Senior Director, Total Rewards

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

Job Summary:

The Sr. Director, Total Rewards is a critical leadership role responsible for the strategic direction and operational oversight of the WGU's Compensation and Benefits programs. This role plays a pivotal part in ensuring that both functions are aligned to create a cohesive and compelling Total Rewards strategy that supports employee attraction, retention, and engagement. The Sr. Director will work closely with the VP of Total Rewards, the Director of Compensation, and the Benefits team to integrate strategies and ensure seamless execution of compensation and benefits initiatives.

The Sr. Director will oversee the continued operational and strategic success of the Compensation team, while also providing elevated leadership and strategic direction for the Benefits function, ensuring both functions are optimized to meet the organization's goals. Additionally, the role will ensure that compensation and benefits programs are competitive, compliant, and aligned with the WGU's overall talent and business strategies. This role requires a visionary leader who can synthesize complex programs into a unified, impactful Total Rewards offering.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Develop and drive the organization's overarching Total Rewards strategy, ensuring the effective integration of Compensation and Benefits programs to attract, retain, and motivate a high-performing workforce.
• Collaborate closely with the VP of Total Rewards and key stakeholders across P&T and senior leadership to ensure that Total Rewards aligns with the organization's overall strategic goals and culture.
• Continuously monitor market trends and best practices to ensure the organization remains competitive, innovative, and aligned with employee needs and business priorities.
• Ensure all Total Rewards programs and strategies are designed and implemented in alignment with WGU's Leadership Principles and Cultural Beliefs, promoting a culture of innovation, accountability, and inclusivity. Act as a champion for embedding these principles into the compensation and benefits practices to enhance employee engagement and reinforce WGU's unique organizational culture.
• Provide strategic oversight and leadership to the Benefits function, elevating its impact by ensuring benefits programs are competitive, cost-effective, and aligned with both employee wellness and organizational objectives.
• Design and lead innovative benefits strategies that cater to the diverse needs of the workforce, including health and wellness programs, retirement plans, and other ancillary benefits.
• Oversee the company's leaves, accommodations, and disability programs, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. Lead strategic initiatives to optimize these programs, focusing on employee support and operational efficiency, while partnering with internal stakeholders to ensure these offerings are integrated seamlessly into the overall benefits package.
• Ensure seamless administration of all benefits programs and manage relationships with key vendors, driving continuous improvement and cost optimization.
• Partner with the current Director of Compensation, to ensure continued excellence in managing salary structures, incentive plans, pay equity analysis, and market competitiveness.
• Facilitate collaboration between the Compensation and Benefits teams, ensuring synergy in total rewards planning, especially during annual budgeting, compensation reviews, and workforce planning cycles.
• Lead efforts to align Compensation programs with broader Benefits initiatives to create a cohesive and compelling Total Rewards value proposition for employees.
• Collaborate with the Director of People Technology to enhance operational efficiency in the delivery of Total Rewards programs, leveraging HRIS systems and data analytics for decision-making and reporting.
• Ensure that all processes and tools used by the Compensation and Benefits teams are integrated, efficient, and scalable, driving consistency and operational excellence across both functions.
• Lead, mentor, and develop the Compensation and Benefits teams, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a key advisor to the VP of Total Rewards, offering insights into talent management, engagement, and retention strategies that integrate both compensation and benefits effectively.
• Ensure that the Total Rewards teams maintain compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements while supporting the broader talent function in the delivery of seamless employee experiences.

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:

• Strategic Total Rewards Expertise:
  • In-depth knowledge of compensation and benefits strategies, including salary structures, incentive programs, health and wellness benefits, retirement plans, and ancillary benefits.
  • Strong understanding of current market trends, regulatory requirements, and best practices in compensation and benefits management.
  • Ability to integrate compensation and benefits strategies into a cohesive Total Rewards offering that supports business objectives and employee engagement.

• Leadership and Team Development:
  • Track record of demonstrating the ability to hire, retain, inspire and develop top talent and future leaders.
  • Proven experience in leading and developing high-performing teams, with the ability to mentor and grow talent across Compensation and Benefits functions.
  • Demonstrated ability to foster collaboration and innovation within teams, ensuring strategic alignment and operational excellence.

• Project and Change Management:
  • Strong project management skills, with the ability to oversee multiple initiatives, including large-scale benefits redesigns, compensation reviews, and technology implementations.
  • Experience leading transformation initiatives, particularly in scaling HR operations, shared services, or benefits programs.

• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills:
  • Exceptional analytical skills, with the ability to interpret and synthesize data for decision-making, forecasting, and reporting.
  • Ability to navigate complex challenges in compensation, benefits, and regulatory compliance while developing innovative solutions.

• Communication and Influence:
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to convey complex compensation and benefits concepts to a variety of stakeholders, including senior leadership, employees, and external vendors.
  • Strong influencing and negotiation skills, particularly in managing relationships with external vendors and aligning internal stakeholders around Total Rewards strategies.

• Technical Acumen:
  • Knowledge of HRIS and compensation management systems, with the ability to leverage technology to drive efficiency, reporting, and data analysis within the Total Rewards function.
  • Proficiency in Excel, data analysis tools, and reporting software to manage compensation and benefits programs effectively.
• Regulatory and Compliance Knowledge:
  • Comprehensive understanding of federal, state, and local laws affecting compensation, benefits, and leave policies (e.g., FLSA, ACA, FMLA, ADA).
  • Ability to ensure compliance across all Total Rewards programs, minimizing risk while optimizing employee support services.

• Collaboration and Partnership:
  • Demonstrated ability to partner effectively with cross-functional teams, including HR Business Partners, Finance, and People Technology, to ensure seamless delivery of compensation and benefits programs.
  • Ability to build strong relationships with senior leadership and stakeholders to drive alignment on Total Rewards strategies and initiatives.

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in Total Rewards serving employee populations of 5,000+, with strong expertise in both Compensation and Benefits strategy and administration .
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing and developing high-performing teams serving 5,000+ employee orgs.
• Proven track record of designing and implementing compensation structures, benefits programs, and total rewards strategies in large, complex organizations.
• Experience working with HRIS, compensation management systems, and benefits administration platforms.
• Experience leading vendor negotiations and managing external relationships to drive cost-effective and competitive benefits programs.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Relevant professional certifications such as CCP (Certified Compensation Professional), CEBS (Certified Employee Benefits Specialist), or SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources).
• M&A Experience with scaled, complex business orgs/institutions
• Transformational Leadership: Experience in leading the transformation or scaling of Compensation and Benefits functions, with a focus on innovation and operational excellence.
• Global Experience: Experience in managing or overseeing global Total Rewards programs, with knowledge of international compensation and benefits practices and compliance requirements.
• Strategic Integration: Proven success in integrating Compensation and Benefits strategies to support business objectives and enhance the overall employee experience.
• Project Leadership: Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional HR initiatives, particularly those involving the implementation of new HR technologies or total rewards platforms.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

How to apply: apply online

Full-time Regular Positions(FT classification, standard working hours = 40)

This is a full-time, regular position that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

The University is an equal opportunity employer.All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.