Senior Director of Total Rewards and Payroll

About the role

The Senior Director of Total Rewards and Payroll provides district-wide strategic leadership for Seattle Colleges compensation, benefits, and payroll functions. This position leads a critical, high-service, labor-intensive portfolio that shapes the District's total rewards strategy, ensures compliant and effective payroll operations, and advances enterprise-wide approaches to compensation, benefits, workforce affordability, and operational risk management.

Responsibilities

• Provides district-wide leadership for the District's total rewards portfolio, including staff compensation, benefits, and payroll strategy, operations, and continuous improvement.
• Develops and advances strategic direction, goals, and business action plans for compensation, benefits, and payroll in alignment with District priorities, workforce needs, and fiscal considerations.
• Learns and leads a critical district-wide function with responsibility for program effectiveness, compliance, service delivery, and enterprise risk management within the assigned portfolio.
• Serves as the District's senior subject matter expert and strategic advisor on compensation, benefits, and payroll matters for executive leadership, HR leadership, managers, and other key stakeholders.
• Shapes district-wide practices and recommendations related to compensation structures, salary administration, benefits strategy, payroll governance, affordability, and internal equity.
• Leads cross-functional planning and collaboration with finance, HRIS, payroll, labor relations, and other departments to support major institutional initiatives and organizational priorities.
• Oversees development and implementation of district-wide communication strategies, tools, and guidance related to compensation, benefits, and payroll.
• Establishes functional priorities, service standards, internal controls, and improvement strategies across the portfolio.
• Provides leadership to managers, leads, and professional staff within the function, including direction related to performance, work allocation, development, problem resolution, and operational effectiveness.
• Directs the design, evaluation, and administration of staff compensation programs to support market competitiveness, internal equity, fiscal stewardship, and compliance.
• Oversees the District's compensation methodologies, job-related pay analysis, salary modeling, survey participation, and market benchmarking processes.
• Provides high-level consultation and recommendations regarding salary placement, salary structures, proposed salary actions, and broader compensation strategy.
• Evaluates compensation trends, legislative developments, and contractual requirements to inform district-wide policy and operational decisions.
• Leads development and refinement of compensation tools, policies, practices, and decision frameworks used by leaders and HR partners across the District.
• Oversees annual compensation planning activities, including cost modeling, salary increase scenarios, and compensation statement preparation.
• Provides strategic oversight of the District's health and welfare benefits and retirement-related programs, working through Benefits staff and in collaboration with internal and external partners.
• Leads the District's relationship with state benefits program administrators, external stewards, and related vendors or agencies as applicable.
• Directs benefits strategy, compliance oversight, and program review to ensure alignment with legal requirements, employee needs, and organizational priorities.
• Ensures ongoing compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations affecting benefits administration, including ERISA, COBRA, FMLA, HIPAA, and related requirements.
• Oversees audits, policy reviews, and corrective actions related to benefits plan administration, documentation, and employee communications.
• Guides benefits communication and education efforts to improve employee understanding, effective utilization, and consistent administration of programs.
• Provides strategic and administrative oversight of payroll operations in partnership with the Payroll Associate Director to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant payroll administration district-wide.
• Oversees payroll governance, controls, escalation pathways, and process improvement efforts related to semi-monthly payroll and required state and federal reporting.
• Ensures alignment of payroll administration with applicable local, state, and federal requirements, including wage and hour laws and FLSA compliance.
• Maintains operational risks, compliance issues, and systems-related impacts affecting payroll accuracy and employee pay.
• Oversees collaboration with the HRIS Specialist and other partners to define systems, automation, integration, and reporting needs across compensation, benefits, and payroll functions.
• Directs the development and use of reports, dashboards, and analysis to support compliance, workforce planning, cost management, and executive decision-making.
• Uses data and trend analysis to identify opportunities for improved effectiveness, service delivery, and policy or process refinement across the District's HR operations.
• Serves in a significant cross-functional partnership with the Vice Chancellor of Finance, working in close coordination on enterprise systems, budget planning, financial modeling, compliance, reporting, and District-wide projects affecting compensation, benefits, payroll, and related operational functions.
• Leads strategic planning related to the District's benefits budget and staff compensation budget modeling in partnership with HR and Finance leaders.
• Develops and presents budget recommendations, cost projections, salary models, and financial analyses related to compensation and benefits programs.
• Oversees financial administration for compensation- and benefits-related expenditures, including approval and monitoring of purchase orders, invoices, and budget activity as assigned.
• Evaluates the fiscal impact of compensation structures, salary proposals, benefits changes, and operational decisions on District resources.
• Supports executive and business planning by translating compensation, benefits, and payroll data into actionable recommendations.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated strong verbal and written communication skills including the ability to effectively communicate complex concepts in terms understandable by the diverse communities which comprise the Seattle Colleges workforce.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or a related field; OR, 4 or more years of related experience.
• Demonstrated progressively responsible experience in Compensation, Benefits, and Payroll administration.
• Demonstrated experience leading others and ability to build solid collaborative cross-functional relationships to achieve results.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal, influencing, negotiation, conflict resolution, and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated strong critical thinking skills with the demonstrated ability to dissect and identify core questions/issues and then apply creative problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to effect change and continuous improvement through process, technology optimization, and automation.
• Demonstrated advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Demonstrated knowledge of all federal, state and local regulations and compliance requirements related to compensation and benefits.
• Demonstrated strong analytical skills and the ability to develop statistical, quantitative models (e.g. business intelligence).

Skills

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations and compliance requirements related to compensation and benefits.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to develop statistical, quantitative models.

Benefits

We are committed to recruiting dedicated faculty and employees who together create a welcoming academic climate that reflects the diverse backgrounds of our community, including ethnicity, national origin, religion, race, gender, gender identity, age, status as a veteran or disabled veteran, disability, political status, and sexual orientation.

As a Seattle Colleges employee, you will gain access to a great benefits package including:

• Competitive Pay Rates
• Promotional Opportunities
• Great Medical, Dental, and Retirement plans
• Paid Sick and Vacation Leave
• Transportation benefits
• Tuition Waivers
• PEBB Wellness Plan
• Washington State Employee Assistance Programs (EAP)

Pay

The salary range for this position is $144,786 to $199,942 annually (depending on experience).

Schedule

This position is typically scheduled to work Monday through Friday 8:00AM to 5:00PM. The schedule may vary depending on program needs. May be required to work evenings and weekends as needed. This position works a hybrid schedule of both remote and on-site work.