Director of Total Rewards

Central Washington University is recruiting a Director of Total Rewards to join our Human Resources team in Ellensburg, Washington. This role is an important member of our team as they enhance the vision for the University. The role is a campus-based position, which means you get to see the lives you are impacting. We're offering a salary, depending on experience, from $102,217 - $120,957 annually plus the awesome CWU benefits.

Who we are:

We are a team of individuals committed to Changing Students' Lives. No matter what job, each of us plays a part in supporting and empowering our students to fulfill their dreams.

Working in higher education provides career growth and career choice. Think of a university campus like a mini city, operating across 380 acres. You'll find diverse academics, libraries, athletics and sporting events, full service and quick serve dining, conferences and events from small to large, recreation centers, housing, health services, police and public safety for the campus population of ~10,000 students.

Central Washington University has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2022-2023 academic year. In addition, for the seventh time in eight years, CWU is a recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Come join us on our journey to encourage, inspire, and create spaces where all identities thrive on campus.

Tour our campus in Ellensburg here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjdhOegDa9A

What we offer:

Our investment in you begins the day you join our team, a healthy and successful future for you is important to us. We offer medical, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, tuition assistance for you and your dependents, discounts across town, an employee assistance program for individualized counseling, and a wellness incentive program. Learn more: Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

The Role:

The Director of Total Rewards will lead the development, implementation, and administration of comprehensive compensation, benefits, and rewards programs. This role ensures that all total rewards strategies are competitive, cost-effective, and aligned with the university's mission and goals. The Director will oversee payroll, manage out-of-state taxes and employment law compliance, and develop a strategic approach to compensation and benefits administration. The Director will integrate cross-functional perspectives in decisions and handle organizational complexity effectively.

The Director, Total Rewards directly contributes to the overarching goal of supporting employees to serve students, faculty, staff, and the CWU community with excellence, while upholding our commitment to student success, engagement, belonging, and stewardship in every facet of the university environment.

All employees are expected to uphold these values, working collectively to ensure that everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to contribute to the success of our students and the university. All employees are expected to support CWU's commitment to diversity and to bring and support inclusion and belonging into the CWU environment.

As a pivotal member of the IMPACT (HR) Leadership Team, the Director will be a collaborative leader and actively contribute to our collective effort in advancing HR initiatives in alignment with the university's vision, mission, values, and strategic plan.

Total Rewards Programs:
- Develop and implement comprehensive total rewards programs that attract, retain, and motivate employees.
- Ensure alignment of total rewards programs with the university's strategic goals and objectives.
- Communicate total rewards programs effectively to employees and stakeholders.

Compensation Strategy:
- Develop and manage the university's compensation strategy, ensuring market competitiveness and internal equity.
- Partner with Director of Labor Relations on compensation strategy, market competitiveness and internal equity for represented employees.
- Conduct regular market analysis and benchmarking to inform salary structures and adjustments.
- Oversee the administration of annual wage increase programs and pay equity studies.

Benefits Administration:
- Design and manage implementation of employee benefits programs, including health insurance, retirement plans, wellness initiatives, and other perks.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations related to benefits.
- Lead the Benefits Committee to periodically evaluate and enhance benefits offerings.

Payroll Management:
- Oversee the payroll team to ensure accurate and timely payroll processing.
- Oversee the management of out-of-state taxes and ensure compliance with employment laws across different jurisdictions.
- Implement and maintain payroll systems and processes for efficiency and accuracy.

Leadership and Collaboration:
- Lead and mentor a team of HR professionals in compensation, benefits, and payroll functions.
- Facilitate collaboration among team members from different cultural backgrounds and manage distributed teams.
- Coach and develop direct reports to meet performance standards and expectations.
- Inspire excellence and encourage collaboration and innovation to address adaptive challenges.
- Promote team accountability and ownership, ensuring diversity and inclusivity in team composition and practice.

Strategic and Systemic Thinking:
- Think and act systemically, managing organizational complexity and negotiating adeptly.
- Advocate for strategic initiatives and develop strategic initiatives that align with the university's goals.
- Identify and nurture talent, taking risks and implementing change as necessary.
- Communicate organizational news effectively and maintain technical expertise to guide the team and ensure timely project completion.
- Drive strategic initiatives and build positive work relationships across the university.

Supervisor Duties:
- Actively engage in recruitment and hiring new employees.
- Clearly define performance expectations, ensure accountability, and provide ongoing informal feedback, coaching, and mentoring. Conduct formal performance evaluations.
- Ensure employees have necessary resources.
- Oversee and direct the work of staff; serve as mentor, coach, and leader, and resolve complaints or issues.
- Promote professional development opportunities.
- Develop and foster supportive working relationships, motivation and engagement.
- Communicate information to staff on an ongoing basis to influence staff engagement and to be a part of a larger community.
- Take corrective action in a timely manner.
- Recognize employees for good performance.
- Schedule employee work hours/shifts; monitor hours worked; approve payable time and absence requests.
- Adjust leadership style as needed to achieve results.
- Recognize value of and promote a diverse workforce.
- Value and encourage diverse perspectives, creativity, and teamwork.

Leadership Team Membership:
- Serve as a member of the IMPACT (HR) Leadership Team, contributing to overall HR strategy and decision-making.
- Collaborate with HR leadership and cross-functional teams to support the university's HR strategy.
- Serve as requested, to assist AVP of HR, with implementation of vision, mission, and strategic plan for the entire Human Resources Team, along with colleagues.

- Serve on CWU committees/steering committees/review teams representing HR.
- Serve as project manager on various internal HR projects.
- Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in any combination of the following: compensation, benefits, and payroll management.
• Human Resource specialization or certification (SPHR, PHR, SHRM, or similar).
• At least 3 years of supervisory experience.
• Managing and overseeing payroll, compensation and/or benefits programs.
• Demonstrated ability and/or experience working with students and/or co-workers from a wide range of abilities, backgrounds and experiences.
  
• OR applicable combination of education and/or experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience in higher education or the public sector.
• Developing and implementing policy and procedures.
• Experience with out-of-state taxes and employment law compliance.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing strategic initiatives.
• Experience in coaching and developing managers to meet performance standards and expectations.
• Experience in promoting team accountability and ownership, ensuring diversity and inclusivity in team composition and practice.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Strong knowledge of compensation and benefits principles, practices, and regulations.
• Technical expertise to guide the team and ensure timely project completion.
• Ability to inspire excellence and encourage collaboration and innovation.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in HRIS and payroll systems.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to handle complexity and manage organizational complexity effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate cross-functional perspectives in decisions.
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to implement change.
• Proficiency in communicating organizational news effectively.
• Ability to facilitate collaboration among team members from different cultural backgrounds.

Competencies

• Accountability/Dependability: Accepts responsibility for quality of own work; acknowledges and corrects mistakes. Shows up on time, meets standards, deadlines and work schedules.
• Judgement: Makes timely, informed decisions. Analyzes options and determines appropriate course of action.
• Teamwork: Promotes cooperation and mutual support to achieve goals. Encourages participation and mutual support.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Responds positively to changing business needs and responsibilities. Adapts approach and methods to achieve results; recovers quickly from setbacks and finds alternatives.
• Commitment to Diversity: Recognizes the value of diversity and helps create environment that supports and embraces diversity.

Don't meet every single requirement? At CWU we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. This may be the job for you!

Salary: This position has a minimum annual salary of $102,217 and maximum annual salary of $158,436. Tier 1: $102,217-$120,957 (Expected hiring range): Considered fair value for a newly hired employee meeting the basic requirements of the job, and those who are new to a director-level role. Tier 2: $120,958-$139,696 (Potentially considered hiring range): May be considered if a fully competent applicant has 3-5 years of experience in a director-level or similar role, and able to quickly assimilate and consistently meet or exceed performance expectations. Tier 3: $139,697-158,436 (Longevity range, not considered for hiring)

In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the hiring range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.

Schedule/Appointment: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm (1 hour lunch)

Working Conditions: This position is fully in-person, based on the Ellensburg, Washington campus. Work is performed in an indoor office setting with frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods of time, perform extensive data entry and other computer-related tasks and create/maintain filing systems for departmental records. Some evening or weekend work and/or occasional travel may be required.

Benefits: CWU offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, life and disability insurance, along with vacation and sick leave plans depending on employment classification. For additional information please visit Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

An employee of CWU may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program if the employee has student loans. To learn more, visit: https://ofm.wa.gov/state-human-resources/public-service-loan-forgiveness-program.