Global Senior Benefits Specialist

We are seeking a proactive and execution-oriented Global Senior Benefits Specialist to help scale and optimize our global benefits programs. Reporting to the Senior Manager, Benefits, this role will serve as a key operational partner supporting day-to-day U.S. benefits administration while contributing to benefits delivery across EMEA and APJ.

This position is ideal for a highly organized, solutions-driven professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, operates with a high degree of ownership, and can independently manage multiple priorities across a global workforce. The ideal candidate combines strong operational excellence with analytical thinking, vendor management experience, and a passion for delivering an exceptional employee experience.

This role is based at our HQ in McLean, VA. Appian was built on a culture of in-person collaboration, which we believe is a key driver of our mission to be the best. Employees hired for this position are expected to be in the office 5 days a week to foster that culture and ensure we continue to thrive through shared ideas and teamwork. We believe being in the office provides more opportunities to come together and celebrate working with the exceptional people across Appian.

Key Responsibilities:

U.S. Benefits Administration

• Support the administration of U.S. health and welfare programs, including medical, dental, vision, HSA/FSA, life and AD&D, disability, leave programs, and voluntary benefits.

• Assist with daily administration of the U.S. 401(k) program, including employee inquiries, compliance coordination, and partnership with plan administrators and financial advisors.

• Partner with internal stakeholders and leave administration vendor to support employee leave programs, including FMLA, STD, LTD, parental leave, and state-specific leave programs.

• Ensure timely and accurate processing of enrollments, life events, audits, and payroll-related benefits activities.

Global Benefits Support (EMEA & APJ)

• Support the administration and delivery of benefits programs across EMEA and APJ regions in partnership with local brokers, vendors, and HR teams.

• Assist with global renewals, implementation activities, employee communications, and benefits data management.

• Help ensure smooth execution of regional benefit programs while supporting compliance with local statutory requirements and market practices.

• Maintain accurate global benefits documentation, enrollment workflows, and reporting.

Compliance & Vendor Management

• Support compliance efforts related to ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, nondiscrimination testing, and other U.S. regulatory requirements.

• Partner with regional stakeholders to support compliance and governance activities across international programs.

• Assist with vendor management activities, including implementations, renewals, invoice auditing, issue resolution, and ongoing performance monitoring.

Process Improvement & Strategic Initiatives

• Identify opportunities to improve benefits operations, streamline processes, and enhance the employee experience globally.

• Analyze claims data, utilization trends, and vendor reporting to identify insights and support recommendations.

• Support key annual initiatives including Open Enrollment, systems testing/configuration, employee education, and benefits communications.

• Leverage technology and AI-enabled tools to improve operational efficiency, reporting, and communication workflows.

Qualifications & Skills

• 5+ years of experience in benefits administration with demonstrated ownership of complex benefits programs.

• Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Strong working knowledge of U.S. health and welfare benefits and retirement plans; international benefits exposure across North America, EMEA and/or APJ preferred.

• Experience partnering with external vendors, brokers, and cross-functional internal stakeholders.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with experience working in spreadsheets, reporting, and data audits.

• Experience with benefits administration systems; Workday experience strongly preferred.

• Comfort leveraging AI and automation tools to improve workflows and productivity.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment.