Total Rewards Strategist

The Gorilla Glue Company; Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Gorilla Glue Company is seeking a Total Rewards Strategist to advance compensation governance, analytics, and AI-enabled transformation across the organization. This role partners with HR, Finance, Payroll, HRIS, and business leadership to modernize compensation and rewards programs, improve workforce insights, drive automation, and create scalable processes that support organizational growth.

A key focus will be leading AI-enabled improvements to compensation planning, merit and bonus

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in Compensation, Total Rewards (Comp, Benefits, HRIS, Payroll), HR Analytics, HR Technology.
• Experience supporting annual merit and incentive planning cycles.
• Strong analytical, project management, and business partnering skills.
• CCP, CEBS, SHRM-SCP, or a related certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Support compensation design, salary structures, incentive programs, pay equity analysis, and market competitiveness.
• Lead the optimization and AI enablement of annual merit and bonus planning processes, including modeling, controls, and analytics.
• Develop and deliver compensation insights, workforce cost analysis, Total Rewards effectiveness metrics, and executive dashboards to support business, talent, and financial decisions.
• Serve as a strategic partner across all Total Rewards functions, including Compensation, Benefits, HRIS, and Payroll, to ensure programs, processes, and systems are aligned, scalable, compliant, and support an exceptional employee experience.
• Partner with HRIS to improve data quality, reporting capabilities, workflow automation, system integrations, and employee and manager self-service functionality.
• Drive continuous improvement across Total Rewards by identifying opportunities to leverage automation, artificial intelligence, analytics, and technology-enabled solutions to increase efficiency, reduce administrative effort, and improve decision-making.
• Partner with Compensation, Benefits, HRIS, and Payroll teams to evaluate and optimize day-to-day processes, ensuring operational excellence, strong internal controls, regulatory compliance, and a high level of customer service.
• Support the development and monitoring of key Total Rewards metrics, including compensation competitiveness, pay equity, benefits utilization, payroll accuracy, workforce costs, and employee program effectiveness.

Skills

Compensation strategy

Process optimization

Merit and bonus administration

HR technology

Workforce analytics

Data visualization

Pay equity analysis

AI and automation solutions

Market pricing

Project management

Financial modeling

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field

Job description

Summary Description

The Total Rewards Strategist is responsible for advancing the organization's Total Rewards strategy through compensation governance, analytics, process optimization, and AI-enabled transformation.

Summary Description

The Total Rewards Strategist is responsible for advancing the organization's Total Rewards strategy through compensation governance, analytics, process optimization, and AI-enabled transformation.

This role partners across HR, Finance, Payroll, HRIS, and business leadership to modernize compensation and rewards programs, improve workforce insights, drive automation, and create scalable processes that support organizational growth.

A key focus will be leading AI-enabled improvements to compensation planning, merit and bonus administration, rewards analytics, and Total Rewards operations while ensuring appropriate governance, compliance, and human oversight. As the Total Rewards function evolves, this role offers the opportunity to expand its scope through direct team leadership and the potential oversight of other parts of Total Rewards.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Thinking
• Data Storytelling
• Business Acumen
• Change Leadership
• Systems Thinking
• Executive Influence
• Innovation
• Continuous Improvement
• Analytical Problem Solving
• Collaboration

Key Responsibilities

Compensation Strategy & Governance

• Support compensation design, salary structures, incentive programs, pay equity analysis, and market competitiveness.

Merit & Bonus Planning

• Lead the optimization and AI enablement of annual merit and bonus planning processes, including modeling, controls, and analytics.

Total Rewards

• Develop and deliver compensation insights, workforce cost analysis, Total Rewards effectiveness metrics, and executive dashboards to support business, talent, and financial decisions.
• Serve as a strategic partner across all Total Rewards functions, including Compensation, Benefits, HRIS, and Payroll, to ensure programs, processes, and systems are aligned, scalable, compliant, and support an exceptional employee experience.
• Partner with HRIS to improve data quality, reporting capabilities, workflow automation, system integrations, and employee and manager self-service functionality.
• Drive continuous improvement across Total Rewards by identifying opportunities to leverage automation, artificial intelligence, analytics, and technology-enabled solutions to increase efficiency, reduce administrative effort, and improve decision-making.
• Partner with Compensation, Benefits, HRIS, and Payroll teams to evaluate and optimize day-to-day processes, ensuring operational excellence, strong internal controls, regulatory compliance, and a high level of customer service.
• Support the development and monitoring of key Total Rewards metrics, including compensation competitiveness, pay equity, benefits utilization, payroll accuracy, workforce costs, and employee program effectiveness.

Collaborate with Finance, Payroll, HRIS, and HR leadership to streamline processes, improve governance, and support the organization's long-term Total Rewards strategy

AI & Automation Enablement

• Identify and implement automation opportunities across compensation, benefits, recognition, and reporting processes.
• Ensure appropriate governance, compliance, and human oversight are maintained as AI-enabled solutions are introduced.

Process Improvement & Transformation

• Partner with HRIS, Payroll, Finance, and HR leaders to redesign workflows and improve scalability and efficiency.
• Modernize compensation and rewards programs, strengthen workforce insights, and create scalable processes that support organizational growth.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in Compensation, Total Rewards (Comp, Benefits, HRIS, Payroll), HR Analytics, HR Technology.
• Experience supporting annual merit and incentive planning cycles
• Strong analytical, project management, and business partnering skills.
• CCP, CEBS, SHRM-SCP, or a related certification preferred.

Skills Needed

• Compensation strategy
• Process optimization
• Merit and bonus administration
• HR technology
• Workforce analytics
• Data visualization
• Pay equity analysis
• AI and automation solutions
• Market pricing
• Project management
• Financial modeling
• Executive communication

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stoop, reach, bend, stand, walk, lift, pull, push, grasp, talk, hear, see, and lift up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as reading handwritten and or typed material and must have the ability to focus.

Company Values

Adhere to The Gorilla Glue Company's Core Values that ensure everyone works together to exceed expectations.

• Have fun, be passionate and show it!
• Act with integrity and respect in all relationships.
• Communicate openly and appreciate the effort of others.
• Embrace knowledge, growth and change.
• Strive for excellence in what we do every day!