AVP, Benefits Strategy & Governance Greater New York City, NY Area + 3 more

Together we fight for everyone’s opportunity for a better financial future.

We will do this together — with customers, partners and colleagues. We will fight for others, not against: We will stand up for and champion everyone’s access to opportunities. The status quo is not good enough … we believe every individual and every community deserves access to financial opportunities. We are determined to support both individuals and communities in reaching a better financial future. We know that reaching this future depends on our actions today.

Like our Purpose Statement, Voya believes in being bold and committed to action. We are committed to a work environment where the differences that we are born with — and those we acquire throughout our lives — are understood, valued and intentionally pursued. We believe that our employees own our culture and have a responsibility to foster an environment where we all feel comfortable bringing our whole selves to work. Purposefully bringing our differences together to positively influence our culture, serve our clients and enrich our communities is essential to our vision.

Are you ready to join a company with a strong purpose and a winning culture? Start your Voyage – Apply Now

The Assistant Vice President, Benefits Strategy & Governance serves as an enterprise leader responsible for the design, governance, execution, and future evolution of Voya’s health, wealth, retirement, and pension strategies. This role partners closely with the VP of Benefits, HR leadership, Finance, Legal, Risk, Procurement, Technology, and business leaders to develop a market-leading benefits portfolio that supports employee well-being, financial security, workforce engagement, and Voya’s long-term talent strategy.

The AVP will lead the governance and performance of Voya’s benefits ecosystem, including health and welfare programs, retirement plans, pension strategy, financial well-being offerings, vendor partnerships, compliance programs, and participant experience. This leader will also serve as an important bridge to Voya’s product and business leaders, providing employee, client, and market insights that can help influence how Voya shows up in the industry and evolves its health, wealth, and retirement solutions.

Enterprise Benefits Strategy

• Develop and execute Voya’s enterprise benefits strategy across health, wealth, retirement, pension, and financial well-being programs.
• Create multi-year roadmaps that align benefits investments with Voya’s business priorities, workforce needs, employee value proposition, and talent strategy.
• Evaluate workforce trends, employee insights, regulatory developments, market practices, and emerging innovations to inform future program design.
• Lead benchmarking, financial analysis, and business case development for new programs, plan changes, and strategic investments.
• Advise senior leaders on benefits design, cost, risk, employee impact, and expected outcomes.

Retirement, Pension & Financial Security

• Own the strategic direction of Voya’s defined contribution, pension, deferred compensation, and financial well-being programs.
• Partner with Finance, Treasury, Investments, Legal, Risk, and external advisors on pension strategy, funding considerations, fiduciary governance, and regulatory oversight.
• Advance initiatives that improve employee retirement readiness, financial literacy, and long-term financial security.
• Evaluate opportunities to leverage Voya’s products, capabilities, data, and thought leadership to strengthen employee outcomes and employer brand.

Health & Welfare Strategy

• Lead the strategic design and optimization of health, wellness, disability, life insurance, leave, and reimbursement programs.
• Develop strategies that improve employee health outcomes and access while balancing affordability, sustainability, and cost management.
• Use utilization, financial, experience, and market data to inform plan design and investment decisions.
• Champion a simple, connected, and inclusive employee benefits experience.

Governance, Compliance & Fiduciary Oversight

• Establish and lead governance processes for benefit plans, policies, vendors, fiduciary responsibilities, audits, and reporting.
• Ensure effective retirement, pension, and health plan committee structures, decision rights, documentation, and oversight.
• Partner with Legal, Compliance, Internal Audit, and Risk to maintain strong controls and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee plan documents, amendments, participant disclosures, regulatory filings, required notices, and governance materials.
• Lead benefits-related reporting and presentations for executive leadership and governance committees.

Vendor & Outsourcing Leadership

• Serve as the executive relationship leader for strategic benefits partners, consultants, administrators, and service providers.
• Set vendor strategies focused on service excellence, innovation, participant outcomes, risk management, and cost optimization.
• Lead vendor selection, negotiations, contracting, renewals, performance reviews, and escalations in partnership with Procurement and Legal.
• Establish measurable service, experience, operational, financial, and compliance outcomes.
• Identify opportunities to simplify, consolidate, enhance, or transform vendor relationships.

Industry Leadership & Enterprise Influence

• Represent Voya in benefits, retirement, financial well-being, and employer forums with consultants, peers, and external organizations.
• Translate employee needs, workforce trends, and program insights into relevant feedback for Voya’s product, retirement, wealth, and benefits leaders.
• Monitor market developments and bring outside-in thinking to program strategy and enterprise decision-making.
• Help strengthen Voya’s reputation as both an employer of choice and an industry leader in health, wealth, retirement, and financial well-being.

Leadership

• Lead and develop a high-performing benefits team focused on strategy, governance, operations, and employee experience.
• Create clear accountability, decision rights, operating rhythms, and development opportunities across the team.
• Build influential partnerships across HR, Finance, Legal, Procurement, Technology, Risk, Compliance, and the businesses.
• Lead enterprise transformations, acquisitions, integrations, divestitures, and other changes impacting benefit programs.

Knowledge & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required; advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in Benefits, Total Rewards, Retirement, Pension, Finance, HR Operations, or a related field.
• Significant experience leading enterprise benefits strategy, governance, and vendor management.
• Deep knowledge of health and welfare plans, retirement plans, pension programs, fiduciary responsibilities, and regulatory requirements.
• Experience presenting to executive leaders, fiduciary committees, and governance bodies.
• Strong financial acumen, including business case development, cost analysis, forecasting, and program performance measurement.
• Executive presence, strategic thinking, sound judgment, negotiation capability, and the ability to influence across a complex matrix.
• CEBS or another relevant professional designation preferred.

How This Role Aligns to Our Core Four

This role is expected to model Voya’s performance-driven, purpose-led culture through the following priorities:

Instill Customer Obsession

Design the mployee benefits experience around employee and family needs, remove friction, and translate insights into better outcomes for Voya employees and relevant feedback for Voya’s businesses.

Transform with Automation/AI

Use data, AI, automation, and digital tools to simplify benefits delivery, improve decision-making, identify emerging needs, and create scalable employee experiences.

Drive Higher Performance

Through Our People Build a high-performing team, raise the bar on expertise and accountability, and create clear ownership across strategy, governance, and delivery.

Execute on the Fundamentals

Maintain disciplined governance, strong controls, accurate administration, effective risk management, measurable vendor performance, and consistent execution.

Success Profile

The ideal candidate is a strategic, externally oriented benefits executive who can balance innovation, governance, employee experience, financial stewardship, and operational discipline. This leader will shape how Voya supports its employees while leveraging relevant insights to strengthen Voya’s industry presence and the solutions it brings to market.

Compensation Pay Disclosure:

Voya is committed to pay that’s fair and equitable, which means comparable pay for comparable roles and responsibilities.

The below annual base salary range reflects the expected hiring range(s) for this position in the location(s) listed. In addition to base salary, Voya offers incentive opportunities (i.e., annual cash incentives, sales incentives, and/or long-term incentives) based on the role to reward the achievement of annual performance objectives. Please note that this salary information is solely for candidates hired to perform work within one of these locations, and refers to the amount Voya Financial is willing to pay at the time of this posting.

Actual compensation offered may vary from the posted salary range based upon the candidate’s geographic location, work experience, education, licensure requirements and/or skill level and will be finalized at the time of offer. Salaries for part-time roles will be prorated based upon the agreed upon number of hours to be regularly worked.

$180,000-$220,000

Be Well. Stay Well.

Voya provides the resources that can make a difference in your lives. To us, this means thriving physically, financially, socially and emotionally. Voya benefits are designed to help you do just that. That’s why we offer an array of plans, programs, tools and resources with one goal in mind: To help you and your family be well and stay well.

What We Offer

Health, dental, vision and life insurance plans

401(k) Savings plan – with generous company matching contributions (up to 6%)

Voya Retirement Plan – employer paid cash balance retirement plan (4%)

Tuition reimbursement up to $5,250/year

Paid time off – including 20 days paid time off, nine paid company holidays and a flexible Diversity Celebration Day.

Paid volunteer time — 40 hours per calendar year

Learn more about Voya benefits (download PDF)

Critical Skills

At Voya, we have identified the following critical skills which are key to success in our culture:

Customer Focused: Passionate drive to delight our customers and offer unique solutions that deliver on their expectations.

Critical Thinking: Thoughtful process of analyzing data and problem solving data to reach a well-reasoned solution.

Team Mentality: Partnering effectively to drive our culture and execute on our common goals.

Business Acumen: Appreciation and understanding of the financial services industry in order to make sound business decisions.

Learning Agility: Openness to new ways of thinking and acquiring new skills to retain a competitive advantage.

Learn more about Critical Skills

Equal Employment Opportunity

Voya Financial is an equal-opportunity employer. Voya Financial provides equal opportunity to qualified individuals regardless of race, color, sex, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, disability, veteran status, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other status protected by state or local law.

Reasonable Accommodations

Voya is committed to the inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Voya will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please reference resources for applicants with disabilities.

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