Sr Director, Global Total Rewards

Watlow Recruitment Team • St. Louis, MO

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, Global Total Rewards & Systems leads compensation, benefits, payroll, and HR systems for Watlow’s more than 5,000 employees in over 30 countries. Reporting to the CHRO, the role serves on the Global HR Leadership Team and leads four direct reports. It combines setting rewards strategy with hands-on analysis and implementation.

Initial priorities include completing the Global Job Architecture project and presenting its pay and cost impact recommendations to the Executive Team; developing pay programs to attract and retain technical talent in key labor markets; updating the sales incentive plan; selecting and onboarding an international benefits consultant to help manage costs; guiding the Mexico payroll vendor conversion; and applying AI and automation to HR processes.

The position owns global pay philosophy, salary structures, job leveling, incentive programs, benefits, HR systems, and payroll oversight. It advises senior leaders and the Board on pay and workforce costs, supports acquisitions and country expansions, and develops the Total Rewards team. The role is based at Watlow’s St. Louis, Missouri corporate headquarters, with a 4:1 hybrid arrangement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, human resources, or a related field.
• 15+ years of experience in total rewards, including global total rewards experience.
• At least 5 years of experience leading a team.
• Experience designing incentive plans and pay programs for engineering or other technical roles.
• Experience leading a job architecture or leveling project.
• Experience overseeing global payroll and HR systems such as Dayforce, Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, or Oracle.
• Experience selecting and managing benefits brokers, consultants, and vendors across multiple countries.
• Solid financial and analytical skills, with the ability to explain complex topics plainly to executives and employees.
• Proven leadership skills, including the ability to lead, guide, motivate, and delegate to deliver results.

Nice To Haves

• CCP, GRP, or CBP certification, or an MBA.
• Experience in a global manufacturing or industrial technology company.
• Experience with pay transparency and pay equity programs in Europe, Asia, and North America.
• A track record of using AI or automation to improve HR processes.

Responsibilities

• Own Watlow’s global pay philosophy, salary structures, and job leveling, keeping them current with market data from survey providers.
• Plan and run annual merit, bonus, and promotion cycles through manager communication.
• Lead incentive plan design, including annual, production, and sales incentive plans across 30 countries.
• Oversee benefits plan design, renewals, vendor and broker management, and compliance in every country where Watlow operates.
• Own HR systems and related tools, including data quality, reporting, and advancing AI tools across the HR function.
• Oversee payroll compliance and integration across in-house payroll, vendors, and employer-of-record partners.
• Lead pay equity reviews and prepare Watlow for pay transparency rules, including the EU Pay Transparency Directive and U.S. state laws.
• Advise the CHRO, Executive Team, and Board on pay decisions, workforce costs, and rewards strategy.
• Handle rewards-related work for acquisitions, integrations, and entry into new countries.
• Lead, inspire, and develop a high-performing team of four, while building the team’s capabilities as Watlow grows.
• Complete and roll out the Global Job Architecture project, including pay and cost impact analysis and recommendations to the Executive Team.
• Develop pay programs for engineers and other technical talent in key labor markets, including the U.S., Mexico, India, and Malaysia.
• Implement sales incentive plan changes in partnership with Sales leadership and Finance.
• Select and onboard a new international benefits consultant and use the partnership to manage benefits costs across more than 30 countries.
• Guide the team delivering a payroll conversion and new payroll vendor implementation in Mexico.
• Apply AI and automation to HR, beginning with compensation, payroll, and employee self-service.

Benefits

• Annual Incentive Program.
• 401(k) plan with a company match and an annual company contribution tied to company performance.
• Wellness incentives.
• Employee Personal Assistance Program.
• Dental, medical, and vision insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Paid holidays, personal time, and vacation.
• Parental leave.
• Tuition reimbursement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior