Director of Total Rewards

PEPL has been engaged to place a Director of Total Rewards for a client in Savannah Georgia. Reporting to the Vice President of Human Resources, the Director of Total Rewards leads the organization's compensation, benefits, wellness, payroll, retirement, and related HR programs. This role sets the Total Rewards strategy, ensures programs are competitive and compliant, and partners with HR, Finance, Legal, executives, and business leaders to balance employee experience with financial discipline.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Total Rewards Strategy
  • Set and execute the Total Rewards strategy aligned with business goals and workforce needs.
  • Lead the design and administration of compensation, benefits, wellness, payroll, and retirement programs.
  • Monitor market trends, employee needs, and legal changes to keep programs competitive and compliant.
• Compensation
  • Lead compensation strategy, including salary structures, merit planning, incentives, executive compensation, and benchmarking.
  • Oversee job architecture, pay practices, job evaluations, and compensation analysis.
  • Partner with leaders on promotions, role changes, workforce planning, and annual budgeting.
• Benefits and Wellness
  • Lead benefits and wellness strategy, plan design, administration, and governance.
  • Evaluate cost, utilization, employee feedback, and plan performance to improve value.
  • Manage annual renewals, vendor selection, negotiations, and compliance requirements.
• Payroll Operations
  • Provide oversight of multi-state payroll operations, controls, compliance, and service quality.
  • Ensure compliance with payroll tax, reporting, garnishment, and related requirements.
  • Improve payroll processes, technology, and controls.
• Compliance, Governance, and Risk Management
  • Ensure Total Rewards programs comply with ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, retirement plan, payroll, and other requirements.
  • Partner with Legal, Finance, Internal Audit, and advisors on audits, reviews, controls, and risk mitigation.
  • Maintain policies, procedures, and governance for Total Rewards programs.
• Vendor and Financial Management
  • Manage key vendor relationships across benefits, payroll, wellness, retirement, and Total Rewards services.
  • Monitor vendor performance, service levels, contracts, costs, and outcomes.
  • Manage budgets and analyze cost, trend, and utilization data to support decisions.
• HR Technology and Analytics
  • Partner with HR Systems and vendors to improve HCM, benefits, compensation, payroll, and reporting capabilities.
  • Use data and analytics to guide Total Rewards strategy and decisions.
  • Track key performance indicators for Total Rewards programs and services.
• Mergers, Acquisitions, and Organizational Change
  • Support acquisition due diligence and integration for compensation, payroll, benefits, retirement plans, and employee programs.
  • Lead Total Rewards workstreams for acquisitions, mergers, and restructuring.
  • Ensure the smooth integration of employees, programs, systems, and policies.
• Leadership
  • Lead, coach, and develop the Compensation, Benefits, and Payroll teams.
  • Build strong partnerships across HR and the business.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree with 10 or more years of related leadership experience in Human Resources, Business, Accounting, or Finance. Master’s degree preferred.
• HR and/or payroll certification preferred.
• Minimum of five years of experience in a payroll function, with significant experience using HRIS/ERP systems and defining HR system requirements.
• Minimum of 10 years of benefits design and administration experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Engineering, or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Eight or more years of progressive experience in Human Resources, Total Rewards, Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, HR Operations, Finance, or related business functions.
• Demonstrated experience leading programs, projects, functions, or teams with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Experience supporting one or more of the following areas: compensation, benefits, payroll, HR systems, workforce planning, employee experience, compliance, or workforce analytics.
• Experience analyzing business, workforce, operational, or financial data and developing recommendations for management decision-making.
• Experience utilizing HRIS, payroll, benefits administration, reporting, or workforce analytics systems.
• Demonstrated ability to partner with leaders across multiple functions and influence organizational outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing or supporting compensation structures, salary administration, incentive programs, or Total Rewards initiatives.
• Experience overseeing payroll, benefits administration, vendor management, or retirement programs.
• Experience supporting mergers, acquisitions, organizational integration, system implementations, or large-scale business transformation initiatives.
• Professional certification such as SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CCP, CEBS, CPP, or a similar certification preferred.
• Experience leading teams and managing functional budgets preferred.
• Understanding of applicable employment, payroll, and benefits regulations, including ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, ACA, and related compliance requirements.
• Strong analytical, financial, project-management, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to communicate complex information and provide recommendations to senior leaders.
• Strong leadership, relationship-building, and change-management capabilities.