Global Benefits Product Manager - SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Benefits

About the job

Introduction At IBM Corporate Headquarters (CHQ) and Other Functions, diverse teams such as marketing, finance, legal, operations, HR, and more work together to keep IBM moving forward. These functions play a vital role in solving complex challenges, supporting our clients’ success, and creating collaborative environments for IBMers worldwide. Working in CHQ and Other Functions means contributing your expertise to a global network that values teamwork, problem-solving, and innovation. You’ll have opportunities to grow your career while helping IBM operate with excellence and scale its impact across industries. With a culture that emphasizes learning, inclusivity, and career development, IBM offers the platform to apply your skills where they matter most. Scope & Impact • Accountable for product outcomes and influences strategy and execution across squads and stakeholders. • Voice of the user; decide what to build and why; galvanize teams with an inspiring vision and outcomes‑based roadmap; relentlessly drive discovery and delivery. Your Role And Responsibilities We are seeking an experienced SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central (EC) Benefits Product Manager with strong expertise in Benefits design, configuration, enrolment, life events, vendor integrations, and operational support. The ideal candidate will leverage deep EC Benefits knowledge to design scalable, compliant, user‑centric solutions that meet IBM’s global Total Rewards strategy. This role requires owning the product vision, strategy, and commercial success for SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central (EC) Benefits. You will lead and develop a multi‑disciplinary team (EC Benefits consultants, solution/technical architects, developers etc.) to deliver/maintain a scalable, compliant, and intuitive global benefits platform that advances our Total Rewards strategy and employee experience. You will be accountable for product plans, market/customer outcomes, and cross‑functional execution, and you influence strategy, portfolio priorities, and go‑to‑market alignment. Your role requires strong product ownership, problem‑solving capability, and the ability to influence across HR Technology, Benefits Operations, Total Rewards, CIO, Finance, and other enterprise stakeholders. Preferred Education Master's Degree Core Responsibilities Required technical and professional expertise Product Strategy & Roadmap • Define and socialize the EC Benefits product vision, roadmap, and OKRs aligned to Total Rewards strategy and enterprise architecture; make data‑driven trade‑offs across desirability, feasibility, and viability. • Lead product discovery (research, journey mapping, experimentation) to simplify experiences for employees, HR partners, and Benefits Ops. Requirements, Design & Governance • Lead fit‑gap across plan designs, eligibility/coverage logic, life events, dependent management, pension and validations, leveraging standard EC Benefits capabilities. • Establish configuration guardrails (naming/versioning, documentation, access/privacy), design patterns, and reference architecture for Benefits within the HCM ecosystem (Core HR, Time/Absence, Mobility, vendor interfaces). Integrations & Data Flow • Own the carrier/vendor integration strategy (eligibility/enrolment files, workflows, confirmations) file specs, mappings, schedules, reconciliation, monitoring, and permanent fix patterns for fallouts. • Partner on Point‑to‑Point replication and adjacent data flows; ensure high data quality and resilience across upstream/downstream systems. Delivery Excellence & Quality • Oversee configuration, root‑cause analysis, and defect resolution for plans, rates, eligibility, validations, enrolments, and life events. • Lead SIT, regression, and UAT strategies with robust test data and acceptance criteria; instrument observability (dashboards, alerts, error queues) to reduce MTTR and recurring issues. Operational Calendar & Readiness • Orchestrate Annual Enrolment and key in‑year events (mid‑year changes, dependent verification, plan amendments) including dress rehearsals, blackout windows, comms, training, and hypercare. • Lead quarterly releases/HRSP impact assessments, regression scope, feature toggles, rollback, and business readiness; publish release notes and value‑realization updates. Stakeholder, Vendor & Change Management • Translate Total Rewards policies into product increments with measurable outcomes; partner with Finance, Risk/Compliance, Security, and Vendor Mgmt to maintain controls and auditability. • Govern carrier/vendor performance with KPIs/SLAs and continuous improvement forums; engage SAP on roadmap items and adoption planning. Required Qualifications & Experience • Overall 12+ years of experience including 8+ years with SAP SuccessFactors; 5+ years specializing in EC Benefits (complex/global environments/multi regional). • Proven people leadership managing consultants, architects, developers/integration, QA/test, and release; track record of coaching, performance management, and succession. • Strong experience with vendor/carrier integrations (file design, mapping, reconciliation, monitoring). • Demonstrated delivery of Annual Enrolment and multi‑release roadmaps with high quality and minimal disruption. • Excellent stakeholder management, written/oral communication, and data‑driven decision‑making. • A professional certification in SAP SuccessFactors Employee Central Benefits is a must. People Leadership (People Manager) • Lead, coach, and grow an experienced team (consultants, architects, developers, QA/test etc.). Own hiring, onboarding, performance management, coaching, career paths, and succession. • Set standards for configuration quality, engineering practices, test rigor, documentation, and observability; remove blockers; model IBM growth behaviours (trusted, team‑focused, courageous, resourceful, outcome‑focused). • Build a talent pipeline, mentor PMs/analysts, and foster an inclusive, psychologically safe environment for calculated risk‑taking and continuous improvement. Preferred Qualifications Preferred technical and professional experience • Hands‑on EC Benefits configuration (plans, rates, eligibility, enrolments, life events, dependent validations) and issue remediation. • Background in product management practices (roadmaps, OKRs, discovery, Agile at scale) and platform thinking. • Familiarity with compliance/audit controls and the financial impacts of employer/employee premiums (conceptual). • Proficiency in applying Agile and Design Thinking principles with a growth mindset expected. Ways of Working & Growth Behaviours • Growth‑minded, trusted, team‑focused, courageous, resourceful, outcome‑focused; candid, transparent, and outside‑in; enables decisions lower in the org; creates a psychologically safe environment; tests/learns and fails fast. • Mentors others, builds cross‑disciplinary networks, and leads by data, tying product decisions to measurable outcomes and enterprise strategy.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree

About the company

IBM is a global leader in technology and consulting, helping businesses and organizations leverage data and technology to drive innovation and efficiency. IBM emphasizes teamwork, problem-solving, and inclusivity, providing opportunities for diverse teams to thrive.