Sr. Total Rewards Specialist

Join our dynamic team at Waubonsee Community College, where your career can flourish. Be part of a transformative institution dedicated to making a positive impact in our community and the lives of our students. We are committed to hiring and retaining exceptional faculty and staff who align with our culture of collaboration, professional growth, and student success.

About the role

The Senior Total Rewards Specialist supports the development, implementation, and administration of total rewards programs, including compensation, benefits, and employee reward and recognition initiatives. This role enhances employee engagement, retention, and satisfaction by managing innovative recognition programs and ensuring alignment with our compensation and benefits strategy.

Responsibilities

• Assist in the administration and analysis of compensation, benefits, and leave of absence programs, and support annual compensation and benefit planning activities.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for new hire benefits orientation.
• Partner closely with payroll, HRIS, and external vendors to maintain accurate records and drive process improvements.
• Contribute to the development of communication materials related to rewards programs, ensuring employees understand their total rewards package.
• Maintain compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Manage organization-wide employee recognition programs (e.g., service awards, peer-to-peer recognition, spot awards, and performance-based rewards).
• Track program participation and effectiveness through KPIs and employee feedback.
• Recommend and implement new reward and recognition opportunities within the rewards and recognition program.
• Evaluate and refresh recognition initiatives to ensure relevance and alignment with culture and values.
• Coordinate recognition events and communications, ensuring high visibility and engagement.
• Compile and analyze data related to compensation, benefits, and employee recognition programs, providing insights to the Total Rewards team and HR leadership.
• Generate reports and dashboards to track key performance indicators (KPIs) for total rewards initiatives.
• Coordinate workers’ compensation claims administration, monitor case files for follow-up and resolution, prepare annual fiscal year-end reporting, and maintain required OSHA records.
• Ensure data accuracy and integrity in compensation and benefits reporting systems.
• Reconcile monthly benefit vendor billing statements, including conducting periodic audits to identify problems and initiate corrective actions.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field.
• 5+ years of related experience in total rewards, compensation, benefits, and/or employee recognition program management.
• Relevant professional certification (e.g., CCP, CEBS, SHRM-CP, PHR) preferred.
• Previous experience using Salary.com CompAnalyst or similar Compensation Administrator Platform, BeSwift or similar Benefits Platform, and Terry Berry or similar Recognition Platform.
• Expertise with Banner and/or Cornerstone OnDemand or similar HRIS platforms.
• Analytical mindset with proficiency in Excel and data visualization tools.

Pay

Compensation range: $67,816.00 - $81,705.00 (salaried). Pay for this position will be determined by your experience, education, and qualifications.

Schedule

Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (40 hours per week). Hybrid option available.

Benefits

Click to see benefits page.

Position details: req2167. Applications received by August 17, 2026, will receive priority consideration.