Director, Total Rewards

Premera Blue Cross•Mountlake Terrace, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

As the Director, Total Rewards, you will play a critical role in shaping how Premera attracts, rewards, and retains talent. In this leadership role, you will define and lead a forward‑looking Total Rewards strategy that is customized to meet the unique needs of a not-for-profit that ensures we are able to attract and retain talent in a highly competitive marketplace. This strategy will also need to align with Premera’s mission, support long‑term business objectives, and ensure we are effective stewards of our compensation and benefits investments. You will serve as a trusted strategic advisor to senior leaders while leading and developing a high-performing Total Rewards team. As a vital member of the HR leadership team, you will partner closely with executives and leaders across the organization to design innovative, market‑competitive compensation and benefits programs that support Premera’s transformation and growth. This is a unique opportunity to build, evolve, and modernize Total Rewards at Premera—bringing creativity, analytics, and a holistic perspective to how we reward and engage our workforce over the next 5–10 years.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field of study, or four years of equivalent professional work experience.
Ten years of progressively responsible professional experience, including five years managing teams.
Demonstrated experience leading enterprise‑wide compensation and/or benefits programs with strong financial, analytical, and governance expertise, preferably leading a corporate HR, compensation or benefits team.
Proven ability to operate as a strategic advisor to senior leaders and executives, with strong executive presence and communication skills.
An ability to translate complex qualitative and quantitative information for diverse audiences and operate effectively in ambiguous, fast‑paced environments with a results‑oriented, action‑driven mindset.

Nice To Haves

Certified Compensation Professional (CCP)
Certified Employment Benefits Specialist
PHR, SPHR
Lean certification or equivalent

Responsibilities

Define and lead Premera’s enterprise Total Rewards strategy, establishing a forward‑looking, multi‑year roadmap that aligns compensation, benefits, and wellness programs with business priorities, workforce needs, and a pay‑for‑performance philosophy.
Bring a creative, holistic, and market‑informed perspective to Total Rewards—modernizing programs to remain competitive, sustainable, and aligned with Premera’s mission in a rapidly evolving environment.
Leverage the unique information available to you, as part of a healthcare payer, to develop, build, and implement innovative, value-add benefits offerings.
Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders, executives, and the HR leadership team, translating business strategy into thoughtful Total Rewards solutions and guiding critical compensation and benefits decisions.
Provide governance, oversight, and financial stewardship through partnership with the Benefits Plan Committee, leveraging analytics and reporting to optimize rewards investments and deliver executive insight on engagement, performance, and retention.
Lead, develop, and inspire a high‑performing Total Rewards team, building capability, providing direction and guidance, and fostering a collaborative, results‑driven culture.
Provide oversight of vendors, compliance, internal controls, and third‑party risk across compensation and benefits programs, ensuring consistent execution, strong governance, and regulatory alignment.

Benefits

Medical, vision, and dental coverage with low employee premiums.
Voluntary benefit offerings, including pet insurance for paw parents.
Life and disability insurance.
Retirement programs, including a 401K employer match and a pension plan that is vested after 3 years of service.
Wellness incentives with a wide range of mental well-being resources for you and your dependents, including counseling services, stress management programs, and mindfulness programs.
Generous paid time off to reenergize.
Tuition assistance for both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Employee recognition program to celebrate anniversaries, team accomplishments, and more.
Commuter perks make your trip to work less impactful on the environment and your wallet.
Free convenient on-site parking.
Subsidized on-campus cafes make lunchtime connections with colleagues fun and affordable.
Participate in engaging on-site activities such as health and wellness events, coffee connects, disaster preparedness fairs and more.
Our complementary fitness & well-being center offers both in-person and virtual workouts and nutritional counseling.
Challenge someone to a game of shuffleboard or ping pong while on campus.