Executive Director, Total Rewards

Reporting to the Chief Human Resource Officer, the Executive Director, Total Rewards is a strategic people leader who owns the enterprise-wide total rewards philosophy, strategy, and governance for a complex, global healthcare technology organization. This role sits on the extended HR leadership team and is a primary advisor to the CHRO, executive leadership, and the Compensation Committee on all matters of pay, benefits, and workforce investment.

The ideal candidate combines executive presence and strategic vision with the analytical depth and hands-on judgment to guide high-stakes decisions from Board compensation materials to plan design trade-offs in a dynamic, data-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Total Rewards Strategy & Enterprise Ownership

• Own and evolve the enterprise total rewards philosophy, strategy, and multi-year roadmap in direct partnership with the CHRO and executive leadership team
• Ensure programs support retention of critical talent, scalability, and performance differentiation at an enterprise level, including through periods of growth, restructuring, and M&A
• Partner with the CEO, CFO, and Finance leadership to align total rewards investment with company financial strategy, workforce planning, and long-range business plans
• Serve as the senior-most subject matter expert and escalation point for HR leadership and business executives on compensation, benefits, and total rewards governance
• Represent total rewards strategy and recommendations directly to the Board and Compensation Committee, including preparation of executive and Board-level materials

Compensation Strategy & Design

• Set enterprise compensation architecture, including job architecture, global salary structures, incentive plan design, and philosophy
• Own the design, governance, and Board reporting of executive compensation programs, including equity, in partnership with the CPO and outside compensation counsel/consultants
• Direct annual compensation planning cycles enterprise-wide, including merit, bonus, and equity processes, ensuring consistency, compliance, and cost discipline
• Direct ongoing market analyses and benchmarking strategy to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness across all geographies
• Provide executive counsel on organizational design, workforce planning, and retention strategy at the enterprise level

Benefits & Wellbeing Strategy

• Own the enterprise strategy and governance for health, wellness, retirement, and absence programs, balancing employee experience, cost management, and compliance across a growing global footprint
• Set benefits governance strategy, including plan design philosophy, vendor strategy, funding approach, and program performance standards
• Own the enterprise wellbeing strategy, including mental health and workforce sustainability initiatives, as a driver of engagement and retention
• Direct open enrollment strategy and execution, ensuring a seamless, high-quality employee experience at scale

Operational Excellence & Vendor Management

• Own end-to-end governance of total rewards operations, including annual cycles, audits, renewals, and open enrollment, with accountability to the CPO and executive leadership for outcomes
• Direct strategic relationships with external partners, consultants, and vendors, negotiating enterprise agreements that optimize service delivery, risk, and cost efficiency
• Drive enterprise-wide process transformation and scalable infrastructure across total rewards operations
• Ensure data integrity and process governance across HRIS platforms and vendor integrations, setting standards for the broader team
• Own payroll governance, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant processing across all jurisdictions and alignment with total rewards strategy

Data, Insights & Technology Enablement

• Set the strategic agenda for how HRIS data, analytics, and modern tools are used to drive total rewards decision-making and transparency enterprise-wide
• Champion the adoption of automation and AI in compensation benchmarking, pay equity analysis, and workforce insights, evaluating build/buy/partner decisions
• Establish enterprise metrics and executive dashboards to evaluate program effectiveness, cost, and engagement, translating insights into executive-ready recommendations
• Ensure use of technology aligns with data privacy, regulatory requirements, and ethical standards

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Serve as a trusted strategic partner to the CEO, CFO, General Counsel, and business unit leaders on total rewards matters
• Own the enterprise communication strategy for total rewards, ensuring employees and managers understand and value the full offering
• Build manager and HR Business Partner capability enterprise-wide in understanding and applying compensation and benefits programs

Team Leadership

• Build, lead, and develop a global total rewards organization spanning compensation, benefits, systems, and payroll functions
• Develop the next generation of total rewards leadership through coaching, succession planning, and structured development
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and data-driven decision-making across the function