Vice President, Total Rewards People & Culture Hybrid in New York, NY

About Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop is the global nonprofit behind Sesame Street and so much more. For over 50 years, we have worked at the intersection of education, media, and research, creating joyful experiences that enrich minds and expand hearts, all in service of empowering each generation to build a better world. Our beloved characters, iconic shows, outreach in communities, and more bring playful early learning to families in more than 190 countries and advance our mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. Learn more at follow Sesame Workshop on Instagram,TikTok, Facebook, and X.

Job Summary:

The Vice President, Total Rewards is a member of the People & Culture leadership team and reports to the Chief People Officer. The role leads the Total Rewards function and a team of four, including two direct reports: the Director, Compensation and the Director, Benefits & People Operations.

Purpose:

Sesame Workshop’s people make joyful learning possible globally. The Vice President, Total Rewards makes sure that how we pay, support, and care for those people is worthy of that work — equitable, competitive, market-informed, financially responsible, and clearly connected to our mission, talent strategy, and organizational priorities. The VP leads the continued evolution of our Total Rewards practices and brings a point of view to how they are designed, governed and experienced. We are looking for someone who is curious about how things work, who looks for new ways of doing them, and who is able to move confidently between strategy, analysis, and execution. The VP is a trusted advisor to the Chief People Officer, senior leadership, and the Board HR & Compensation Committee on complex compensation, benefits, and workforce matters. Sesame Workshop cares deeply about getting things right, and progress here comes from asking good questions, showing your work, and building agreement. The role calls for deep expertise, sound judgment, a global perspective, and the persistence to turn good thinking into lasting practice.

Delivery:

Compensation

• Lead Sesame Workshop’s compensation philosophy, strategy, and programs, bringing analytical discipline, clear governance, and transparency to pay decisions so that they are equitable, competitive, well-documented, and explainable to the people they affect.
• Set and uphold the standards, controls, and documentation that govern compensation decisions, and equip managers and People Business Partners to apply and explain them consistently.
• Oversee compensation planning, salary structures, market benchmarking, incentive programs, and organization-wide compensation and pay equity analysis, applying consistent methodology and country-specific market, economic, and regulatory context to global decisions, and translating data into clear recommendations.
• Serve as the senior Total Rewards advisor on executive compensation, overseeing analysis, market positioning, governance, and required reporting and disclosures, and supporting the CPO in developing recommendations for the Board HR & Compensation Committee.
• Partner with Labor Relations on compensation and benefits matters related to collective bargaining agreements, providing analysis and supporting accurate and consistent administration.
• Set the Total Rewards technology strategy and roadmap for Galaxy, establishing standards for data integrity, reporting, and user experience.

Benefits

• Set the strategy and governance framework for Sesame Workshop's U.S. and global benefits programs, and oversee their ongoing evaluation, balancing employee needs, competitiveness, cost, and organizational priorities.
• Oversee benefits planning, program evaluation, vendor relationships, compliance, and communications, ensuring programs remain effective, competitive, and responsive to the needs of our people.

Total Rewards & People Infrastructure

• Provide executive oversight for the People Operations capabilities that enable effective Total Rewards and enterprise People practices, including HR data governance, job architecture, core policies, systems, and related infrastructure.
• Develop and evolve Total Rewards policies and practices, including incentive, time-off, and other rewards-related policies, ensuring they are clear, equitable, compliant, and consistent with our obligations under applicable collective bargaining agreement.

Leadership & Governance

• Advise the CPO and senior leadership on complex Total Rewards matters, bringing relevant data, real options, and a point of view.
• Frame the financial, talent, equity, employee experience, and organizational implications of Total Rewards decisions so leaders can make informed tradeoffs.
• In partnership with the CPO, prepare and present Total Rewards analysis, recommendations, and materials to the Board HR & Compensation Committee for quarterly meetings and other governance needs.
• Lead and develop the Total Rewards team - setting direction, growing talent, and building a function known for accuracy, responsiveness, and sound judgment.

Engagement

• Partner with the CPO, VP, People & Culture, People Business Partners, Labor Relations, and Employee Experience leadership to ensure Total Rewards programs and policies reflect the needs of our people and the organization.
• Collaborate with Finance, Legal, Payroll, and other internal and external partners to support effective implementation and delivery of Total Rewards programs.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with internal stakeholders and external advisors, consultants, vendors, and benefits partners to bring expertise, insight, and effective solutions to Total Rewards priorities

This role may perform other related duties as needed to support team and organizational priorities.

Minimum Qualifications Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 10+ years of significant leadership experience in Total Rewards, Compensation, Benefits, and/or related HR disciplines.
• Experience leading a Total Rewards function in a complex organization.
• Strong compensation expertise, including market analysis, salary structures, incentives, pay equity, and executive compensation.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex information, translate data into clear recommendations, and advise senior leaders.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide initiatives, implementing policies and processes, and driving organizational change.
• Strong leadership, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and work effectively across functions.
• Knowledge of applicable compensation, benefits, and employment regulations.
• Experience leading, developing, and managing teams and creating a collaborative, high performing environment.

Other Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading Total Rewards in a nonprofit or mission-driven organization, including knowledge of nonprofit executive compensation practices, governance, reporting requirements, and Board committee processes.
• Experience leading global Total Rewards strategies across multiple countries, balancing country-specific market, economic, regulatory, and compensation practices with appropriate global consistency and governance.
• Experience with organization-wide compensation analytics, including pay analysis, pay equity, and market competitiveness, to inform business decisions.
• Experience with incentive program design, governance, and policy development.
• Experience leading HR technology implementations, enhancements, or governance, particularly compensation and performance management platforms.
• Experience working in a unionized environment and partnering closely with Labor Relations on compensation and benefits matters.
• Professional certification such as CCP, CEBS, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent.

Sesame Workshop Hybrid Work Policy

This position is based at our headquarters office in New York (Manhattan) at 1900 Broadway, New York, NY, and follows a hybrid work model. In-office requirements vary by role and employee group, and currently range from two to five designated in-office days per week.

Pay Transparency Policy Statement

As a federal contractor, Sesame Workshop follows Pay Transparency and non-discrimination provisions as guided by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Equal Opportunity Employment (EOE) Statement

Sesame Workshop is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, predisposing genetic characteristics, pregnancy-related condition, familial status, domestic violence victim status, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

PSEA Statement

Sesame Workshop is an equal-opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on the business needs, job requirements & suitability of the candidate. Sesame Workshop strictly follows the Child Safeguarding Policy, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of program participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Sesame Workshop staff, consultants, visitors to the program and partner organization, and the standards of behavior expected from them.