Director, Total Rewards

Welltower Refresh 2025; Plano (TX); Remote; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Welltower seeks a Director, Total Rewards to lead compensation, benefits, and payroll programs with emphasis on accurate execution and strong controls. You will partner with Finance, Legal, and business leaders to translate strategy into reliable, scalable processes.

You will stabilize and standardize operations, tighten governance, protect data integrity, and drive system improvements to scale with the business while delivering an exceptional employee experience.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive experience across total rewards — compensation, benefits, and payroll.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant certifications (e.g., CCP, CEBS, CPP) preferred.
• Strong experience in compensation administration, market pricing, incentive plan execution, and job architecture.
• Hands-on experience administering employee benefits programs, including health, welfare, and retirement plans, and leading open enrollment.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing multi-state (global preferred) payroll operations, including payroll processing, payroll tax, and compliance.
• Working proficiency with a major HRIS/payroll platform (e.g., Workday, UKG) and related reporting tools.
• Experience managing vendors, RFP processes, and system implementations.
• Advanced Excel and analytical skills.
• Proven ability to manage concurrent processes and deadlines, influence stakeholders, and lead cross-functional operational initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day administration of compensation programs, including base pay, incentive plans, and equity administration, ensuring accurate and timely execution.
• Manage annual and off-cycle compensation reviews end to end, including planning, system configuration, modeling, communications, and on-time delivery.
• Maintain and consistently apply the job architecture framework, including job leveling, banding, and career pathing aligned with market practices.
• Partner with HR Business Partners and business leaders to deliver strategic compensation recommendations and retention strategies tailored compensation and retention strategies.
• Support executive compensation analysis and materials in partnership with senior leadership.
• Lead employee benefits programs, including health, welfare, and retirement offerings, and manage annual open enrollment end to end.
• Own the payroll function, ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing across all pay cycles, jurisdictions, and employee populations.
• Ensure payroll tax, garnishment, and statutory reporting obligations are met, and that payroll reconciliations, internal controls, and audit requirements are consistently satisfied.
• Maintain data integrity and integration across HRIS, payroll, benefits, and time-tracking systems, resolving exceptions and root causes rather than symptoms.
• Manage vendor relationships across compensation, benefits, and payroll, including selection, RFP processes, service-level accountability, and ongoing performance management.
• Partner with Finance on forecasting, accruals, and reconciliation of total rewards- and payroll-related costs.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable compensation, benefits, and payroll regulations, including oversight of filings, audits, and plan documentation.
• Conduct market benchmarking and survey participation to inform pay decisions and recommend program adjustments.
• Deliver recurring reporting, analytics, and service-level metrics across compensation, benefits, and payroll to measure accuracy, timeliness, and program effectiveness.
• Drive continuous process improvement, documentation, and automation across total rewards operations to increase accuracy, efficiency, and scalability.
• Lead, develop, and manage the total rewards team, setting clear priorities, service standards, and accountability for execution.
• Contribute to Human Capital initiatives and cross-functional projects impacting the broader organization.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Financial acumen

Project management

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree or certifications (CCP, CEBS, CPP)

Tools

Workday

UKG

Job description

SUMMARY

The Director, Total Rewards, is a key member of Welltower's Human Capital team, responsible for the day-to-day management and administration of the company's total rewards programs across compensation, benefits, and payroll. This role is centered on operational execution and excellence — ensuring programs are delivered accurately, efficiently, and on schedule, with strong controls, clean data, and a high-quality employee experience.

This individual will partner closely with Human Capital leadership, Finance, Legal, and business leaders to execute total rewards programs that are market-competitive, compliant, and consistently administered. Overall total rewards strategy is set in partnership with Human Capital leadership; this role is accountable for translating that strategy into reliable, repeatable execution. Success in this role requires a data-driven mindset, disciplined process and project management, and the ability to translate complex concepts into clear, actionable insights for leaders and employees.

The role will focus on stabilizing and standardizing compensation, benefits, and payroll operations — documenting processes, tightening controls and governance, improving data integrity, and supporting the evolution of Human Capital systems and vendor partnerships to scale with the business.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the day-to-day administration of compensation programs, including base pay, incentive plans, and equity administration, ensuring accurate and timely execution.
• Manage annual and off-cycle compensation reviews end to end, including planning, system configuration, modeling, communications, and on-time delivery.
• Maintain and consistently apply the job architecture framework, including job leveling, banding, and career pathing aligned with market practices.
• Partner with HR Business Partners and business leaders to deliver strategic compensation recommendations and retention strategies tailored compensation and retention strategies.
• Support executive compensation analysis and materials in partnership with senior leadership.
• Lead employee benefits programs, including health, welfare, and retirement offerings, and manage annual open enrollment end to end.
• Own the payroll function, ensuring accurate and timely payroll processing across all pay cycles, jurisdictions, and employee populations.
• Ensure payroll tax, garnishment, and statutory reporting obligations are met, and that payroll reconciliations, internal controls, and audit requirements are consistently satisfied.
• Maintain data integrity and integration across HRIS, payroll, benefits, and time-tracking systems, resolving exceptions and root causes rather than symptoms.
• Manage vendor relationships across compensation, benefits, and payroll, including selection, RFP processes, service-level accountability, and ongoing performance management.
• Partner with Finance on forecasting, accruals, and reconciliation of total rewards- and payroll-related costs.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable compensation, benefits, and payroll regulations, including oversight of filings, audits, and plan documentation.
• Conduct market benchmarking and survey participation to inform pay decisions and recommend program adjustments.
• Deliver recurring reporting, analytics, and service-level metrics across compensation, benefits, and payroll to measure accuracy, timeliness, and program effectiveness.
• Drive continuous process improvement, documentation, and automation across total rewards operations to increase accuracy, efficiency, and scalability.
• Lead, develop, and manage the total rewards team, setting clear priorities, service standards, and accountability for execution.
• Contribute to Human Capital initiatives and cross-functional projects impacting the broader organization.

OTHER DUTIES

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of responsibilities. Duties may change based on business needs.

TRAVEL

Some travel may be required.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• 7+ years of progressive experience across total rewards — compensation, benefits, and payroll — preferably within a public company environment.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant certifications (e.g., CCP, CEBS, CPP) preferred.
• Strong experience in compensation administration, market pricing, incentive plan execution, and job architecture.
• Hands-on experience administering employee benefits programs, including health, welfare, and retirement plans, and leading open enrollment.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing multi-state (global preferred) payroll operations, including payroll processing, payroll tax, and compliance.
• Working proficiency with a major HRIS/payroll platform (e.g., Workday, UKG,) and related reporting tools.
• Experience managing vendors, RFP processes, and system implementations.
• Advanced Excel and analytical skills.
• Proven ability to manage concurrent processes and deadlines, influence stakeholders, and lead cross-functional operational initiatives.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy, with a proactive and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Strong business and financial acumen.
• Strong process orientation, with a track record of building repeatable, well-controlled processes and driving continuous improvement.
• Discretion and sound judgment in handling highly confidential compensation, payroll, and employee data.

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, drug screening, and verification of employment, education, and other credentials relevant to the position.

Welltower is committed to leveraging the talent of a diverse workforce to create great opportunities for our business and our people. EOE/AA. Minority/Female/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Disability/Vet