Director, Total Rewards & Payroll Excellence

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

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.