[Hiring] Executive Director, Total Rewards @GHX

Role Description

Reporting to the Chief Human Resource Officer, the Executive Director, Total Rewards is a strategic people leader who owns the enterprise-wide total rewards philosophy, strategy, and governance for a complex, global healthcare technology organization. This role sits on the extended HR leadership team and is a primary advisor to the CHRO, executive leadership, and the Compensation Committee on all matters of pay, benefits, and workforce investment.

This role sets the multi-year direction for compensation, benefits, wellbeing, HR systems, and payroll strategy, and builds the organizational capability to execute that direction at scale. The Executive Director translates business strategy including growth, M&A, transformation, and market positioning into total rewards programs that differentiate GHX as an employer, protects the company's financial and regulatory position, and enables a high-performance culture.

The ideal candidate combines executive presence and strategic vision with the analytical depth and hands-on judgment to guide high-stakes decisions from Board compensation materials to plan design trade-offs in a dynamic, data-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Total Rewards Strategy & Enterprise Ownership
  • Own and evolve the enterprise total rewards philosophy, strategy, and multi-year roadmap in direct partnership with the CHRO and executive leadership team.
  • Ensure programs support retention of critical talent, scalability, and performance differentiation at an enterprise level, including through periods of growth, restructuring, and M&A.
  • Partner with the CEO, CFO, and Finance leadership to align total rewards investment with company financial strategy, workforce planning, and long-range business plans.
  • Serve as the senior-most subject matter expert and escalation point for HR leadership and business executives on compensation, benefits, and total rewards governance.
  • Represent total rewards strategy and recommendations directly to the Board and Compensation Committee, including preparation of executive and Board-level materials.
• Compensation Strategy & Design
  • Set enterprise compensation architecture, including job architecture, global salary structures, incentive plan design, and philosophy.
  • Own the design, governance, and Board reporting of executive compensation programs, including equity, in partnership with the CPO and outside compensation counsel/consultants.
  • Direct annual compensation planning cycles enterprise-wide, including merit, bonus, and equity processes, ensuring consistency, compliance, and cost discipline.
  • Direct ongoing market analyses and benchmarking strategy to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness across all geographies.
  • Provide executive counsel on organizational design, workforce planning, and retention strategy at the enterprise level.
• Benefits & Wellbeing Strategy
  • Own the enterprise strategy and governance for health, wellness, retirement, and absence programs, balancing employee experience, cost management, and compliance across a growing global footprint.
  • Set benefits governance strategy, including plan design philosophy, vendor strategy, funding approach, and program performance standards.
  • Own the enterprise wellbeing strategy, including mental health and workforce sustainability initiatives, as a driver of engagement and retention.
  • Direct open enrollment strategy and execution, ensuring a seamless, high-quality employee experience at scale.
• Operational Excellence & Vendor Management
  • Own end-to-end governance of total rewards operations, including annual cycles, audits, renewals, and open enrollment, with accountability to the CPO and executive leadership for outcomes.
  • Direct strategic relationships with external partners, consultants, and vendors, negotiating enterprise agreements that optimize service delivery, risk, and cost efficiency.
  • Drive enterprise-wide process transformation and scalable infrastructure across total rewards operations.
  • Ensure data integrity and process governance across HRIS platforms and vendor integrations, setting standards for the broader team.
  • Own payroll governance, ensuring accurate, timely, and compliant processing across all jurisdictions and alignment with total rewards strategy.
• Data, Insights & Technology Enablement
  • Set the strategic agenda for how HRIS data, analytics, and modern tools are used to drive total rewards decision-making and transparency enterprise-wide.
  • Champion the adoption of automation and AI in compensation benchmarking, pay equity analysis, and workforce insights, evaluating build/buy/partner decisions.
  • Establish enterprise metrics and executive dashboards to evaluate program effectiveness, cost, and engagement, translating insights into executive-ready recommendations.
  • Ensure use of technology aligns with data privacy, regulatory requirements, and ethical standards.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
  • Serve as a trusted strategic partner to the CEO, CFO, General Counsel, and business unit leaders on total rewards matters.
  • Own the enterprise communication strategy for total rewards, ensuring employees and managers understand and value the full offering.
  • Build manager and HR Business Partner capability enterprise-wide in understanding and applying compensation and benefits programs.
• Team Leadership
  • Build, lead, and develop a global total rewards organization spanning compensation, benefits, systems, and payroll functions.
  • Develop the next generation of total rewards leadership through coaching, succession planning, and structured development.
  • Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and data-driven decision-making across the function.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressive experience in total rewards, including 8+ years in a senior leadership role directing compensation, benefits, and/or HRIS/payroll functions.
• Demonstrated experience owning total rewards strategy at an enterprise or executive level, including direct exposure to Board or Compensation Committee reporting.
• Proven track record designing and governing compensation and benefits programs, including executive compensation, in complex, global organizations.
• Deep expertise in compensation governance, equity administration, and regulatory compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience leading total rewards through high-growth, transformation, or M&A environments, including due diligence and post-merger integration.
• Strong financial and executive-level analytical acumen, with a track record of connecting rewards strategy to business and shareholder outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage data, analytics, and HR technology to drive operational efficiency and strategic insight at scale.
• Experience working with global teams, including India and/or EU-based talent.
• Extensive HRIS knowledge; Dayforce experience strongly preferred.
• Executive-level influencing and communication skills, with credibility at the CEO, CFO, and Board level.
• Experience preparing compensation materials for a Board, Compensation Committee, or public company disclosure context.

Requirements

• This role requires approximately 20–25% annual travel, including collaboration events, HR meetings, and regular engagement with executive leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in technology companies, SaaS specifically, private equity ownership exposure highly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience taking a company self-funded or self-insured.
• Experience leading enterprise-wide modernization or transformation of total rewards programs or processes.
• Familiarity with AI, automation, or advanced analytics solutions in HR or business operations.
• CCP (Certified Compensation Professional) or equivalent certification.
• MBA preferred.

Leadership Profile

• Commercially minded and results-oriented, with enterprise-level program ownership and accountability.
• Sound judgment with strong governance and risk awareness, including executive presence.
• Comfortable operating in a technology-enabled, rapidly evolving environment.
• Able to translate data and emerging capabilities into practical, business-relevant applications.
• Builds trust and collaboration across the executive team, cross functionally, and with business stakeholders.
• Balances strategic, enterprise-level thinking with hands-on execution when needed.

Benefits

• The compensation for this role is: $168,000- $240,000 plus bonus.
• The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high end of the GHX’s salary range for this position.
• Actual salaries will vary based on various factors, such as the candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and proficiency for the role.
• The base salary is one component of GHX’s total compensation package for employees.
• Other rewards and benefits include: health, vision, and dental insurance, accident and life insurance, 401k matching, paid-time off, and education reimbursement, to name a few.
• To view more details of our benefits, visit us here: GHX Careers