Director, Leave of Absence and Benefits Administration - This role reports to GPC’s Senior Director of HR Operations and has a team of 12 with three direct reports

LOCATION - Corporate Headquarters, Atlanta/Smyrna Georgia. Hybrid - 3 days in office, 2 days remote.

CLIENT OVERVIEW - Genuine Parts Company (GPC) , founded in 1928, is a leading global service provider specializing in the distribution of automotive and industrial replacement parts. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, GPC serves hundreds of thousands of customers across nearly 11,000 locations in 17 countries and employs over 65,000 people. Celebrating 96 years of expertise in distribution, GPC’s mission—"We keep the world moving!"—drives every aspect of its business operations.

The company’s success is underpinned by its commitment to working as “One GPC” team, focusing on customer success and delivering value to its stakeholders. This transformation began in 2019 and involved key divestitures, substantial mergers and acquisitions, the recruitment of new talent, and the development of global investment strategies. These efforts have streamlined GPC’s portfolio, positioning the company for long-term growth and preparing it for its next century of success. The strategic initiatives and reinvestments in its core businesses have established a sustainable competitive advantage.

In 2023, GPC achieved record revenues of $23.1 billion, a 4.5% increase, along with net earnings of $1.3 billion. The company has now celebrated 68 consecutive years of dividend increases. In 2024, GPC’s Board of Directors raised the cash dividend by 5%, reflecting their confidence in the company’s ongoing success. For the nine months ending September 30, 2024, GPC reported $17.7 billion in sales, a 1.2% increase from the same period in 2023. Net income for this period was $771 million, compared to $1 billion in 2023. GPC is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “GPC.” To learn more about GPC, visit genpt.com

CULTURE - While GPC is a globally recognized leader with nearly a century of financial stability, its true distinction lies in its culture. The company offers the best of both worlds: the close-knit feel of a small company combined with the career opportunities and resources of a global organization. GPC places great value in building meaningful relationships and empowering its people to make decisions that benefit teams, customers, suppliers, and communities alike.

At GPC, the culture revolves around authenticity, integrity, and doing what’s right for both colleagues and customers. The well-being of employees is a top priority, as GPC believes in the power of people—driven by innovation and a shared commitment to excellence. This strong foundation has allowed GPC to create a legacy of success that spans back to 1928, and it continues to thrive thanks to the dedication of its people.

FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES - The Director, Leave of Absence and Benefits Administration leads the operational strategy and execution of GPC’s U.S. leave of absence and benefits programs, supporting all U.S. based employees. This leader is responsible for developing a high performing team of leave and benefits professionals, ensuring compliance with company policies and regulatory standards, and managing outsourced vendor relations.

As the subject matter expert and senior team member, this role will manage relationships with key stakeholders and vendors to implement strategic initiatives that drive continuous improvement in GPC’s leave management and benefits employee experience.

Leave Management Leadership

• Leads the internal Leave of Absence (LOA) team, ensuring claims are managed efficiently and in compliance with applicable laws (e.g., FMLA, ADA, state-specific leave laws) and company policy
• Develops team expertise in case management and implements best practices for managing leave claims
• Provides strategic thought leadership for leave-related processes and policies
• Ensures alignment of leave administration with organizational policies and objectives
• Identifies opportunities for process and policy harmonization with the goal of optimizing expense while enhancing the employee experience

Benefits Administration

• Oversee the administration of comprehensive benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, and voluntary benefits
• Ensure compliance with company policies, federal, and state regulations (e.g., ERISA, ACA, HIPAA)
• Monitors benefit plan trends and usage to identify opportunities for optimization
• Act as a subject matter expert in benefit-related escalations and compliance issues

Leadership and Collaboration

• Manages, mentors, and develops a team of benefits and leave professionals, fostering a culture of performance, collaboration, and accountability
• Partners with internal stakeholders, including Payroll, People Partners, Legal, and other functions, to ensure seamless operations and compliance
• Manage relationships with external vendors, ensuring service-level agreements are met and optimizing vendor performance

Compliance and Reporting

• Ensures all programs comply with federal, state, and local regulations, as well as company policies
• Prepares and reviews reports related to benefits and leave administration, providing insights and recommendations to leadership
• Stays informed of legislative and regulatory changes that may impact benefit and leave policies, and implement necessary adjustments proactively

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS - The ideal candidate will have 10+ years of progressive experience in leave of absence and benefits administration within a large, publicly traded, multi-state organization supporting a workforce of 20,000+ employees. A minimum of five years in progressive leadership roles is required. Extensive expertise in managing relationships with outsourced providers is essential.

Additional qualifications include:

• A demonstrated ability to thrive in a transformational environment
• Strong expertise in current relevant laws and regulations, including FMLA, ADA, STD, LTD, SDI, Workers’ Compensation, and industry best practices
• Previous experience with Workday and leave of absence tracking technologies
• Proven ability to establish KPIs, analyze performance metrics, and drive operational improvements
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Experience leading multiple teams and fostering a collaborative work environment

PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS - We are pursuing a leader who embodies a growth and transformational mindset while demonstrating judgment, humility, and honesty. This individual will align seamlessly with GPC’s corporate culture which emphasizes collaborative leadership.

The candidate’s personal characteristics should also include:

• A demonstrated ability to thrive in a transformational environment
• Strong expertise in current relevant laws and regulations, including FMLA, ADA, STD, LTD, SDI, Workers’ Compensation, and industry best practices
• Previous experience with Workday and leave of absence tracking technologies
• Proven ability to establish KPIs, analyze performance metrics, and drive operational improvements
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).
• Experience leading multiple teams and fostering a collaborative work environment

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS - A Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration or a related field is required. A Master’s degree in Human Resources or Business Administration is preferred

COMPENSATION - GPC provides an excellent compensation package encompassing a competitive salary commensurate with experience, a short-term bonus tied to individual performance and corporate results, as well as a long-term equity plan