Director, Incentive Compensation Strategy

Unum Group•Chattanooga, TN

19h

About The Position

When you join the team at Unum, you become part of an organization committed to helping you thrive. Here, we work to provide the employee benefits and service solutions that enable employees at our client companies to thrive throughout life’s moments. And this starts with ensuring that every one of our team members enjoys opportunities to succeed both professionally and personally. To enable this, we provide: Award-winning culture Inclusion and diversity as a priority Performance Based Incentive Plans Competitive benefits package that includes: Health, Vision, Dental, Short & Long-Term Disability Generous PTO (including paid time to volunteer!) Up to 9.5% 401(k) employer contribution Mental health support Career advancement opportunities Student loan repayment options Tuition reimbursement Flexible work environments All the benefits listed above are subject to the terms of their individual Plans . And that’s just the beginning… With 10,000 employees helping more than 39 million people worldwide, every role at Unum is meaningful and impacts the lives of our customers. Whether you’re directly supporting a growing family, or developing online tools to help navigate a difficult loss, customers are counting on the combined talents of our entire team. Help us help others, and join Team Unum today! General Summary: This position is accountable for the design, development, communication, and analytics of compensation programs supporting Sales & Client Management and external distribution partners. The Director will lead initiatives that align compensation strategies with company objectives, ensuring programs motivate and incent desired behaviors while supporting growth, profitability, and compliance. The role requires expertise in compensation modeling, financial impact analysis, and strategic alignment across multiple channels. The incumbent will serve as the primary point of contact for compensation-related strategy, design, and implementation, partnering with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions. By performing the above duties, the incumbent has a direct, positive, sustainable impact on results that contribute to both top and bottom-line outcomes.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; advanced degree preferred.
8–10 years of experience in compensation design and analytics within insurance or financial services.
Deep understanding of group, voluntary, and individual insurance business operations.
Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Proven ability to lead complex projects and influence senior stakeholders.
Exceptional communication and presentation skills.
Advanced proficiency in Excel and data modeling tools.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results independently.

Responsibilities

Lead the design and development of incentive compensation plans for Sales and Client Management and external distribution partners that align with corporate strategy and business objectives.
Create new compensation models and determine financial impact for both broker and field programs.
Develop and manage supplemental programs (e.g., recognition, loyalty, contests) for both channels.
Build and maintain compensation budgets, forecasts, and expense projections for all plans.
Analyze and report on key financial aspects of compensation programs, including earnings trends, variances, and ROI.
Develop contingency strategies and present recommendations to senior leadership when performance is off track.
Ensure successful implementation of compensation programs and enhancements in partnership with Operations and Technology (IT) teams.
Develop clear, consistent communication materials and policies for all compensation plans, ensuring accessibility and transparency.
Partner with Marketing and Field Communications to deliver effective messaging and education.
Collaborate with business leaders to align compensation plans with organizational design, staffing, pricing, profit and sales strategies.
Support new product launches through compensation design and promotional initiatives.
Represent compensation strategy in key leadership forums and industry surveys, influencing best practices and incorporating findings into plan design.
Actively participate in industry compensation surveys for both Field and Broker roles.
Analyze survey data and incorporate findings into compensation plan design to ensure all programs remain market competitive and aligned with industry best practices.
Establish and maintain guidelines for target pay points and incentive structures based on benchmarking insights.
Work with Legal and cross-functional teams to ensure commission filings and regulatory requirements are met.
Maintain accurate documentation and audit-ready processes for all compensation programs.

Benefits

Award-winning culture
Inclusion and diversity as a priority
Performance Based Incentive Plans
Competitive benefits package that includes: Health, Vision, Dental, Short & Long-Term Disability
Generous PTO (including paid time to volunteer!)
Up to 9.5% 401(k) employer contribution
Mental health support
Career advancement opportunities
Student loan repayment options
Tuition reimbursement
Flexible work environments