Senior Total Rewards Strategist

Wellmark, Inc.; Iowa; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield in Iowa seeks a strategic Total Rewards Strategy Lead – Compensation. You will shape compensation frameworks, governance, and pay-for-performance programs across the enterprise, aligning them with business strategy, regulatory requirements, and the employee value proposition.

The ideal candidate partners with HR, Finance, and leaders to translate complex concepts into practical tools, lead change initiatives, and ensure consistent decision quality across

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, or related discipline, or equivalent work experience.
• 6+ years of progressive compensation or Total Rewards experience with design, governance, market pricing, job evaluation, and pay structure development.
• Strategic advisor to HR partners and leaders to influence decisions on complex compensation topics.
• Deep knowledge of base pay, incentive design, pay-for-performance, job architecture, internal equity/external competitiveness.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills for clear, practical discussions.
• Experience providing consulting and influencing decisions through data analysis and change management support.
• Ability to review business information, think strategically, and connect initiatives cross-functionally.

Responsibilities

• Strategically partner with leadership to shape enterprise compensation strategy and governance.
• Translate strategy into practical frameworks, guardrails, and shared ways of working (e.g., job architecture, pay-for-performance, incentives).
• Ensure consistency and decision quality across compensation practices with clear guardrails and policies.
• Lead compensation-related change initiatives and enablement with clear communication and stakeholder alignment.
• Elevate team capability through standardized analytical standards and decision-ready insights.
• Collaborate across HR, Finance, Legal, and other functions to integrate compensation with broader business priorities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Strategic advisor

Compensation strategy

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Change management

Communication skills

Regulatory compliance

HRIS knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Business

Tools

Workday

Job description

Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield in Iowa seeks a strategic Total Rewards Strategy Lead – Compensation. You will shape compensation frameworks, governance, and pay-for-performance programs across the enterprise, aligning them with business strategy, regulatory requirements, and the employee value proposition.

The ideal candidate partners with HR, Finance, and leaders to translate complex concepts into practical tools, lead change initiatives, and ensure consistent decision quality across