Director, Total Rewards

Director, Total Rewards

Job Overview

The Director, Total Rewards has responsibility for Wawanesa's total rewards strategy across compensation, group benefits, recognition and other reward programs. The incumbent leads the design, implementation, communication and evolution of competitive, equitable and sustainable programs that attract, engage and retain talent while supporting business performance. As a strategic leader, the Director ensures programs remain competitive, sustainable and aligned with Wawanesa's strategy.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain Wawanesa's total rewards philosophy and strategy, ensuring compensation, benefits, recognition and reward programs reinforce organizational values, performance expectations, talent priorities and business objectives.
• Design, develop, implement and administer progressive, equitable, competitive, legally compliant and financially sustainable total rewards programs that support talent attraction, engagement and retention.
• Lead the development and delivery of recognition and reward programs that strengthen engagement, reinforce desired behaviours and support Wawanesa's employee value proposition.
• Lead the strategy, design and governance of group benefits programs, balancing employee needs, market practice, affordability and long-term sustainability.
• Lead the design and execution of executive compensation and sales incentive programs that support business performance and organizational objectives.
• Lead the evolution and governance of Wawanesa's job architecture, job evaluation and titling frameworks, ensuring transparency, consistency, equity, scalability and alignment with career development, workforce planning and compensation practices.
• Oversee market benchmarking, analytics and annual merit and incentive programs, ensuring efficient execution and alignment with the broader reward strategy.
• Analyze market positioning and emerging economic, legislative and workforce trends; identify risks and opportunities and recommend the continued evolution of total rewards programs.
• Manage third-party compensation and benefit suppliers, vendors and consultants to ensure service quality, program effectiveness and value for investment.
• Act as Wawanesa's lead Total Rewards subject matter expert and coach, building reward literacy and providing strategic advice to senior and executive leaders and People teams.
• Build and lead a high-performing team of total rewards professionals as the business evolves, fostering collaboration, continuous learning and accountability.
• Leverage technology, automation and analytics to strengthen decision-making, optimize processes and improve program delivery.
• Champion significant total rewards initiatives through effective stakeholder engagement, communication and change leadership, building understanding and commitment.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• University degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Commerce or a related discipline; relevant compensation or Total Rewards certification is an asset.

• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in Compensation and/or Total Rewards leadership roles, including at least five years of executive compensation experience.

• Demonstrated experience leading compensation, group benefits, recognition, incentive, job architecture and market benchmarking programs in a complex organization.

• Demonstrated capability to advise and influence C-level leaders and build strong relationships across the organization.

• Strong business acumen with advanced analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills to assess complex issues, risks, opportunities and impacts.

• Excellent leadership, communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to lead multiple complex initiatives and build a high-performing team.

• Strong understanding of reward governance, relevant legislation, technology, analytics and emerging Total Rewards practices.

• Diversity Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

• At Wawanesa, we are committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) and believe that our strength lies in the diversity of our people – this is supported by having a representative workforce.

• We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including racialized persons, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, gender-diverse and neurodiverse individuals, and anyone who can contribute to the further diversification of thought and ideas.

• We aim to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all candidates. If you require accommodations during any stage of the recruitment process, please reach out in confidence to [email protected].

• All Wawanesa job applicants are subject to Wawanesa's Privacy Policy.

• Please note that the recruitment process for this position may involve the use of AI tools to screen, assess, or select applicants. All final decisions are taken or reviewed by human recruiters and human hiring leaders in compliance with all applicable legislation.