Director of Total Rewards & Operational Excellence
Total Rewards
Provide leadership and oversight for retention-focused compensation and benefits programs.
Partner with university leaders, including the Director of HR Partners and the Chief Human Resources Officer, to assess workforce needs, recommend retention-focused compensation and benefits solutions, and support leadership alignment and approval of program changes that advance attraction, retention, and organizational effectiveness.
Ensure effective administration of leadership-approved compensation philosophies, structures, policies, and practices.
Oversee market benchmarking, compensation analysis, and benefits program evaluation to support data-informed decision-making.
Partner closely with benefits subject matter experts and other stakeholders to ensure effective program delivery, compliance, and alignment with institutional priorities.
Monitor compensation and benefits program effectiveness and recommend improvements based on workforce trends, organizational needs, and financial sustainability considerations.
Serve as a steward and operational leader, translating priorities into effective, compliant, and sustainable programs, processes, and practices that support workforce needs and institutional goals.
Operational Excellence & Process Improvement
Lead efforts to improve HR service delivery, operational effectiveness, and customer experience across HR functions.
Evaluate, redesign, and standardize HR business processes to improve efficiency, consistency, compliance, and service quality.
Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, reduce administrative burden, and improve collaboration across HR teams.
Champion a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and operational excellence throughout the HR organization.
Develop and monitor performance measures and service metrics to assess effectiveness and drive ongoing improvement.
Partner with the HR Technology & Data team to optimize HR processes and leverage HR systems and tools effectively, ensuring technology capabilities support business objectives and enhance the experience of employees, managers, and HR staff.
Serve as a steward of data-informed practices by encouraging the use of HR metrics, reporting, and insights to enhance operational effectiveness.
Leadership & Collaboration
Lead, mentor, and develop Total Rewards team members.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous learning, and customer service.
Build strong relationships with campus leaders, HR colleagues, Finance, Legal, and other stakeholders.
Support organizational change initiatives and facilitate adoption of new programs, systems, and processes.
Governance, Compliance & Financial Stewardship
Ensure total rewards programs comply with applicable laws, regulations, university policies, and collective bargaining agreements.
Establish and maintain appropriate governance, controls, and documentation for compensation and benefits programs.
Oversee vendor relationships and partner with staff responsible for benefits administration on RFPs, vendor performance, and contract management.
Support budget planning, forecasting, and responsible stewardship of total rewards resources.
Prepare reports and recommendations for senior leadership and participate in audits and reviews as needed.