Director of Total Rewards

Colibri Group

About The Position

The Director of Total Rewards is responsible for designing and leading a comprehensive total rewards strategy that drives business performance, supports organizational growth, and ensures a competitive and equitable employee experience across compensation, benefits, and payroll. This role operates as a strategic partner to executive leadership, shaping programs that align with company goals while balancing market competitiveness, internal equity, cost management, and regulatory compliance. You will lead the design, implementation, and continuous evolution of compensation, benefits, and payroll programs across a complex, multi-division organization. This is a highly visible role with enterprise impact, including ownership of annual compensation cycles, benefits strategy, vendor partnerships, M&A due diligence, and long-term rewards planning.

Requirements

7-10 years of experience in total rewards, including compensation, benefits, and payroll
5â7 years of leadership experience, ideally within complex or multi-division organizations
Deep expertise in compensation strategy, including salary structures, incentive design, and executive compensation
Strong experience designing and managing health and welfare benefit programs
Knowledge of payroll operations, compliance, and process optimization
Strong understanding of regulatory requirements (FLSA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, PPACA, etc.)
Demonstrated ability to drive process improvement and operational excellence
Strong business acumen and ability to align rewards strategy with organizational performance
Experience supporting M&A or business transformation initiatives

Nice To Haves

Experience working in private equity-backed or high-growth environments preferred

Responsibilities

Develop and evolve a comprehensive total rewards strategy aligned to business objectives, growth plans, and talent priorities
Ensure programs are competitive, equitable, and scalable across a multi-division organization
Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on compensation, benefits, and workforce planning decisions
Lead the design, implementation, and communication of all compensation programs, including base salary structures, annual merit cycles, variable pay, commissions, and executive compensation
Ensure alignment between compensation strategy and company performance, financial goals, and talent strategy
Oversee salary planning processes and ensure consistent, data-driven decision-making
Develop and manage health and welfare benefit strategies, balancing employee experience with cost effectiveness
Oversee plan design, vendor partnerships, implementation, and ongoing optimization
Ensure programs remain competitive and aligned with employee needs and market trends
Establish and oversee payroll processes, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and efficiency in routine processing and reporting
Identify opportunities to improve payroll operations, systems, and delivery through process optimization and automation
Ensure alignment with internal financial requirements and regulatory standards
Evaluate and continuously improve compensation and benefits programs to ensure market competitiveness, compliance, and alignment with business goals
Maintain compliance with all applicable regulations (e.g., FLSA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, PPACA)
Implement governance structures to ensure consistency and risk mitigation
Partner with external consultants and vendors to benchmark programs, stay current on market trends, and optimize offerings
Manage vendor relationships to ensure quality, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with company strategy
Lead total rewards due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, and new ventures
Assess and integrate compensation and benefits programs to support successful transitions
Develop and execute a comprehensive communication strategy for compensation and benefits programs
Enhance transparency, understanding, and engagement across the organization
Ensure messaging supports broader company strategy and growth