Director, Total Rewards

Addison Group; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 144,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

401(k) with Company Match

Downtown Parking

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Addison Group is seeking a strategic Director, Total Rewards to build and lead compensation and benefits programs across the United States and Canada. The role requires a hands-on leader who designs architecture, governance, and incentive plans while partnering with executive leadership to support acquisitive growth.

The position is hybrid, located in Houston, TX or Toronto, with up to 40% travel. A strong track record in Canadian benefits and multi-site deployments is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or related discipline.
• 9+ years leading compensation, benefits, and total rewards initiatives.
• Experience designing compensation programs, governance models, and incentive plans.
• Experience supporting multi-site North American organizations (US & Canada).
• Travel readiness up to 40%.

Responsibilities

• Lead compensation philosophy, governance, and job architecture across US and Canada.
• Design salary structures, market pricing, and career leveling.
• Develop and oversee merit, promotions, and market adjustments processes.
• Design and manage incentive plans (bonus, sales, field, operations).
• Partner with executives and leaders to align rewards with growth.

Skills

Total Rewards leadership

Compensation architecture

Governance & analytics

Canada benefits expertise

Executive compensation experience

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Director, Total Rewards

Location: Houston, TX or Toronto, Ontario

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Travel: Up to 40% travel, including overnight travel

Compensation: Salary target up to $160,000 plus annual bonus

Benefits: The position is eligible for medical, dental, vision, and 401(k).

About the Opportunity:

Our client is a growing North American organization operating across multiple locations throughout the United States and Canada. As the company continues to expand through acquisition and organic growth, they are seeking a strategic and hands‑on Director of Total Rewards to build, modernize, and lead compensation and benefits programs across the enterprise.

This is an excellent opportunity for a proven Total Rewards leader who enjoys creating structure where it does not yet exist. The ideal candidate will be a builder who has designed compensation frameworks, developed governance models, implemented incentive plans, and partnered closely with executive leadership to align rewards strategy with organizational growth.

Position Summary:

The Director, Total Rewards will lead the design, development, and execution of the organization's compensation, benefits, retirement, and total rewards strategies across both the U.S. and Canada. This individual will play a critical role in establishing compensation architecture, job structures, salary administration practices, incentive programs, and rewards governance while supporting a growing, acquisitive, multi‑site workforce.

The role requires a strong balance of strategic leadership and execution, with particular emphasis on compensation design and architecture, while also possessing meaningful expertise in Canadian benefits administration and strategy.

Key Responsibilities

Compensation Strategy & Architecture (Primary Focus):

• Lead the development of the organization's compensation philosophy and governance framework.
• Design and implement job architecture, career levels, salary grades, salary structures, and market pricing methodologies.
• Build scalable compensation programs that support business growth, workforce planning, and internal equity.
• Develop and oversee annual compensation processes, including merit planning, promotions, market adjustments, and executive compensation analyses.
• Design and manage incentive compensation programs, including bonus, sales, field, and operational incentive plans.
• Provide executive leadership with compensation analytics, modeling, reporting, and workforce cost insights.
• Ensure compliance with applicable compensation regulations and pay transparency requirements.

Benefits & Total Rewards:

• Oversee total rewards programs across the U.S. and Canada.
• Lead strategy, administration, and optimization of benefit offerings, retirement programs, wellness initiatives, and leave programs.
• Partner with brokers, carriers, consultants, and external vendors to evaluate program effectiveness and cost efficiency.
• Support retirement plan administration including 401(k) and Canadian retirement programs.
• Develop communication and education strategies that improve employee understanding and utilization of rewards programs.

Growth, Integration & Leadership:

• Support acquisitions by evaluating, integrating, and harmonizing compensation and benefits programs.
• Participate in workforce planning, organizational design, and change management initiatives.
• Establish total rewards metrics, dashboards, and governance processes.
• Partner closely with HR, Finance, Legal, and Operations leaders on strategic initiatives.
• Lead and develop members of the Total Rewards function.

Required Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or a related discipline.
• 9+ years of progressive experience within compensation, benefits, and total rewards leadership roles.
• Demonstrated success building or significantly redesigning compensation programs, structures, and governance frameworks.
• Deep expertise in:
  • Job architecture and career leveling
  • Salary structure design
  • Market pricing and compensation analysis
  • Incentive compensation and bonus plan design
  • Total rewards strategy
• Experience supporting multi-site organizations across North America.
• Experience leading Total Rewards initiatives in both the United States and Canada.
• Ability to travel up to 40%.

Critical Requirements

This search is heavily weighted toward compensation expertise. Candidates must bring significant experience designing compensation architecture, salary structures, incentive programs, and governance frameworks. Individuals whose backgrounds are primarily benefits-focused or administrative in nature will not be a fit.

In addition, candidates must have current or prior responsibility for Canadian benefits programs, including exposure to Canadian retirement plans, healthcare benefits, vendor management, renewals, compliance considerations, and employee communications. While compensation leadership is the primary focus of the role, hands‑on experience supporting Canadian benefits is a non‑negotiable requirement.

Preferred Qualifications:

• CCP, CEBS, CBP, or other related certifications.
• Experience within complex, decentralized, or acquisitive organizations.
• Experience integrating compensation and benefits programs following mergers or acquisitions.
• Strong HRIS experience, preferably with UKG or similar platforms.
• Demonstrated success scaling a Total Rewards function through periods of organizational growth.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Newly created leadership role with significant visibility.
• Opportunity to build and shape the Total Rewards function from the ground up.
• High-impact position influencing compensation strategy across North America.
• Broad scope spanning compensation, benefits, incentives, governance, and integration activities.
• Growing organization with an active acquisition strategy.
• Strong partnership with executive leadership and opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the organization.

Benefits & Perks:

In addition to a competitive base salary and annual bonus opportunity, the organization offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employees' health, financial well‑being, and work‑life balance, including:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options
• Company-Paid Short-Term Disability Coverage
• Company-Paid Long-Term Disability Coverage
• Employer-Sponsored Life Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Sick Leave
• Company-Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Professional Development and Education Assistance
• Employee Discount Programs
• Company-Paid Downtown Parking
• Flexible Start Times to Support Work-Life Balance

Addison Group is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Addison Group provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Addison Group complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. Reasonable accommodation is available for qualified individuals with disabilities, upon request.