Director, HR Operations & Total Rewards - Minneapolis, MN

Who We Are:
Fredrikson & Byron is the premier Midwest-based Law Firm working collaboratively to help businesses achieve their goals regionally, nationally, and globally.

Overview:

The Director of HR Operations & Total Rewards serves as a strategic and operational leader responsible for advancing the Firm's HR infrastructure, modernizing core processes, and stewarding a comprehensive and competitive total rewards philosophy. This role oversees many of the HR operations-including HRIS, payroll, benefits, and leave management-ensuring that systems, policies, and practices are efficient, scalable, and aligned with organizational objectives.

A key architect of transformation within the HR function, this leader will evaluate and redesign processes, harness new HRIS capabilities, and champion a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement. The Director is responsible for managing and developing a high-performing team, ensuring the capacity and expertise necessary to deliver the future of HR service delivery, rewards strategy, and change management across the enterprise. This position reports directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer.

Key Responsibilities Include:

HR Operations

• Provide strategic oversight for HR operations associated with total rewards delivery, HRIS management, payroll, AskHR platform, benefits administration and leave management.
• Ensure an Firm-wide adoption of a new HRIS platform, Workday, ensuring integration, data integrity, as well as long-term optimization and sustainability.
• Design, maintain, and continually refine employee-centered HR processes that improve day-to-day service delivery, reduce operational inefficiencies, and ensure consistency, accuracy, and scalability across all HR functions.

Total Rewards (Compensation and Benefits) & Leave Management

• Develop and implement a modern job architecture and career framework to support organizational clarity, mobility, and workforce planning.
• Establish compensation benchmarks and a robust market-pricing strategy to ensure competitive, equitable, and transparent pay practices for the Firm's operations staff and executive leadership within the Firm.
• Define and steward the organization's compensation philosophy, aligning it with business goals and talent strategies.
• Evaluate, optimize, and oversee benefits programs that are innovative, competitive, and reflective of employee needs and industry standards.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local leave laws (including FMLA), and oversee the design and administration of leave processes that balance employee support with organizational risk mitigation.

Change Management & Continuous Improvement

• Lead Firm-wide HR transformation by reimagining processes, redesigning workflows, and leveraging new HRIS capabilities to create future-state operating models that elevate how HR delivers value.
• Design and execute change management strategies that enable smoother transitions, greater adoption, and enhanced organizational readiness.
• Lead ongoing assessments of team structure, roles, and processes to build a flexible, scalable HR operations and total rewards function.
• Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement across HR teams and programs.

Qualifications & Skills:

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related discipline required.
• Master's degree or professional certification (e.g., SHRM-SCP, CCP) preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, including 5+ years in a leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated expertise in HR operations, HRIS implementation, and payroll administration.
• Strong background in compensation strategy, market analysis, benefits design and leave compliance.

Technical Skills

• Advanced knowledge of HRIS platforms and emerging HR technologies.
• Proficiency in workforce analytics, HR metrics, and data-driven decision-making.

Leadership & Core Competencies

• Strategic thinker with the ability to convert organizational priorities into impactful HR strategies and initiatives.
• Proven excellence in change management, project execution, and cross-functional leadership.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment while navigating ambiguity and driving clarity.

Benefits:

Our comprehensive benefits options include medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, short- and long-term disability, employee resource benefits (inclusive of counseling, coaching, and caregiving guidance), paid parental leave, parenting classes, pre-tax parking and transportation options, and much more! Our retirement plan includes financial planning, Social Security/Medicare planning, 401k/Roth investment options, and a Firm-paid profit-sharing contribution. Benefits are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms and conditions.

The salary range for this position varies by geographical market. In Minneapolis, the estimated starting annual pay range is $185,000 - $205,000. The compensation offered will be dependent on the candidate's experience, skills, education, professional background, overall qualifications, and geographic market location.

Applying For This Position:

Interested candidates should submit their resume and cover letter. Applications will only be accepted online at https://www.fredlaw.com/careers-meet-us. For assistance with the application process or for accommodations, please contact recruiting@fredlaw.com.

About Fredrikson:

With a reputation as the Firm "where law and business meet," our attorneys and staff bring business acumen and entrepreneurial thinking to operate as business advisors, strategic partners, and legal counselors to our clients. To best serve our clients, we provide innovative solutions to legal needs while reflecting inclusion and diversity as core values. We offer highly competitive salaries and comprehensive benefits in a collaborative work environment. The Firm's 400+ attorneys serve clients through our ten locations around the world: Minneapolis, Saint Paul, and Mankato, MN; Bismarck and Fargo, ND; Ames and Des Moines, IA; Madison, WI; Saltillo, Mexico; and Shanghai, China. Visit www.fredlaw.com for more information.

Fredrikson is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. Fredrikson does not discriminate in its recruiting, hiring or employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, national origin, ancestry, marital status, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military or veteran status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, and any other characteristics protected by applicable local, state, and/or federal laws.

We are not accepting search firm submissions for this position; please apply directly through our careers page.