VICE PRESIDENT, TOTAL REWARDS

ROLE OVERVIEW

The Vice President, Total Rewards is a critical enterprise leader responsible for shaping, elevating, and executing compensation, benefits, and payroll strategy. This role oversees the full Total Rewards portfolio—base pay, variable compensation, incentive plan design, benefits programs, and payroll governance—while restoring a cohesive compensation philosophy during a period of high organizational change. Acting as the organization’s subject matter expert in complex variable compensation, the Vice President will prepare and present board-level materials, partner closely with executive leadership, and influence compensation direction across the enterprise. The ideal candidate is a hands-on compensation strategist with excellent analytical capability, strong communication skills, and the ability to guide leaders through ambiguity, restructuring, and rapid transformation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the design, development, and delivery of compensation, benefits, and payroll programs across corporate, field, and advisor populations.

• Build and implement a modernized compensation philosophy, including salary architecture, incentive structures, deferred variable compensation, and SIC/commission plan design.

• Prepare and present board-ready materials, models, and narratives for executive compensation and enterprise-wide program recommendations.

• Partner with senior leadership (CAO, CFO, GC, CEO’s Office) to align total rewards strategy with business objectives and future IPO readiness.

• Oversee Compensation, Benefits, and Payroll teams, ensuring operational excellence and adherence to regulatory compliance.

• Collaborate with HR Technology on upcoming Workday benefits integration initiatives and other enterprise systems projects.

• Drive continuous improvement by monitoring key metrics, conducting market analysis, and ensuring competitiveness and internal equity across all programs.

• Support enterprise M&A activity with compensation modeling, harmonization, and post-transaction program alignment.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or CCP/CEBS/CBP certification preferred.

• 15+ years of progressive Total Rewards experience with deep expertise in compensation design, incentive planning, and complex variable pay structures.

• Proven experience preparing and presenting executive and board-level materials with clarity, precision, and compelling insights.

• Hands-on analytical capability, including incentive modeling, merit planning, benchmarking, and data-driven recommendations.

• Demonstrated ability to influence senior executives and operate effectively in a highly matrixed, fast-paced environment.

• Experience supporting large-scale organizational change, including M&A integration, compensation redesign, and workforce transformation.

• Leadership experience overseeing Compensation, Benefits, Payroll, and cross-functional HR partners.

Strong HR systems acumen; Workday experience preferred.

COMPENSATION

A meaningful compensation package will be developed for the successful candidate that includes a base salary plus performance-based bonus.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter, preferably in MS Word format, to Derek Bush – dbush@harvardsearch.com. A fully detailed, formal specification will be sent to “top-level”, qualified candidates.

Top Financial Services Company

Latest Jobs

Vice President, Total Rewards