Senior Director, Total Rewards

NPR•Columbia, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility – and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide. Across our organization, we’re building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR. This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR. Intro to Position The Senior Director, Total Rewards leads, modernizes and directs the operational foundations of benefits and compensation programs at NPR, responsible for developing and driving a total rewards strategy that supports a culture of high performance to attract, reward, and retain top talent. Reporting to the SVP People and serving as a critical strategic partner to Finance, Legal, and broader NPR leadership, this position establishes total rewards as a pillar of NPR’s employer brand –redefining benefits, compensation, and systems to position NPR as an employer of choice. This role requires a unique balance of high-level strategic design, high-touch operational execution, and understanding. The Senior Director of Total Rewards will bring deep expertise in compensation and benefits administration, strong knowledge of retirement plans, and will serve as a key partner to the HRIS/People Systems team to ensure that systems, data, eligibility rules, benefits deductions, reporting, and related processes accurately support total rewards programs. This role requires strong technical knowledge, keen attention to detail, and the ability to identify, audit, and help improve legacy processes and systems issues. The ideal candidate will bring a strong understanding of benefits, operations, retirement plan administration, compensation and HR systems. They must be comfortable driving change, strengthening controls, improving processes and working cross-functionally with HRIS, Payroll, Finance, Legal, external vendors, auditors and senior organizational leadership.

Requirements

12 + years of progressive leadership experience across Total Rewards and HR Technology, with at least 6 years directly managing multidisciplinary HR teams.
Proven track record designing and executing holistic benefit, retirement, and wellness strategies that enhance the employee value proposition in complex organizations.
Proven experience managing, configuring, or optimizing enterprise-grade HRIS platforms, with specific, advanced expertise utilizing UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group) modules.
Demonstrated ability to lead and develop a high-performing team in a complex, collaborative organization.
Comprehensive understanding of ERISA fiduciary duties, nondiscrimination testing, retirement plan audits, Form 5500 reporting, and working directly with plan recordkeepers and trustees across 401 (k) and 403b plans.
Robust knowledge of ERISA fiduciary responsibilities, nondiscrimination testing, plan audits, Form 5500 reporting, and retirement plan compliance; proven experience working directly with retirement plan recordkeepers, trustees, and investment advisors.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a proven ability to use data to drive decisions, audit complex datasets, and resolve data discrepancies, process and control gaps, and legacy system issues.
Strong understanding of compensation practices, including salary bands, market pricing, pay equity, incentive programs, and compensation governance.
Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, with the ability to provide strategic advice and counsel to senior leadership and negotiate effectively with insurance and benefit vendors.
Bachelor's degree or equivalent in work experience.

Nice To Haves

Active professional designations such as CCP or CMS, SPHR or SHRM-CP or CEBS preferred.
Experience developing and administering benefits and compensation programs in a unionized environment.
Experience supporting retirement plan audits, plan corrections, compliance testing, and plan governance.
Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
Ability to understand how total rewards programs are operationalized through People Systems, Payroll, and vendor systems.
High degree of accountability, ownership, and follow-through.
Ability to build credibility with the People Team, Finance, Legal, external vendors and senior leadership.

Responsibilities

Drive the strategic transformation of Total Rewards and HRIS functions to align with NPR’s enterprise-wide organizational evolution, establishing scalable operating models, modern digital workflows, and progressive employee programs.
Partner closely with the SVP, People, HR People Partners, Finance, and leadership to align total rewards and systems strategy with overarching business goals and facilitate seamless organizational change.
Lead the overall benefits strategy, incorporating a data-driven approach to recommendations and implementation of changes and improvements to our programs to maintain competitive advantage and meet the needs of the organization.
Provide strategic direction and oversight for all of the organization’s comprehensive benefits offerings, leave programs, and retirement plans, ensuring compliance testing, plan document accuracy, and successful audits.
Oversee relationship management with health and benefit providers, third-party benefits advisors, and brokers. Direct the administration of benefit enrollment processes and leave programs.
Proactively identify, troubleshoot, and resolve complex benefits and retirement plan administration issues, successfully correcting legacy errors, resolving vendor data discrepancies, closing process controls gaps, and resolving systems configuration concerns.
Develop and drive a unified compensation strategy aligned with broader HR objectives, utilizing robust data-driven analytics and modeling to evaluate market conditions, manage pay equity frameworks, and guide evidence-based salary decisions.
Direct the annual compensation planning process and own overall fiscal responsibilities for total rewards and systems budgets, partnering closely with Finance to manage resources cost-effectively.
Lead complex compensation and benefits projects from initial concept through design, modeling, and successful organization-wide implementation. Partner closely with the SVP of People, HR Business Partners, and additional stakeholders to ensure that total rewards programs are seamlessly integrated into broader HR and organizational strategies; author transparent communication materials and deliver structured training for leadership and staff on NPR's total rewards philosophy.
Ensure compliance with legal requirements and governance related to compensation and benefits programs.
Direct the HRIS/People Systems team and establish the enterprise roadmap for UKG and integrated HR tools; ensure total rewards programs are accurately configured, administered, reported, and maintained within UKG; collaborate directly on system configuration, eligibility rules, and code setup to identify inaccuracies and improve data controls.
Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), data validation routines, and process audit trails to proactively identify and resolve issues in legacy total rewards processes.
Lead benefits, compensation, and systems compliance activities across the organization, ensuring compliance with any relevant federal, state, and local laws, including total reward regulations (e.g., ACA, Form 5500, and ERISA reporting).
Ensure total rewards data and reporting are accurate, timely, and useful for leadership decision-making, employee communications, and audit inquiries.
Direct, mentor, and coach the internal Total Rewards teams, establishing a culture of accountability, high accuracy, professional growth, and proactive customer service.