), annual plan audits, and timely Form 5500 statutory filings.

• Plan Design & Legislative Adoption: Drive strategic plan enhancements, draft legal amendments, and execute seamless change management communications for new legislative updates, including SECURE Act provisions.

• Committee Chair & Board Reporting: Lead internal Retirement Committee operations, independently developing executive-ready dashboards, governance packages, and data-driven recommendations to support long-term fiduciary decisions.

• M&A and Integration Support: Support the Total Rewards due diligence, benchmarking, and implementation workflows during corporate mergers, acquisitions, and restructuring to ensure seamless retirement asset transfers.

• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Provide direct line management, daily task prioritization, professional development mapping, and objective-setting for a Retirement Plan Administrator/Analyst.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with global Payroll, Finance, Treasury, Legal, and HR Operations teams to optimize transaction remittances (loans, hardships, distributions) and lead global wellbeing initiatives.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience: 5–10 years of advanced experience in corporate retirement plan administration and employee benefits management, ideally gained within a large in-house multinational enterprise or a top-tier benefits consulting firm.

• Regulatory Expertise: Deep, verified knowledge of complex ERISA legislation, IRS compliance codes, and automated statutory audit frameworks.

• Matrix Leadership & Soft Skills: Highly exceptional communication and stakeholder management capabilities; proven success navigating a complex global matrix framework and working effectively across diverse multi-site cultures.

• M&A and Transformation: Demonstrated capability executing cross-functional HR integration workflows, system implementations, and change management initiatives independently.

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a closely related professional discipline is required. Advanced training or professional pension management qualifications (e.g., CEBS) are a strong advantage.

• Attributes: Proactive, "go-getter" attitude with a proven capacity to handle ambiguity, exercise exceptional judgment under pressure, and interpret complex rules pragmatically while remaining aligned with company values.

About Lonza

At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone’s ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that’s the kind of work we want you to be part of.

Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you’re ready to help turn our customers’ breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board.

Ready to shape the future of life sciences? Apply now.