Director of Total Rewards
GQR, Chicago, IL, United States
Client
Our client is a nationally recognized advisory and professional services firm known for delivering strategic accounting, tax, and consulting solutions to a diverse client base. With a strong growth trajectory and people-first culture, the organization is investing heavily in scalable infrastructure and modern HR systems.
Position Overview Our client is seeking a Director of Total Rewards & People Operations Services to lead enterprise-wide compensation, benefits, payroll, and people systems strategy. This role blends strategic design with hands-on operational oversight, ensuring programs are competitive, compliant, and aligned with business objectives. Reporting to the Chief People Officer and partnering closely with executive leadership, this individual will play a critical role in scaling the firm’s total rewards framework and optimizing Workday HCM.
The ideal leader brings strong analytical depth, operational rigor, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders while building high-performing teams and processes.
Please note this role is 4 days onsite in Chicago, IL.
Key Responsibilities Total Rewards & Compensation Leadership Develop and execute a comprehensive total rewards strategy aligned with business growth, financial objectives, and professional services best practices. Lead the design and administration of base pay, incentive programs, long-term compensation, and partner-aligned models. Oversee annual compensation cycles, including benchmarking, job architecture, incentive modeling, budgeting, and benefits strategy. Partner with Finance, Legal, and business leaders to ensure programs are competitive, compliant, and data-driven. People Operations & Payroll Oversee end-to-end People Operations, including compliance, policy governance, onboarding/offboarding, and service delivery excellence. Lead multi-state payroll operations, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and regulatory compliance. Drive process optimization and consistency across people-related services. HR Systems & Analytics Own and optimize Workday HCM and the broader HR systems roadmap, including data governance and reporting infrastructure. Deliver actionable people analytics to support workforce planning and executive decision-making. Collaborate with IT, Finance, and external partners to ensure scalable, integrated systems. Executive Partnership & Team Leadership Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on compensation, workforce strategy, and organizational scale. Lead and develop a high-performing Total Rewards and People Operations team. Support executive and partner-level reporting while maintaining a hands-on, pragmatic leadership approach.
Qualifications Bachelor’s degree required. 10+ years of progressive experience across Total Rewards and People Operations functions. 5+ years of leadership experience overseeing compensation, benefits, payroll, and HR systems. Deep expertise in compensation program design, incentive modeling, benefits compliance, payroll governance, and people data management. Experience implementing or managing Workday HCM. Strong analytical acumen with the ability to translate data into strategic recommendations. Demonstrated project leadership and ability to navigate evolving business priorities. Collaborative leadership style with a focus on operational excellence and stakeholder partnership. Experience within a professional services or advisory environment preferred
Position Overview Our client is seeking a Director of Total Rewards & People Operations Services to lead enterprise-wide compensation, benefits, payroll, and people systems strategy. This role blends strategic design with hands-on operational oversight, ensuring programs are competitive, compliant, and aligned with business objectives. Reporting to the Chief People Officer and partnering closely with executive leadership, this individual will play a critical role in scaling the firm’s total rewards framework and optimizing Workday HCM.
The ideal leader brings strong analytical depth, operational rigor, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders while building high-performing teams and processes.
Please note this role is 4 days onsite in Chicago, IL.
Key Responsibilities Total Rewards & Compensation Leadership Develop and execute a comprehensive total rewards strategy aligned with business growth, financial objectives, and professional services best practices. Lead the design and administration of base pay, incentive programs, long-term compensation, and partner-aligned models. Oversee annual compensation cycles, including benchmarking, job architecture, incentive modeling, budgeting, and benefits strategy. Partner with Finance, Legal, and business leaders to ensure programs are competitive, compliant, and data-driven. People Operations & Payroll Oversee end-to-end People Operations, including compliance, policy governance, onboarding/offboarding, and service delivery excellence. Lead multi-state payroll operations, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and regulatory compliance. Drive process optimization and consistency across people-related services. HR Systems & Analytics Own and optimize Workday HCM and the broader HR systems roadmap, including data governance and reporting infrastructure. Deliver actionable people analytics to support workforce planning and executive decision-making. Collaborate with IT, Finance, and external partners to ensure scalable, integrated systems. Executive Partnership & Team Leadership Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on compensation, workforce strategy, and organizational scale. Lead and develop a high-performing Total Rewards and People Operations team. Support executive and partner-level reporting while maintaining a hands-on, pragmatic leadership approach.
Qualifications Bachelor’s degree required. 10+ years of progressive experience across Total Rewards and People Operations functions. 5+ years of leadership experience overseeing compensation, benefits, payroll, and HR systems. Deep expertise in compensation program design, incentive modeling, benefits compliance, payroll governance, and people data management. Experience implementing or managing Workday HCM. Strong analytical acumen with the ability to translate data into strategic recommendations. Demonstrated project leadership and ability to navigate evolving business priorities. Collaborative leadership style with a focus on operational excellence and stakeholder partnership. Experience within a professional services or advisory environment preferred