Director Total Rewards (Northbrook)

Director Total Rewards

We’re partnered with a globally connected, innovation-driven organization at a stage where compensation, benefits, and HR infrastructure must evolve alongside business growth.

This is an environment where scale, complexity, and expectations are all increasing—and where Total Rewards plays a direct role in how the business performs.

Title

Director, Total Rewards & HR Operations - U.S.

About the Role

You’ll lead Total Rewards and HR Operations for the U.S., owning everything from compensation strategy and benefits design to HR systems, analytics, and operational execution.

You’ll operate at both altitude and ground level:

• Shaping philosophy and long-term strategy
• Ensuring programs are executed with precision

You’ll also partner closely with global leadership—aligning U.S. practices with broader enterprise direction while navigating local complexity.

This is a role where decisions carry weight—and your work shows up in both cost structure and talent outcomes.

Responsibilities

Total Rewards Strategy & Design

• Define and evolve compensation and benefits strategy (base, bonus, long-term incentives, health, retirement)
• Ensure programs align with business goals, market competitiveness, and internal equity
• Lead annual planning cycles, market benchmarking, and program evaluation

HR Operations & Infrastructure

• Oversee HR systems, data integrity, analytics, and reporting capabilities
• Build dashboards and insights that inform business and talent decisions
• Drive process improvement and operational scalability

Executive Partnership & Financial Alignment

• Partner with senior leadership and finance to align rewards strategy with budget and business performance
• Present recommendations, trade-offs, and investment strategies with clarity and confidence
• Translate complex data into clear direction
• You’ll be expected to make decisions with incomplete information—and stand behind them.

Global Collaboration & Integration

• Align U.S. programs with global strategy while addressing local regulatory and market dynamics
• Collaborate across regions and functions to ensure consistency and effectiveness
• Support due diligence and integration efforts related to acquisitions

Governance, Compliance & Vendor Strategy

• Ensure compliance with federal and state regulations across compensation and benefits
• Manage external partners (consultants, brokers, vendors) with a focus on performance and cost discipline
• Maintain strong governance and risk management practices

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a small, high-impact team
• Set clear expectations and elevate performance
• Build capability that scales with the business

Qualifications

• 10+ years in Total Rewards, Compensation, and/or Benefits leadership
• 5+ years leading teams and owning strategy—not just execution
• Experience operating in complex, multi-layered organizations
• Strong understanding of regulatory environments and compliance frameworks
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands‑on execution

Required Skills

• You understand how total rewards impacts performance, retention, and cost structure
• You’re comfortable presenting to and influencing senior leadership
• You can connect data, finance, and people strategy into a clear narrative
• You’ve led through complexity—growth, change, or integration

This Role Is Not For You If

• You’ve only managed programs but haven’t designed them
• You prefer narrow scope over enterprise-level impact
• You avoid data, analytics, or financial conversations
• You’re looking for a steady‑state environment instead of building and evolving

Compensation & Benefits

• $200K – $240K base
• 25% bonus target + long-term incentives
• Comprehensive benefits + retirement programs

Equal Opportunity Statement

We’re committed to building strong, diverse teams and an environment where people can do their best work.

Let’s Talk

If you’ve been operating at the intersection of compensation, strategy, and business performance—and you’re ready to take full ownership of that function—this is a seat worth exploring.

Confidential inquiries welcome.

Screening questions

Required qualifications

• How many years of work experience do you have with Compensation & Benefits? Ideal Answer: Minimum: 8
• How many years of experience do you have leading Total Rewards, Compensation, or Benefits strategy? Ideal Answer: Minimum: 8
• How many direct reports have you managed in a Total Rewards or HR function? Ideal Answer: Minimum: 3

Preferred qualifications

• How many years of work experience do you have with Employee Benefits Design? Ideal Answer: Minimum: 1
• How many years of work experience do you have with Employee Rewards Programs? Ideal Answer: Minimum: 1
• Have you owned or led compensation strategy including base pay, incentives, and/or long-term incentive programs? Ideal Answer: Yes
• Have you worked in a global or multi-region organization? Ideal Answer: Yes
• Have you presented compensation or total rewards strategy to executive leadership (VP/C‑suite)? Ideal Answer: Yes

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