Director, Total Rewards

Wawanesa Insurance; Winnipeg; Hybrid; CAD 135,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus plan

Generous vacation time

Pension plan

Job summary

The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company is seeking a Director, Total Rewards to lead compensation, benefits, recognition and related programs. This senior role partners with executives to shape competitive, equitable rewards aligned with business goals and policy.

It also governs job architecture and market benchmarking while guiding a high-performing team across Canada. With a focus on analytics and governance, you will influence C-level decisions, manage vendor relationships and optimize program

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in Compensation and/or Total Rewards leadership.
• At least 5 years of executive compensation experience.
• Ability to influence C-level leaders and stakeholders across the organization.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and governance knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Develop and govern total rewards strategy across compensation, benefits, recognition and related programs.
• Lead design, implementation and administration of competitive, compliant total rewards programs.
• Advise senior leaders and People teams on reward decisions and program evolution.
• Oversee job architecture, market benchmarking and titling frameworks.
• Manage external vendors and consultants to ensure value and service quality.
• Build and lead a high-performing Total Rewards team and drive analytics-enabled decisions.

Skills

Total Rewards leadership

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Team leadership

Strategic advisory

Change leadership

Education

University degree in HR/Business/Finance

Total Rewards certification

Tools

HR analytics platforms

Job description

Job ID: 10281

Employment Type: Existing Role

Work Environment: We offer a hybrid work environment that offers flexibility to our employees in balancing in-office (2 days per week OR 15 hours per week in a Wawanesa office) and remote work. You may work from any of the following locations: Winnipeg, MB; Vancouver, BC; Calgary, AB; Edmonton, AB; Toronto (North York), ON; Kitchener, ON; Ottawa, ON; Montreal, QC Moncton, NB; Dartmouth; NS.

Working Business Language: English. This role is considered a head-office role and will be required to communicate with internal stakeholders across Canada where the primary business language utilized is English.

Salary: At Wawanesa, salary is only one component of a holistic, comprehensive and competitive offering that we provide to our employees. In addition to salary, full-time and part-time permanent employees are eligible for an annual bonus plan, leave of absence top-up programs and provided with generous vacation time, personal days, premium free benefits and pension plan.

The salary offered for this role is determined with consideration to various factors, including but not limited to: your work location, local labour market conditions, external market salary data, internal pay equity and the knowledge, skills, experience and anticipated proficiency in the role. The salary offered is estimated to be within the following range: $135,000 - $180,000. Candidates with salary expectations outside of the range are still encouraged to apply.

About The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company

Founded in 1896, The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, 100% owned by its members, with more than $4.1 billion in annual revenue and $12.5 billion in assets. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Wawanesa is the parent company of Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance solutions throughout Canada, and Western Financial Group, a leading national distributor of personal and business insurance. In March of 2026, Wawanesa entered into an agreement to acquire Everest Insurance Company of Canada to strengthen its commercial insurance capabilities and advance its long-term growth strategy.

Wawanesa proudly serves more than 1.8 million members and we are home to more than 3,000 employees across Canada. The company actively gives back to organizations that strengthen communities, donating more than $4 million annually to charitable organizations, including more than $2 million each year in support of people on the front lines of climate change. Learn more at wawanesa.com.

We are currently looking for dedicated, driven, and enthusiastic individuals who thrive in an environment that welcomes change and are looking for an opportunity for diverse experience and advancement on a growing team.

Job Overview

The Director, Total Rewards has responsibility for Wawanesa's total rewards strategy across compensation, group benefits, recognition and other reward programs. The incumbent leads the design, implementation, communication and evolution of competitive, equitable and sustainable programs that attract, engage and retain talent while supporting business performance. As a strategic leader, the Director ensures programs remain competitive, sustainable and aligned with Wawanesa's strategy.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Wawanesa's total rewards philosophy and strategy, ensuring compensation, benefits, recognition and reward programs reinforce organizational values, performance expectations, talent priorities and business objectives.
• Design, develop, implement and administer progressive, equitable, competitive, legally compliant and financially sustainable total rewards programs that support talent attraction, engagement and retention.
• Lead the development and delivery of recognition and reward programs that strengthen engagement, reinforce desired behaviours and support Wawanesa's employee value proposition.
• Lead the strategy, design and governance of group benefits programs, balancing employee needs, market practice, affordability and long-term sustainability.
• Lead the design and execution of executive compensation and sales incentive programs that support business performance and organizational objectives.
• Lead the evolution and governance of Wawanesa's job architecture, job evaluation and titling frameworks, ensuring transparency, consistency, equity, scalability and alignment with career development, workforce planning and compensation practices.
• Oversee market benchmarking, analytics and annual merit and incentive programs, ensuring efficient execution and alignment with the broader reward strategy.
• Analyze market positioning and emerging economic, legislative and workforce trends; identify risks and opportunities and recommend the continued evolution of total rewards programs.
• Manage third-party compensation and benefit suppliers, vendors and consultants to ensure service quality, program effectiveness and value for investment.
• Act as Wawanesa's lead Total Rewards subject matter expert and coach, building reward literacy and providing strategic advice to senior and executive leaders and People teams.
• Build and lead a high-performing team of total rewards professionals as the business evolves, fostering collaboration, continuous learning and accountability.
• Leverage technology, automation and analytics to strengthen decision-making, optimize processes and improve program delivery.
• Champion significant total rewards initiatives through effective stakeholder engagement, communication and change leadership, building understanding and commitment.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• University degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Commerce or a related discipline; relevant compensation or Total Rewards certification is an asset.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in Compensation and/or Total Rewards leadership roles, including at least five years of executive compensation experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading compensation, group benefits, recognition, incentive, job architecture and market benchmarking programs in a complex organization.
• Demonstrated capability to advise and influence C-level leaders and build strong relationships across the organization.
• Strong business acumen with advanced analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills to assess complex issues, risks, opportunities and impacts.
• Excellent leadership, communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to lead multiple complex initiatives and build a high‑performing team.
• Strong understanding of reward governance, relevant legislation, technology, analytics and emerging Total Rewards practices.

Diversity Equity, Inclusion& Belonging

At Wawanesa, we are committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) and believe that our strength lies in the diversity of our people – this is supported by having a representative workforce.

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including racialized persons, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, gender-diverse and neurodiverse individuals, and anyone who can contribute to the further diversification of thought and ideas.

We aim to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all candidates. If you require accommodations during any stage of the recruitment process, please reach out in confidence to [e-mail].

All Wawanesa job applicants are subject to Wawanesa's Privacy Policy.

Please note that the recruitment process for this position may involve the use of AI tools to screen, assess, or select applicants. All final decisions are taken or reviewed by human recruiters and human hiring leaders in compliance with all applicable legislation.