Director, Total Rewards

Wingstop Restaurants Inc.; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unlimited PTO

Volunteer day

Stock purchase plan

Health benefits

401k

Education Assistance

Wellness reimbursement

Paid maternity and paternity leave

Lunch provided

Wingstop discount

Onsite game room

Job summary

Wingstop Restaurants Inc. seeks a Director of Total Rewards to lead compensation and benefits strategy for corporate and restaurant teams. You will design, govern, administer, and communicate programs in partnership with Finance, HR, and Legal, ensuring equity and market competitiveness across a fast-growing multi-unit environment.

You will guide pay decisions, benefits planning, and governance, while developing total rewards communication and education materials for leaders and teams.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive Total Rewards experience including ownership of compensation and benefits programs.
• Deep experience in compensation design, incentive planning, equity programs, market benchmarking, job architecture, and annual compensation processes.
• Knowledge of benefits strategy, vendor management, plan design, annual enrollment, compliance, and employee communication.
• Ability to use data, market insights and financial analysis to evaluate programs and support business decisions.
• Experience leading a team and communicating complex total rewards topics to executives and leaders.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, implementation, and continuous improvement of compensation and benefits programs to support attraction, retention, performance, and engagement.
• Develop and manage salary structures, incentive plans, equity programs, and compensation guidelines for internal equity and market competitiveness.
• Oversee annual compensation cycle including merit planning, bonus administration, equity recommendations, and communications.
• Manage benefits strategy, plan design, vendor partnerships, enrollment, cost trends, compliance, and employee education.
• Evaluate benefit utilization and market trends to recommend changes for value and sustainability.
• Own job architecture, leveling, and market benchmarking in partnership with HR Partners and leaders.

Skills

Total Rewards

Compensation Design

Incentive Planning

Equity Programs

Market Benchmarking

Job Architecture

Annual Compensation

Benefits Strategy

Vendor Management

Employee Communication

Leadership

Data Analysis

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Certifications (CCP/GRP/CEBS)

Job description

Who We Are

We’re not in the wing business. We’re in the flavor business. It’s been our mission to Serve the World Flavor since we first opened in 1994, and we’re just getting started. 1997 saw the opening of our first brand partner operated Wingstop location, and by 2002 we had served the world one billion wings. It’s flavor that defines us and has made Wingstop one of the fastest growing brands in the restaurant industry.

Who We Are

We’re not in the wing business. We’re in the flavor business. It’s been our mission to Serve the World Flavor since we first opened in 1994, and we’re just getting started. 1997 saw the opening of our first brand partner operated Wingstop location, and by 2002 we had served the world one billion wings. It’s flavor that defines us and has made Wingstop one of the fastest growing brands in the restaurant industry.

Above all else – our success is largely due to our people and our core values, or what we call The Wingstop Way of being entrepreneurial, service-minded, fun, and authentic. We believe having a strong people foundation centered on these collective values creates a crave-worthy culture and talented team, as well as ensures our brand is poised for accelerated growth. We all win together.

What We’ll Need

The Director, Total Rewards will lead Wingstop’s compensation and benefits strategy, ensuring programs are competitive, equitable, scalable, and aligned with business priorities. This role will own the design, governance, administration, and communication of compensation and benefits programs for corporate and restaurant team members. The Director will partner closely with Finance, HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Legal, and business leaders to support pay decisions, benefits planning, workforce needs, and team member engagement.

Role Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of compensation and benefits programs that support attraction, retention, performance, and engagement.
• Develop and manage salary structures, incentive plans, equity programs, and compensation guidelines to ensure internal equity and external market competitiveness.
• Oversee the annual compensation cycle, including merit planning, bonus administration, equity recommendations, pay equity review, leader guidance, and communication materials.
• Manage benefits strategy, plan design, vendor partnerships, annual enrollment, cost trends, compliance, and employee education.
• Evaluate benefit utilization, employee feedback, market trends, and financial impact to recommend changes that improve program value and sustainability.
• Own job architecture, leveling, and market benchmarking in partnership with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and business leaders.
• Partner with Finance, Legal, and HR leadership on compensation governance, benefits compliance, executive compensation analysis, and related decision-making.
• Use data, benchmarking, and financial analysis to assess program effectiveness and provide clear recommendations to leadership.
• Develop total rewards communication and education materials that help leaders and team members understand compensation, benefits, and the full value of Wingstop’s rewards offering.
• Lead, coach, and develop the Total Rewards team while improving processes, tools, and service delivery.

What You’ll Need

• Bring 10+ years of progressive Total Rewards experience, including direct ownership of compensation and benefits programs.
• Demonstrate deep experience in compensation design, incentive planning, equity programs, market benchmarking, job architecture, and annual compensation processes.
• Apply strong knowledge of benefits strategy, vendor management, plan design, annual enrollment, compliance, and employee communication.
• Use data, market insights, and financial analysis to evaluate programs, model recommendations, and support business decisions.
• Partner effectively with Finance, Legal, HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and senior leaders on compensation, benefits, workforce planning, and governance matters.
• Lead and develop a team, including setting priorities, coaching performance, and improving service delivery.
• Communicate complex total rewards topics clearly to executives, people leaders, and team members
• Support corporate and field-based employee populations, ideally in a high-growth, multi-unit, restaurant, retail, or consumer-facing environment.
• Bring experience with executive compensation, equity programs, or compensation committee materials preferred.
• Hold a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field. CCP, GRP, CEBS, or related certification preferred.

Who You Are

No job is too small. You recognize that the real work happens in the restaurants, and everything we do should support their success. You stay humble, roll up your sleeves, and always look for ways to help. You learn from others and contribute wherever you can.

You care deeply about doing great work and driving results. You’re curious, ask questions, and seek out opportunities to improve. You don’t just point out problems—you bring solutions, ideas, and perspectives that move the team forward.

You take full responsibility for your work and see things through to completion. You aren’t afraid to fail because you know that failure is a part of learning and growth. You take action, move fast, and keep pushing forward.

You lead with empathy, respect, and emotional intelligence. You collaborate effectively, fostering a culture of trust and constructive feedback. You understand the importance of teamwork and ensure that your actions build others up rather than break them down.

You push yourself and others to be better. You embrace healthy conflict, knowing that great ideas and strong teams emerge from honest, constructive conversations. You believe that leaders create leaders and are committed to fostering a culture of growth, challenge, and continuous improvement.

Benefits

• Unlimited paid time off for exempt employees
• One paid volunteer day of your choice
• Competitive bonus structure for eligible roles
• Team member stock purchase plan
• Health savings or flexible spending account options
• 401k – (dollar for dollar on the first 3% and then 50 cents on the dollar for the next 2% for team member contributions up to 5% of eligible compensation)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Basic life and AD&D insurance provided
• Pet insurance
• Education Assistance
• Wellness reimbursement program
• Paid maternity and paternity leave

Fun Is The Best Flavor

• Lunch provided every Tuesday and Thursday in office
• Discount on Wingstop gift cards
• Onsite game room

Wingstop provides equal opportunities for everyone that works for us and everyone that applies to join our team, without regard to sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, any service, past, present, or future, in the uniformed services of the United States (military or veteran status), or any other consideration protected by federal, state, or local law.