Sr. Director of Total Rewards

About the Role

Our client, a publicly traded, mid-cap industrial company, is searching for a high-impact Sr. Director of Total Rewards. As the company's first enterprise Total Rewards leader, you'll architect a Center of Excellence spanning compensation philosophy, global job architecture, U.S. benefits strategy, incentive design, pay equity, and governance. You'll serve as a trusted executive advisor to the CHRO and senior business leaders while personally driving hands-on execution of foundational programs and processes. This is a builder's role for a senior practitioner who wants to shape the future of total rewards for a complex, multi-site, global organization.

Responsibilities

• Build the enterprise Total Rewards Center of Excellence, including strategy, governance, policies, tools, and operating model, largely from scratch.
• Provide executive-level counsel to the CHRO and business leaders on compensation, benefits, incentive design, and pay equity.
• Design and maintain enterprise compensation infrastructure: job levels, salary structures, localized pay ranges, and market pricing tools.
• Lead annual compensation planning, benchmarking, salary structure updates, and incentive design in partnership with Finance and HR.
• Lead U.S. benefits strategy and coach a small benefits team across health, welfare, retirement, wellness, and leave programs.
• Drive pay equity analysis, audit programs, and action planning to ensure defensible, consistent pay practices.
• Partner with Legal, Finance, Payroll, and HR Operations to ensure compliant, well-governed administration.

Requirements

• 12+ years of progressive compensation and benefits experience
• Demonstrated track record building or significantly transforming total rewards infrastructure
• Deep expertise in job architecture, salary structures, incentive design, and U.S. benefits
• Pay equity and pay transparency experience required
• Executive advisory experience with CHROs and senior business leaders
• Manufacturing, distribution, or industrial sector experience preferred
• Multi-site or global organization experience strongly preferred
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or certification preferred (CCP, CBP)

Benefits

A genuine greenfield Total Rewards opportunity to build an enterprise function from near-zero infrastructure inside a profitable, stable manufacturer with over a century of operating history and strong momentum behind its transformation.

Hybrid work arrangement with 2 - 3 days per week onsite and minimal travel.

Pay

Compensation package includes $245K+ salary, plus bonus.