Director of Total Rewards and HR Operations

Dowbuilt; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 175,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Medical, Dental, Vision benefits

401(k) with employer contribution

Paid holidays

PTO accrual

Mentorship and career development

Annual discretionary bonus

Job summary

Dowbuilt is seeking a Director of Total Rewards and HR Operations to lead the strategy, design, and administration of compensation, benefits, HR systems, reporting, and compliance. You will partner with Finance, Legal, IT, and external vendors to deliver market-competitive, compliant programs that scale with the business.

This role oversees HR operations, dashboards, and governance while guiding a skilled team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, finance or related field.
• 8+ years HR experience including compensation, benefits, HR ops, or people operations.
• 3+ years of people leadership or cross-functional project leadership.
• Experience designing compensation structures, market pricing, salary ranges, and incentive programs.
• Strong knowledge of benefits administration, open enrollment, vendor management, leave coordination, retirement plans and compliance requirements.
• US work authorization; ability to pass background check and pre-employment screening.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a total rewards strategy aligned with business goals.
• Lead design, administration, and continuous improvement of compensation programs and salary structures.
• Oversee employee benefits programs and open enrollment processes.
• Own HRIS optimization, data integrity, reporting, automation, and dashboards.
• Ensure compliance with employment, compensation, benefits, leave, and privacy requirements.
• Lead annual benefits renewals, vendor coordination, and cost-revenue modeling.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication

Leadership

HR systems

Vendor management

Process improvement

Data governance

Reporting

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, business, finance or related

Master's degree in HR or related field

HR certifications (SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CCP, CBP, CEBS)

Tools

HRIS

Smartsheet

Egnyte

Slack

MS Office

Job description

We’re hiring a Director of Total Rewards and HR Operations tolead the strategy, design, administration, and continuous improvement of Dowbuilt’s total rewards and HR operations programs. This role is responsible for building scalable compensation, benefits, HR systems, reporting, compliance, and people operations practices that support a consistent, compliant, and high-quality employee and manager experience. The Director partners closely with Human Resources, Finance, Legal, IT, Operations, and external vendors to ensure people programs are market competitive, financially responsible, operationally efficient, and aligned with business priorities.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

As a Director of Total Rewards and HR Operations you’ll be responsible for:

Total Rewards Strategy

• Develop and execute a total rewards strategy that supports business goals, attracts and retains talent, promotes internal equity, and aligns with the company’s compensation philosophy and values.
• Lead the design, administration, and continuous improvement of compensation programs, including job architecture, salary structures, market pricing, merit cycles, incentive programs, pay practices, and compensation communications.
• Oversee employee benefits programs, including health and welfare, retirement, leave, well-being, and related offerings, ensuring programs are competitive, compliant, financially responsible, and clearly communicated.
• Partner with Finance and the Vice President, Human Resources on total rewards budgeting, cost modeling, renewal strategy, workforce planning inputs, and leadership reporting.
• Monitor market trends, regulatory changes, employee feedback, and business needs to recommend enhancements to compensation, benefits, recognition, and well-being programs.
• Develop clear manager and employee communications that improve understanding of pay, benefits, policies, and the overall value of the company’s total rewards offerings.

HR Operations, Systems and Compliance

• Lead HR operations strategy and service delivery, creating scalable processes, documentation standards, workflows, and tools that provide timely, consistent, and accurate support to employees and managers.
• Own HRIS optimization, data integrity, reporting, automation, self-service functionality, and system enhancements in partnership with HR, IT, Finance, and vendors.
• Establish and maintain HR dashboards, operational metrics, and total rewards reporting that help leaders understand workforce trends, program effectiveness, cost drivers, compliance risks, and service levels.
• Ensure compliance with applicable employment, compensation, benefits, leave, recordkeeping, reporting, and privacy requirements, partnering with Legal and external advisors as appropriate.
• Lead annual benefits renewals, open enrollment, plan administration, employee education, vendor coordination, and issue resolution.
• Manage vendor, broker, consultant, carrier, and system partner relationships, including performance expectations, contracts, service quality, and cost effectiveness.
• Identify and implement process improvements that reduce manual work, strengthen controls, improve data accuracy, and enhance the employee and manager experience.

Leadership and Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the Vice President, Human Resources and Dowbuilt leadership team on total rewards, HR operations, people data, systems, compliance, and employee experience matters.
• Lead, coach, and develop assigned team members, setting clear priorities, service standards, accountability, and expectations for quality execution.
• Partner with HR business partners and leaders to support job leveling, compensation decisions, organizational changes, policy interpretation, benefits questions, and HR process execution.
• Translate complex total rewards and operations topics into practical guidance, training, and tools for managers and employees.
• Model the company’s values through confidential, ethical, inclusive, collaborative, and service-oriented leadership.

TRAVEL: Some local travel may be required for this position (less than 20% of time).

WHAT YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

To be successful as a Dowbuilt's Director of Total Rewards and HR Operations, you’ll need:

• Bachelor's degree required in human resources, business administration, finance, or a related field.
• 8+ years of progressive human resources experience, including significant experience in compensation, benefits, total rewards, HR operations, HRIS, or people operations.
• 3+ years of people leadership, program leadership, or cross-functional project leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience designing or managing compensation structures, market pricing, salary ranges, merit processes, incentive programs, and pay practices.
• Strong knowledge of benefits administration, open enrollment, vendor management, leave coordination, retirement plans, and compliance requirements.
• Experience improving HR operations, HRIS functionality, workflows, reporting, data governance, and process documentation.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, build reports, model costs, and present recommendations to leaders.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, coaching, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence executives, managers, employees, and external partners.
• MS Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, Word) experience required
• Experience with web-based solutions such as Smartsheet, Egnyte, and Slack
• Strong organizational skills and ability to juggle competing deadlines and projectts
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Flexible and adaptable: the ability to switch gears and work well within ambiguous circumstances
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with management, employees, vendors, and general public
• Impeccable attention to detail and ability to follow through in a timely manner
• Ability to be an active listener, ask for help and suggest solutions
• Motivated, dependable, and trustworthy
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information
• Ability to manage stress and maintain composure in challenging situations
• US work authorization
• Must pass a criminal background check and pre-employment drug screen

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in human resources, business administration, finance, or related field.
• HR, compensation, or benefits certification such as SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CCP, CBP, or CEBS.
• Experience with HRIS implementation, optimization, or system migration.
• Experience supporting a geographically distributed or multi-location workforce

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The duties of this position require the employee to constantly operate a computer and other office equipment, as well as the ability to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time. The duties of this position also require the employee to frequently communicate with employees and clients, and the employee must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations. The ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds without assistance or restriction

WHAT WE OFFER

We are a fun, easygoing bunch of professionals who take a lot of pride in the work we do. We acknowledge the contributions and talents of our team members by providing benefits that support you at work and in life:

• Competitive pay commensurate with skills and experience
• 100% paid Medical, Dental, Vision, short-term disability and $50k in basic life insurance for full-time employees– 1st of the month following DOH
• 35% Medical and 30% Dental + Vision coverage for eligible dependents
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with3% employer safe harborcontribution
• 8 paid holidays each year, no waiting period
• Paid Time-Off (PTO) –2.31 hours per week to start (120 hours annually) with an increase to this accrual each January with years of service up to max 192 hours/24 days annually
• Mentorship and career development opportunities
• Annual discretionary bonus

The base pay range for this position is $174,968- $195,166 per year. Actual compensation within this range will be determined based on factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience, skills, education, certifications, geographic location, and internal equity. New hires typically start below the midpoint of the range, with the opportunity for growth and advancement over time.

WHO WE ARE

Dowbuilt is a construction company founded in 1980, and today our talented teams can be found from coast to coast. We excel at cutting-edge, innovative, never-been-done-before residential projects and home service—all of which require precision and impeccable attention to detail. We work with top architects, and our builds are regularly featured in publications such as Architectural Digest, Architectural Record, and Dwell.

The Dowbuilt culture is one of care—care for our employees, clients, and the talented craftspeople we partner with—resulting in care for the incredible designs we bring to life.

HOW YOU’LL MAKE AN IMPACT

We’re committed to investing in our team members’ ongoing professional development, and as a leader with Dowbuilt, you play a big part in ensuring that your team has equal opportunity to play to their strengths, fill gaps in knowledge and grow professionally.

Effective career development requires two-way, open communication between employee and manager. This means expectation setting happens on both sides, along with support, mentorship, and goal setting at regular intervals. Find out how you can take your own career to the next level and inspire the next generation of talent with Dowbuilt.

Dowbuilt is an equal opportunity employer that values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.