Senior Director, Total Rewards - Hybrid Chicago Loop Office

JOB SUMMARY :

Join NORC as our new Senior Director of Total Rewards! NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking an experienced Senior Director of Total Rewards to assume a pivotal role in steering the organization's compensation and benefits strategies and programs. In this capacity, they are entrusted with providing strategic guidance, expert oversight, and contributing to the formulation of long-term objectives and strategic blueprints. As the primary interface with leadership, they are a recognized authority in matters pertaining to compensation, employee benefits, and employee well-being.

This position will have a hybrid work schedule of at least two days a week in our Chicago Loop office.

The Senior Director will be charged with the significant responsibility of conceiving, translating, and executing a comprehensive vision and strategy encompassing staff and executive compensation, employee benefits, and employee health and well-being programs. This overarching total rewards strategy is instrumental in NORC's ability to not only attract and recruit top-tier talent but also retain them.

In addition to this, the Senior Director will be the driving force behind compensation discussions and strategies during executive searches, collaborating closely with the Vice President of NORC People. As the leader of total rewards at NORC, they will ensure the formulation and management of appropriate compensation policies and practices while crafting programs that link pay, benefits, and rewards harmoniously with NORC's vision, values, and performance metrics.

An essential facet of this role lies in the ability to influence within a highly collaborative and relationship-centric environment, building and maintaining credibility. Reporting directly to the Vice President, the Senior Director of Total Rewards manages the functional areas of compensation and benefits, introducing and driving innovative programs from conceptualization through to successful implementation.

DEPARTMENT : NORC People

The NORC People department supports NORC's mission and values by collaborating with research, operations, and administrative departments to recruit, develop, and retain top staff. Because NORC is a government contractor, the NORC People team plays a large role ensuring that all staff information and systems remain secure and that our organization is fully compliant with our policies. NORC People is responsible for talent acquisition, hiring, benefits administration, employee relations matters, and performance evaluation programs to ensure our organization is maintaining compliance while keeping employees’ best interests in mind.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

Lead the strategic planning, design, implementation, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, communication, and delivery of all compensation components (including base pay, incentive pay, and employment contracts), as well as well-being and benefits programs. Maintain a continuous process of assessment, analysis, and review of industry practices, assessing the cost-effectiveness and impact of NORC’s total rewards programs in comparison to competitors

Leverage a strong grasp of business and financial principles to translate visions and strategies into well-defined priorities. Collaborate with diverse stakeholders, to ensure that compensation strategies and benefits programs align with NORC's mission, values, and comply with all local, state, and federal policies and regulations. Cultivate and nurture relationships with essential constituents required for the successful deployment of total rewards strategic initiatives. Design incentive programs that link pay to value creation, such as a comprehensive total rewards platform

Supervise the processes of open enrollment, renewal, and communication. Foster partnerships with third-party vendors supporting NORC's benefits and compensation initiatives in coordination with senior leadership and relevant stakeholders. Craft programs with a strong focus on meeting the evolving needs of the organization's workforce. Execute total rewards changes and program enhancements with an unwavering commitment to operational excellence

Ensure that senior leadership and relevant stakeholders are promptly informed of regulatory alterations that may impact operations. Prepare and deliver presentations to high-level stakeholders and leadership, including presentations to the Board, as necessary. Deliver communications to the NORC community in a manner that fosters employee engagement

Drive a culture of continuous improvement in compensation technologies and best practices, consistently delivering exceptional service and swift responses to regulatory shifts. Maintain a deep understanding of key public policy issues related to benefits, including U.S. federal regulations

Collaborate closely with leadership, utilizing exceptional influencing and problem-solving skills, to solicit precise input into the design of total rewards strategies. Gain a comprehensive understanding of leaders' perspectives, foster consensus, and effectively communicate decisions. Cultivate a high-performance culture throughout the organization by shaping rewards policies. Ensure that equitable practices are deeply integrated into the design of total rewards programs

Align all programs meticulously with NORC's overarching objectives, philosophies, and talent strategies while consistently delivering market-driven total rewards programs

As the need arises, develop integration plans and strategies for potential M&A activities.

REQUIRED SKILLS :

Bachelors Degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance or related field required.

Ten (10) years of relevant experience in human resources management, with a strong emphasis on one or more of the following areas : core compensation practices and programs, executive compensation, benefits, health plans, and compliance with regulations related to compensation, retirement, and health and welfare plans. Out of these ten years, at least seven (7) should be in a management capacity

Extensive experience in designing, establishing, and implementing comprehensive total rewards programs and policies. This should include a demonstrated history in developing and implementing broad-based compensation programs, encompassing aspects such as base pay, pay-for-performance, benchmarking and market data analysis, and job evaluation

Proficiency in managing, developing, and implementing a wide range of benefit plans and programs. This should cover retirement programs, life insurance, health insurance, and wellness plans

Proven experience in developing presentation materials and delivering executive compensation presentations to senior leaders and Boards of an organization

Demonstrated expertise in developing holistic total rewards strategies and the ability to interpret and apply analyses, trends, and best practices in a multi-disciplinary environment

A knack for rapidly establishing credibility, enabling effective collaboration with leaders and colleagues to define and execute strategies, processes, data initiatives, and programs that align with organizational goals

A history of demonstrated leadership experience and executive presence

Exceptional strategic and critical thinking skills, coupled with proficiency in problem-solving, change management, and organizational proficiency

Keen attention to detail, ensuring precision in all aspects of work

Proficiency in deriving valuable insights from various streams of data, interpreting trends, and presenting persuasive recommendations.

Experience in data analysis, reporting, and the presentation of compensation data

Outstanding oral and written communication skills, with the ability to tailor communication to diverse audiences, ranging from staff to executive leadership.

Expectation of hybrid work schedule of at least two days a week in our Chicago Loop office.

SALARY AND BENEFITS :

The pay range for this position is $175,000 - $293,000.

Hybrid work model in the heart of Chicago.

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC’s comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to :

Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment

Dental and vision insurance

A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program

Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance

Benefits that promote work / life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC’s Approach to Equity and Transparency

Pay and benefits transparency helps to reduce wage gaps. As part of our commitment to pay equity and salary transparency, NORC includes a salary range for each job opening along with information about eligible benefit offerings. At NORC, we take a comprehensive approach to setting salary ranges and reviewing raises and promotions, which is overseen by a formal Salary Review Committee (SRC).

WHAT WE DO :

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

WHO WE ARE :

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

EEO STATEMENT :

NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics.

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