Director Compensation

3- month contract role for a Sr Director of Compensation

Must be 100% ONSITE 5 days a week in downtown Dallas, TX

Only candidates that are local to the Dallas, TX area will be considered

Functional Role: Senior Director, Compensation

Start Date: ASAP – as soon as we can identify a candidate

Duration: 90+ days

Remote / Onsite / Hybrid: 100% on-site 5 days a week in downtown Dallas, Texas

Hourly Pay Rate: $65-68/hour

Industry: Higher Education

Managing anyone: Yes, leading an assistant director and a compensation analyst

Background check is required

Job Details:

• Need someone who has a strong leadership background
• NOT looking for HR blended candidates – really looking for pure compensation professionals who have done compensation from the bottom up
• Ability to operate across both execution and strategy
• Strong understanding of comp design, delivery, and business alignment
• Knows how to identify needs and implement solutions effectively
• Work Style Expectations:
• Highly proactive – anticipates needs and takes action without direction
• “Trigger-ready” mindset – moves quickly and decisively
• Comfortable owning processes end-to-end without requiring step-by-step guidance
• Leadership
• Must have proven leadership qualities
• Experience leading a team as a technical leader supporting organizational strategy
• Role Focus
• Primarily compensation-focused
• Hands-on role, not just leadership/oversight
• Responsible for all aspects of compensation within the organization
• Qualifications
• Ideally holds a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) certification
• Strong practical application of compensation knowledge beyond textbook theory
• Strong Excel skills essential, including Pivot tables, V-lookups & Handling large data sets
• System Experience
• Experience with Workday is highly preferred
• Experience in higher education is a plus but not required
• Key Responsibilities
• Internal and external benchmarking using tools like: Willis Towers Watson, Mercer, Boutique firms, Online subscription services
• Reviewing and standardizing job descriptions.
• Benchmarking pay and uploading data into Workday.
• Developing, documenting, and creating SOPs around compensation processes (e.g., promotions).
• Supporting the creation of the 3–5 year total rewards roadmap and strategy.
• Focus on operational support compensation work for departments such as HR, IT, Finance, and Accounting.
• Ensuring alignment with the strategic goals and positioning for 3–5 year plans.