Director of Total Rewards

Industry: Corporate / Multi-Unit Operations Department: Human Resources Reports To: Chief Human Resources Officer / VP of Human Resources

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Director of Total Rewards to lead the development, implementation, and administration of the organization's compensation, benefits, and broader total rewards strategy. This individual will be responsible for ensuring compensation programs are competitive, benefits offerings support employee needs, and reward strategies align with business objectives, talent retention, and organizational growth.

The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking with strong analytical and operational capabilities, bringing experience in compensation planning, benefits administration, salary benchmarking, incentive programs, and regulatory compliance. This leader will partner with HR, Finance, and executive leadership to develop scalable programs that attract top talent, reward performance, and support the organization's long-term success.

Key Responsibilities

Compensation Strategy & Administration

• Develop and execute compensation strategies that align with business goals, workforce needs, and external market conditions.

• Oversee salary structures, pay ranges, job evaluations, and compensation benchmarking across the organization.

• Lead annual compensation planning, including merit increases, salary adjustments, bonus programs, and incentive compensation.

• Evaluate internal pay equity and external competitiveness to ensure fair, consistent, and market-aligned compensation practices.

• Partner with HR business partners and hiring leaders on compensation decisions, offers, promotions, and retention strategies.

• Develop compensation guidelines and processes that support consistency across departments, business units, and geographic markets.

Benefits Strategy & Management

• Oversee the design, administration, and ongoing evaluation of employee benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, retirement, life insurance, disability, and voluntary benefits.

• Manage relationships with benefits brokers, consultants, carriers, and third-party administrators.

• Evaluate benefit plan performance, utilization, employee feedback, and cost trends to identify opportunities for improvement.

• Develop strategies to balance competitive employee offerings with responsible cost management.

• Oversee annual open enrollment, benefits communications, plan changes, and employee education.

• Ensure benefits programs are administered accurately and consistently while meeting applicable regulatory requirements.

Incentive Programs & Performance-Based Rewards

• Design and manage short-term and long-term incentive programs that support organizational performance and employee engagement.

• Partner with executive leadership and Finance to establish bonus structures, performance metrics, payout methodologies, and eligibility criteria.

• Evaluate sales incentives, management bonuses, executive compensation, and other variable pay programs as applicable.

• Assess program effectiveness and recommend adjustments to strengthen accountability, retention, and business results.

• Ensure compensation programs are clearly communicated and consistently administered.

HR Analytics & Market Intelligence

• Use compensation data, market surveys, workforce analytics, and industry benchmarks to inform total rewards decisions.

• Develop reporting on compensation costs, benefits expenses, pay equity, incentive payouts, and program effectiveness.

• Analyze trends in employee retention, turnover, hiring competitiveness, and compensation-related workforce challenges.

• Present recommendations and insights to senior leadership to support strategic workforce planning and budgeting.

• Establish metrics to evaluate the effectiveness and financial impact of total rewards programs.

Compliance, Governance & Risk Management

• Ensure compensation and benefits programs comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations.

• Maintain appropriate documentation, policies, controls, and audit procedures for compensation and benefits administration.

• Oversee compliance with applicable wage and hour requirements, pay transparency rules, benefits regulations, and retirement plan obligations.

• Support pay equity reviews and compensation audits, partnering with Legal and HR leadership as needed.

• Maintain confidentiality and appropriate governance around employee compensation, executive pay, and sensitive personnel information.

Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Lead, coach, and develop compensation and benefits professionals.

• Collaborate with HR leadership to align total rewards programs with talent acquisition, performance management, retention, and employee engagement initiatives.

• Partner with Finance on annual budgets, labor cost projections, benefits forecasting, and compensation planning.

• Advise executive leadership on compensation strategy, market competitiveness, and evolving total rewards practices.

• Evaluate HR systems and technology to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and scalability of compensation and benefits processes.

• Lead initiatives to streamline workflows, improve employee experience, and strengthen the organization's overall rewards philosophy.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience in compensation, benefits, total rewards, or related HR functions.

• Previous experience as a Director of Total Rewards, Compensation Director, Benefits Director, or senior compensation and benefits leader preferred.

• Demonstrated expertise in compensation strategy, salary benchmarking, job architecture, and incentive program design.

• Strong knowledge of employee benefits programs, vendor management, plan administration, and cost optimization.

• Experience leading annual compensation cycles, merit planning, bonus programs, and benefits open enrollment.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret compensation data, evaluate trends, and develop actionable recommendations.

• Working knowledge of applicable employment, compensation, and benefits regulations.

• Experience partnering with executive leadership, Finance, HR business partners, and external vendors.

• Proficiency with HRIS, compensation management platforms, benefits administration systems, and Microsoft Excel or comparable analytical tools.

• Excellent communication, leadership, project management, and stakeholder management skills.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• A strategic total rewards leader who can balance employee needs, market competitiveness, and financial discipline.

• A data-driven decision-maker who uses benchmarking and analytics to guide compensation and benefits strategy.

• An effective business partner who can communicate complex compensation concepts to executives and employees.

• A strong program owner who can manage annual compensation cycles, benefits renewals, and multiple initiatives simultaneously.

• A collaborative leader who builds scalable processes and develops strong relationships across HR, Finance, and the broader organization.

• A forward-thinking professional who understands how compensation, benefits, incentives, and recognition contribute to talent attraction and retention.

Key Areas of Impact

• Improve the organization's ability to attract and retain high-performing employees.

• Strengthen compensation competitiveness and internal pay equity.

• Optimize benefits costs while maintaining valuable employee offerings.

• Improve the effectiveness of incentive and performance-based compensation programs.

• Establish consistent, scalable total rewards processes that support organizational growth.

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