Vice President, Total Rewards

Company Description

Are you looking to join an organization that is growing and dynamic? What about a high-energy, collaborative environment that rewards hard work?

J.S. Held is a global consulting firm that combines technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise to advise clients seeking to realize value and mitigate risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets.

The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations.

Job Description

As a highly valued member of the HR leadership team, the Vice President of Total Rewards will provide strategic direction and hands-on leadership for J.S. Held’s global compensation, benefits, and payroll programs. This leader will continue to build and scale a modern Total Rewards function that supports a high-growth, private equity-backed professional services organization expanding through both organic growth and M&A. The role will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, HR, Finance, Legal, and business leaders on pay strategy, market competitiveness, benefits design, payroll governance, compliance, and reward programs attract, retain, and engage top talent.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in compensation, strong knowledge of benefits and payroll operations, and the ability to design scalable programs, processes, governance, and analytics in a fast-paced, global environment. This individual will be both strategic and execution-oriented, comfortable partnering with executives while also expanding the infrastructure, team capability, and operating discipline needed to support continued growth. This is a remote role with minimal travel expected for leadership meetings.

Job Responsibilities 

• Advance and lead a global Total Rewards strategy that aligns compensation, benefits, payroll, and recognition programs with business objectives, talent strategy, financial discipline, and market competitiveness.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership, HR, Finance, Legal, and business leaders on compensation philosophy, pay decisions, incentive design, retention strategies, benefits strategy, payroll governance, and Total Rewards-related business issues.
• Lead the enhancement, implementation, and governance of global compensation programs, including salary structures, job architecture, job leveling, pay ranges, annual merit and bonus processes, incentive plans, market pricing, and compensation benchmarking.
• Build and maintain scalable global job architecture, including job families, levels, bands, and career frameworks that support consistency, internal equity, business growth, and integration of acquired companies.
• Oversee global benefits strategy and program design, partnering with brokers, consultants, vendors, and regional stakeholders to ensure offerings are competitive, compliant, cost-effective, and aligned with employee needs across geographies.
• Provide strategic oversight of payroll operations globally, ensuring accurate and timely processing, effective controls, regulatory compliance, clear ownership, and alignment with compensation and benefits programs.
• Support M&A activity by leading Total Rewards due diligence, risk assessment, retention analysis, harmonization planning, employee communications, and post-acquisition integration of compensation, benefits, payroll, and related programs.
• Develop Total Rewards analytics, dashboards, reporting, and insights to support executive decision-making, workforce planning, pay equity analysis, cost modeling, program effectiveness, and quarterly business reviews.
• Monitor external market trends, pay transparency requirements, regulatory changes, and competitive practices to ensure Total Rewards programs remain compliant, equitable, financially sustainable, and positioned to attract and retain talent.
• Partner with Finance to model the financial impact of compensation, benefits, payroll, and incentive programs, ensuring alignment with budgets, growth plans, and long-term business objectives.
• Lead vendor, broker, consultant, and platform relationships across compensation, benefits, payroll, and Total Rewards, including performance management, contract review, service quality, and cost effectiveness.
• Drive process improvement, automation, governance, documentation, and controls across Total Rewards to improve efficiency, accuracy, scalability, compliance, and the employee experience.
• Lead, develop, and scale a globally distributed team across compensation, benefits, and payroll, building capability, accountability, collaboration, and a service-oriented mindset.
• Communicate Total Rewards programs clearly to leaders, managers, employees, and acquired teams, ensuring understanding of program intent, value, eligibility, and decision-making principles.
• Maintain policies, procedures, governance documents, internal controls, and compliance practices related to compensation, benefits, payroll, and Total Rewards programs.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive Human Resources experience with significant depth in compensation and Total Rewards; experience leading compensation, benefits, and/or payroll teams in a global or multi-jurisdiction environment.
• Demonstrated experience building or scaling Total Rewards programs in a high-growth, private equity-backed, acquisitive, or complex professional services environment strongly preferred.
• Deep expertise in compensation strategy, job architecture, market pricing, pay structures, incentive design, annual compensation planning, benchmarking, pay equity, and executive-level compensation advisory.
• Strong understanding of global benefits strategy, vendor/broker management, plan design, employee communications, compliance, and cost management across the US and international markets, including EMEA and APAC.
• Experience overseeing payroll operations and payroll governance across the US and international jurisdictions; hands-on payroll processing experience is not required, but strong operational understanding is important.
• Experience supporting M&A due diligence and integration related to compensation, benefits, payroll, retention programs, harmonization, communications, and change management.
• Strong analytical, financial, and business acumen with the ability to translate data, market trends, and cost modeling into practical recommendations for senior leadership.
• Proven ability to influence and advise executives, business leaders, HR partners, Finance, Legal, and other stakeholders with credibility, judgment, discretion, and confidence.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through ambiguity, manage multiple priorities, execute in compressed timelines, and balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
• Strong project management, change management, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience leading, developing, and scaling high-performing teams; ability to build structure, accountability, and collaboration in a distributed environment.
• Working knowledge of HRIS, compensation planning tools, payroll systems, analytics platforms, and related technologies; experience improving processes through systems, data, automation, or workflow redesign preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or a related field required; advanced degree and/or relevant certifications such as CCP, GRP, CEBS, SHRM-SCP, or SPHR preferred.
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, sound judgment, and professionalism.

Additional Information

Some of the Benefits We Have Include 

J.S. Held understands all our employees are people and sometimes life needs flexibility. We work to always provide an environment that best supports and suits our team’s needs. 

• Our flexible work environment allows employees to work remotely, when needed 
• Flexible Time Off policy 
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance 
• 401k Match 
• Commuter Benefit 

A reasonable estimate of the salary range for this role is $200,000-225,000. Any offered salary range is based on a wide array of factors including but not limited to skillset, experience, training, location, scope of role, management responsibility, etc. 

Other Duties 

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. 

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you have read the J.S. Held Online Privacy Notice and hereby freely and unambiguously give informed consent to the collection, processing, use, and storage of your personal information as required and described therein. California residents can click here to learn more about the personal information we collect and here to learn about additional privacy rights that may be available.  

Please explore what we’re all about at www.jsheld.com. 

EEO and Job Accommodations 

We embrace diversity and our commitment to building a team and environment that fosters professional and personal enrichment is unwavering. We are greater when we are equal! 

J.S. Held is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to hiring a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request for a reasonable accommodation, please email jobs@jsheld.com and include “Applicant Accommodation” within the subject line with your request and contact information. 

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