Sr. Director for Total Rewards Operations

sysgen rpo

8-10 Years

Philippines

This job is no longer accepting applications

Job Description

Position: Senior Director, Total Rewards

Operations

Work Set Up: 100% Remote

Work Type: Independent Contractor

Schedule US Timezone / EST Hours

Position Summary

The Senior Director of Total Rewards Operations is responsible for the strategic leadership, operational excellence, governance, systems administration, project portfolio management, analytics, and continuous improvement of the organization's Total Rewards programs. This role serves as the operational leader responsible for ensuring compensation, benefits, retirement, recognition, leave administration, and compliance

programs are delivered accurately, efficiently, and at scale.

Partnering closely with Human Resources, Payroll, Finance, HRIS, Accounting, and external vendors, this position develops the infrastructure, technology roadmap, processes, and governance that support a best-in-class Total Rewards function.

The Senior Director translates strategic priorities into scalable operational solutions, leads enterprise-wide initiatives, drives automation and AI adoption, establishes operational standards, and develops the operational capabilities necessary to support organizational growth and an exceptional employee experience.

Essential Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Strategy

Develop and execute the operational strategy for the Total Rewards function.
Build scalable operational frameworks supporting compensation, benefits, retirement, leave administration, and employee recognition programs.
Establish governance, operational standards, and service delivery expectations across all Total Rewards programs.
Develop annual operational roadmaps aligned with departmental and organizational objectives.
Evaluate operational performance and recommend strategic improvements.
Lead departmental prioritization of initiatives and resource planning.
Ensure operational readiness for organizational growth, acquisitions, and transformation initiatives.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

Lead continuous improvement initiatives that increase efficiency, quality, compliance, and employee experience.
Identify opportunities to simplify, standardize, automate, and optimize Total Rewards processes.
Develop scalable operating procedures that reduce administrative burden.
Champion Lean process improvement methodologies and operational best practices.
Establish operational KPIs and service level metrics.
Develop governance around process ownership and accountability.
Evaluate emerging technologies and AI solutions to improve operational effectiveness.

Total Rewards Project Portfolio Management

Provide executive leadership for enterprise Total Rewards initiatives, including:

Annual Open Enrollment
Annual compensation planning
Benefit plan implementations
Retirement plan administration and transitions
Vendor implementations
Mergers and acquisitions
Compliance initiatives
HR technology implementations
Operational transformation projects

Responsibilities include:

Developing project playbooks and strategic roadmaps
Establishing governance structures
Prioritizing competing initiatives
Allocating operational resources
Monitoring project health
Managing enterprise timelines
Escalating operational risks
Reporting progress to VP, Total Rewards and other People Ops Leadership

Systems Strategy & Administration

Provide strategic oversight of Total Rewards technologies and operational systems, including:

Workday (in partnership with HRIS)
Benefits administration platforms
Retirement administration platforms
Leave management systems
Recognition platforms
Vendor portals
Workflow automation tools

Responsibilities include:

Developing the Total Rewards technology roadmap
Partnering with HRIS on system enhancements
Leading user acceptance testing
Overseeing system configuration validation
Monitoring file integrations
Managing vendor interfaces
Ensuring data integrity
Evaluating new technologies
Supporting future platform implementations

Data Analytics & Business Intelligence

Develop a comprehensive analytics strategy supporting organizational decision-making.

Responsibilities include:

Developing executive dashboards
Establishing operational KPIs
Monitoring benefit utilization
Analyzing healthcare cost drivers
Monitoring compensation trends
Evaluating retirement participation
Tracking leave utilization
Measuring operational service performance
Forecasting financial impacts
Conducting ROI analyses
Presenting strategic recommendations to executive leadership

Compliance & Risk Management

Provide operational leadership supporting compliance with:

ACA
ERISA
HIPAA
COBRA
IRS regulations
Department of Labor requirements
Medicare reporting
Section 125 regulations
Retirement plan compliance
State leave laws
Wage and hour requirements affecting Total Rewards

Responsibilities include:

Developing compliance monitoring processes
Coordinating audits
Managing regulatory reporting
Supporting external audits
Maintaining documentation
Partnering with Legal on regulatory changes
Identifying operational risks
Developing corrective action plans

Vendor Strategy & Relationship Management

Serve as the operational leader for all Total Rewards vendor relationships.

Responsibilities include:

Managing vendor performance
Leading quarterly business reviews
Monitoring service level agreements
Tracking contractual obligations
Coordinating implementations
Managing issue escalation
Supporting contract renewals
Evaluating vendor effectiveness
Recommending new vendor solutions
Developing long-term vendor strategies

Documentation & Operational Governance

Develop and maintain the operational foundation of the Total Rewards function.

Responsibilities include:

Standard Operating Procedures
Operational playbooks
Process documentation
Workflow diagrams
Training materials
Knowledge management resources
Communication templates
Business continuity documentation
Operational policies

Cross-Functional Leadership

Partner closely with:

Payroll
Finance
HRIS
Accounting
Core HR
Talent Acquisition
Internal Communications
External consultants and vendors

Serve as the operational subject matter expert for enterprise Total Rewards initiatives.

Team Leadership

Lead, coach, mentor, and develop members of the Total Rewards Operations team.
Establish clear performance expectations and development plans.
Build organizational capability through documentation, training, and knowledge sharing.
Foster a culture of operational excellence, accountability, innovation, and customer service.
Develop succession plans and support professional growth within the team.

Qualifications

Required:

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Analytics, Information Systems, or a related field.
8 - 10 years of progressive experience in Total Rewards, HR Operations, Benefits, Compensation, HRIS, or related disciplines.
Minimum of 3 years leading cross-functional initiatives, operational teams, or enterprise projects.
Experience developing scalable operational processes and governance.
Experience leading HR technology implementations and systems optimization.
Strong knowledge of benefits administration, retirement plans, compensation operations, and regulatory

compliance.