Executive Director, Total Rewards

Overview Executive Director, Total Rewards At WakeMed, we're looking for a forward-thinking Executive Director of Total Rewards who can modernize how we reward, support, and recognize our 13,000+ employees. This role is perfect for a strategic, data-savvy leader who thrives at the intersection of compensation, benefits, HR technology, and talent strategy.

What You'll Lead:

Compensation & Performance Management Oversee a $1B payroll and $16M merit budget , ensuring competitive, equitable, and financially responsible pay practices.

Own all pay architecture:

job evaluation, job descriptions, market pricing software, compensation programs, and salary administration. Lead performance management for executives, leaders, and staff, improving clarity, fairness, and accountability across the organization. Deliver accessible, practical training to help leaders confidently navigate performance and pay decisions. Provide the analytics executives depend on from pay trends to performance insights to drive better, faster business decisions. HR Technology, Data, & Insights Drive upgrades and enhancements to Infor and other HR systems, expanding self-service, automation, and employee/leader adoption. Elevate the organization's people analytics maturity, turning data into actionable insights on turnover, vacancy trends, talent pipelines, and pay/benefit analytics. Partner across HR to improve processes, simplify experiences, and strengthen workforce decision-making. Benefits Strategy & Administration Lead the strategy and management of $120M in health/welfare plans and $1B+ in retirement/pension assets . Oversee benefits operations for 11,000+ eligible employees , ensuring an exceptional, service-focused experience. Manage vendor performance, plan audits, compliance, and delivery standards. Continuously assess plan competitiveness, cost, and employee value leading annual planning and long-term benefit design. Total Rewards Strategy Partner with marketing/communications to create clear, compelling Total Rewards messaging that employees understand and value. Strengthen leaders ability to discuss pay, benefits, recognition, and work/life programs with confidence. Champion and evolve WakeMed's Total Rewards philosophy to support attraction, engagement, and retention. Lead strategic planning, RFP processes, vendor evaluations, and long-term program design. WakeMed is the region's premier health system, committed to world-class care and world-class employee experience. This is a high-impact role with access to senior leadership and the opportunity to modernize how Total Rewards fuels talent attraction, performance, and engagement. If you're a strategic, innovative Total Rewards leader who wants to shape the future of rewards for a mission-driven health system, we'd love to talk. Department Description Serving the community since 1961, WakeMed Health & Hospitals is the leading provider of health services in Wake County. With a mission to improve the health and well-being of our community, we are committed to providing outstanding and compassionate care. For more information, visit www.wakemed.org . Licensure Professional or Senior Professional in Human Resources Preferred Certified Benefits Professional Preferred Certified Compensation Professional Preferred Education Master's Degree Business Administration Or Human Resources Or Accounting Required Experience 7+ Years Human Resources Required, 10+

Years Preferred Qualifications:

Professional or Senior Professional in Human Resources Preferred Certified Benefits Professional Preferred Certified Compensation Professional Preferred