Director, Total Rewards

Position Summary

The Director, Total Rewards leads compensation, benefits, and payroll for TERREPOWER’s full workforce — corporate, salaried, and hourly employees across every business unit. This role owns the pay structures, incentive programs, health and welfare plans, retirement benefits, and payroll operations that keep TERREPOWER competitive and compliant in every market where we operate.

This is a hands-on senior role. You’ll shape strategy and drive execution — running merit and incentive cycles, leading US open enrollment, setting payroll strategy and compliance direction, and negotiating with brokers at renewal. You should be equally comfortable presenting a pay philosophy to the CPO and building the data model behind it.

Responsiblities 

• Compensation Strategy & Structure: Architect and own TERREPOWER’s job architecture, salary structures, and pay bands across corporate, salaried, and hourly populations; ensure structures remain market-competitive, internally equitable, and aligned to business strategy.

• Job Evaluation & Leveling: Evaluate new and existing roles for appropriate leveling and FLSA classification; partner with HR Business Partners and hiring managers on offer construction and internal equity reviews.

• Market Benchmarking & Pay Analysis: Lead compensation survey participation and rigorous market analysis; develop pay positioning recommendations, geographic differentials, and targeted adjustments that close pay equity gaps and keep TERREPOWER competitive for talent.

• Merit & Incentive Programs: Design, budget, and personally administer the annual merit increase cycle and all short-term incentive, bonus, and plant-level incentive plans; partner with Finance on cost modeling and scenario planning to maximize investment impact.

• Budget & Financial Stewardship: Own the total rewards budget, including benefits program spend and merit and incentive funding; develop annual cost projections, model plan changes, and present financial performance and recommendations to the CPO and Finance.

• Benefits Strategy & Administration: Own TERREPOWER’s full benefits portfolio — medical, dental, vision, 401(k), leave, wellness, and relocation — from strategic plan design and renewal through day-to-day administration; balance program quality, employee value, and cost sustainability.

• Open Enrollment: Lead annual US open enrollment end to end — plan updates, employee communications, education sessions across corporate and plant locations, and system configuration.

• Vendor & Broker Management: Lead broker and vendor strategy — managing relationships with benefits brokers, carriers, and third-party administrators; driving RFPs and renewals; negotiating rates and plan terms; and personally resolving escalated employee issues to protect both experience and cost.

• Payroll Leadership & Strategy: Set strategic direction for payroll operations across US and Canada, working through the Sr. Manager, Total Rewards who leads the Payroll team directly; own payroll policy, compliance standards, and systems priorities, and handle escalated decisions as needed.

• Compliance: Ensure compensation and benefits programs comply with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FLSA, and applicable state pay transparency and equal pay laws; own required filings in partnership with Legal and Finance.

• HRIS & Total Rewards Systems: Own compensation, benefits, and payroll configuration within the HRIS; maintain data integrity and build analytics and reporting that drive executive-level decisions on pay, workforce costs, and program performance.

• Total Rewards Communication: Develop compelling total rewards statements, manager toolkits, and employee communications that translate the full value of TERREPOWER’s compensation, benefits, and payroll programs into a clear employee value proposition.

• M&A & Total Rewards Integration: Partner with HR and business leadership to assess total rewards implications of mergers, acquisitions, and organizational restructuring; lead the harmonization of compensation, benefits, and payroll programs for acquired or integrated employee populations.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Serve as a strategic partner to HR Business Partners, Finance, Legal, and business leaders across every unit, ensure total rewards and payroll programs are consistently designed, compliantly administered, and effectively communicated company-wide. 

Minimum Requirements 

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business, Finance, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• 8+ years of progressive experience leading compensation and benefits, with strategic involvement in payroll, and demonstrated ownership of total rewards programs at an enterprise or multi-site organization.

• Demonstrated experience designing and administering base pay structures, incentive plans, and job-leveling frameworks.

• Strong working knowledge of benefits plan design and administration and applicable regulations (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FLSA).

• Experience managing broker/vendor relationships and leading RFP or renewal processes.

• Advanced Excel and analytical skills, with experience in HRIS, compensation, and payroll systems (Workday, UKG, ADP, or similar).

• Ability to operate at both the strategic and execution level — comfortable setting direction and getting into the details to get it right.

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain complex pay and benefits concepts clearly to employees and leadership.

• Experience supporting a multi-site, blended hourly and salaried workforce across multiple states; manufacturing or distribution experience strongly preferred. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) or Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS).

• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Prior experience building or formalizing a total rewards function.

• Experience supporting executive compensation or board compensation committe reporting.