Director of Total Rewards

The Director of Total Rewards leads the enterprise Total Rewards function and is accountable for the strategy, design, governance, compliance, financial stewardship, and employee experience of Meriton’s benefits, compensation, retirement, leave, and wellbeing programs across all operating companies. This role ensures Total Rewards programs are competitive, scalable, compliant, cost-effective, and aligned with business growth, talent retention, M&A integration, and organizational performance priorities.

The Director of Total Rewards serves as the enterprise subject matter leader and strategic advisor to executive leadership, operating company leaders, HR, Payroll, HRIS, Finance, Legal, and external partners. The role drives a mature, data-informed rewards strategy through executive-ready recommendations, disciplined governance, vendor performance management, regulatory oversight, cross-functional alignment, and leadership of the Total Rewards team.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Establish and execute the enterprise Total Rewards strategy, roadmap, governance model, and service delivery standards across benefits, compensation, retirement, leave, wellbeing, and related rewards programs for all operating companies.
• Direct the design, administration, governance, and optimization of health & welfare, retirement, disability, life, voluntary, wellbeing, and leave programs for a multi-state, multi-OpCo workforce. Lead annual open enrollment strategy, plan design decisions, communications, system readiness, vendor coordination, funding recommendations, and executive reporting.
• Own the enterprise vendor ecosystem, including brokers, carriers, TPAs, recordkeepers, retirement advisors, consultants, and equity partners. Lead high-impact negotiations, RFP strategy, renewal decisions, performance scorecards, service escalations, contract governance, and cost containment initiatives to ensure service quality, financial discipline, and alignment with enterprise standards.
• Direct enterprise compliance strategy for benefits, compensation, retirement, leave, and related Total Rewards programs in a multi-state environment. Monitor federal, state, and local regulatory developments; sponsor timely implementation; and maintain governance routines, documentation, policies, procedures, controls, audits, Form 5500 filings, ACA reporting, participant notices, and regulatory inquiry responses to ensure audit readiness and risk mitigation.
• Lead enterprise compensation strategy, including job architecture, leveling, salary structures, incentive plan governance, market benchmarking, pay equity practices, offer guidance, and executive-ready compensation analytics. Partner with HR, Talent Acquisition, Finance, and business leaders to ensure compensation decisions support internal equity, market competitiveness, compliance, retention, and business affordability.
• Serve as business owner for Total Rewards technology, reporting, and analytics across HCM, benefits administration, retirement, compensation, and related platforms. Partner with HRIS, IT, Payroll, Finance, and vendors to improve integrations, controls, workflows, data quality, automation, dashboards, employee self-service, and decision-ready insights.
• Lead Total Rewards due diligence, risk assessment, executive recommendations, and integration strategy for mergers, acquisitions, and new operating company onboarding. Establish scalable integration playbooks, transition approaches, benefit harmonization recommendations, compensation alignment frameworks, and post-close service delivery models that protect compliance, continuity of coverage, and employee experience.
• Partner with Finance, Payroll, Accounting, and executive leadership to provide financial stewardship for enterprise Total Rewards programs, including funding, reconciliation, forecasting, budgeting, cost modeling, liability analysis, premium strategy, retirement contributions, and long-range planning. Use analytics to inform recommendations, manage risk, and support sustainable rewards investments.
• Influence and align cross-functional stakeholders across HR, Finance, Accounting, Legal, Payroll, HRIS, Talent Acquisition, OpCo leadership, and external partners to ensure Total Rewards strategies, policies, processes, and communications support enterprise priorities, operating company needs, regulatory requirements, and a consistent employee experience.

Director of Total Rewards Competencies

• Strategic Total Rewards leader who connects rewards design, governance, compliance, and financial stewardship to enterprise growth, workforce retention, talent attraction, and operating company integration.
• Deep subject matter expertise across broad-based compensation, executive and incentive compensation governance, health & welfare, retirement, leave, wellbeing, ERISA, ACA, fiduciary oversight, audits, and multi-state compliance.
• Executive communicator who converts complex compensation, benefits, retirement, compliance, financial, and employee experience considerations into clear recommendations, decision points, risk assessments, and implementation plans.
• Trusted advisor who builds credibility with executives, operating company leaders, HR, Finance, Payroll, Legal, vendors, and employees through sound judgment, collaboration, discretion, and follow-through.
• Operational leader with strong command of controls, data integrity, confidentiality, audit readiness, service delivery, documentation, and measurable continuous improvement.
• Change leader who can prioritize competing enterprise initiatives, manage ambiguity, anticipate risk, and guide teams through transformation in a fast-paced, acquisition-oriented environment.

Education/Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, Accounting, or related field; equivalent professional experience also considered
• Minimum 10+ years of progressive Total Rewards leadership experience, including enterprise-level ownership of benefits, compensation, retirement, leave, wellbeing, compliance, vendor governance, and rewards strategy in a multi-state, multi-unit, or shared services environment
• Demonstrated experience advising executive leaders, presenting Board- or executive-ready recommendations, leading Total Rewards teams, managing enterprise vendor partnerships, overseeing fiduciary and regulatory governance, and driving scalable rewards transformation
• Certified Benefits Professional (CBP) or similar designation preferred
• Demonstrated experience managing & supporting health & welfare benefits and retirement plans in multi-state, multi-unit operations
• M&A benefits & compensation integration expertise preferred
• Experience with major HCM/benefit administration platforms (e.g., Workday, ADP, UKG, Oracle, Dayforce, or similar).

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essentials functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. The workplace is in a corporate office environment and the temperature in the work environment is usually moderate. The position’s primary office is the Shared Services, Irving, TX office; however, telework or work at home, on the road, or in a satellite location for portions of the workweek may occur, depending upon project needs and requirements in coordination with your direct supervisor and/or most senior leader of your department.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable the individuals with disabilities to perform the essentials functions. Must be able to walk, bend, stand, and reach constantly during a workday. May be required to lift items such as document boxes at a maximum of 10 to 15 pounds.