Director of Total Rewards

Role Overview

• The Director of Total Rewards is responsible for designing and leading a comprehensive total rewards strategy that drives business performance, supports organizational growth, and ensures a competitive and equitable employee experience across compensation, benefits, and payroll.
• This role operates as a strategic partner to executive leadership, shaping programs that align with company goals while balancing market competitiveness, internal equity, cost management, and regulatory compliance.
• You will lead the design, implementation, and continuous evolution of compensation, benefits, and payroll programs across a complex, multi-division organization.
• This is a highly visible role with enterprise impact, including ownership of annual compensation cycles, benefits strategy, vendor partnerships, M&A due diligence, and long-term rewards planning.

Requirements

• 7-10 years of experience in total rewards, including compensation, benefits, and payroll
• 5–7 years of leadership experience, ideally within complex or multi-division organizations
• Deep expertise in compensation strategy, including salary structures, incentive design, and executive compensation
• Strong experience designing and managing health and welfare benefit programs
• Knowledge of payroll operations, compliance, and process optimization
• Strong understanding of regulatory requirements (FLSA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, PPACA, etc.)
• Experience working in private equity-backed or high-growth environments preferred
• Demonstrated ability to drive process improvement and operational excellence
• Strong business acumen and ability to align rewards strategy with organizational performance
• Experience supporting M&A or business transformation initiatives

Benefits

• Develop and evolve a comprehensive total rewards strategy aligned to business objectives, growth plans, and talent priorities
• Ensure programs are competitive, equitable, and scalable across a multi-division organization
• Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on compensation, benefits, and workforce planning decisions
• Lead the design, implementation, and communication of all compensation programs, including base salary structures, annual merit cycles, variable pay, commissions, and executive compensation
• Ensure alignment between compensation strategy and company performance, financial goals, and talent strategy
• Oversee salary planning processes and ensure consistent, data-driven decision-making
• Develop and manage health and welfare benefit strategies, balancing employee experience with cost effectiveness
• Oversee plan design, vendor partnerships, implementation, and ongoing optimization
• Ensure programs remain competitive and aligned with employee needs and market trends
• Establish and oversee payroll processes, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency in routine processing and reporting
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll operations, systems, and delivery through process optimization and automation
• Ensure alignment with internal financial requirements and regulatory standards
• Evaluate and continuously improve compensation and benefits programs to ensure market competitiveness, compliance, and alignment with business goals
• Maintain compliance with all applicable regulations (e.g., FLSA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, PPACA)
• Implement governance structures to ensure consistency and risk mitigation
• Partner with external consultants and vendors to benchmark programs, stay current on market trends, and optimize offerings
• Manage vendor relationships to ensure quality, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with company strategy
• Lead total rewards due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, and new ventures
• Develop and execute a comprehensive communication strategy for compensation and benefits programs
• Enhance transparency, understanding, and engagement across the organization
• Ensure messaging supports broader company strategy and growth