Director, Total Rewards & Benefits Strategy

Western-New-England-University; Springfield (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Western New England University is seeking a Director of Total Rewards with a builder’s mindset to redefine and lead compensation, benefits and recognition strategies as a strategic lever for attracting and retaining talent.

The role reports to the CHRO and partners with senior leaders, the Board, and governance committees to ensure equity, compliance, and performance. Responsibilities include overseeing payroll/benefits operations and driving collaborative change across the institution.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of HR experience with significant depth in compensation strategy, job evaluation, salary structures, market pricing, pay equity principles, and benefits.
• Experience redesigning compensation programs as part of an integrated total rewards initiative spanning benefits, incentives, and recognition.
• Strong knowledge of benefits plan design, vendor management, and regulatory compliance (ACA, ERISA, PFML, FMLA).
• Experience overseeing payroll operations and collaborating with HRIS platforms to streamline processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of the university's compensation philosophy, base pay, merit, COLA, stipends, and bonuses.
• Build and maintain job families, grades, and salary bands across faculty and staff.
• Oversee benefits renewal, vendor management, compliance filings, and employee communications.
• Ensure payroll accuracy and timely processing with HRIS and Finance partners.
• Coach and develop the Total Rewards team and collaborate with stakeholders and governance bodies.

Skills

Compensation strategy

Job evaluation

Market pricing

Pay equity

Benefits design

Merit adjustments

Executive comp

Payroll oversight

HRIS collaboration

Tools

HRIS platforms

Payroll software

ERP systems

Job description

Western New England University is seeking a Director of Total Rewards with a builder’s mindset to redefine and lead compensation, benefits and recognition strategies as a strategic lever for attracting and retaining talent.

The role reports to the CHRO and partners with senior leaders, the Board, and governance committees to ensure equity, compliance, and performance. Responsibilities include overseeing payroll/benefits operations and driving collaborative change across the institution.