Director of Total Rewards

The Director of Total Rewards provides strategic and operational leadership for payroll, compensation, employee benefits, leave management, workers¿ compensation, ADA accommodations, human resources information systems (HRIS), and personnel records and data governance. This role ensures accurate, equitable, secure, and legally compliant administration of total rewards and HR operational services that support workforce stability, employee well-being and instructional continuity.

The Director partners closely with other leaders within Human Resources, Finance, Information Technology, Legal, school leaders, and labor partners to ensure payroll, compensation, benefits, HR systems, and personnel records align with collective bargaining agreements, School Board policies, public records requirements, and applicable federal, state, and local laws. This position is critical to advancing data-informed decision-making, operational excellence, equity, and trust in support of student success.

Reporting Relationship

Reports to the Executive Chief of Human Resources.

Responsibilities
The essential functions include, but are not limited to, the following fundamental duties:

-Strategic Leadership & Governance

Provide leadership, vision, and oversight for payroll, compensation, benefits administration, leave management, workers compensation, ADA accommodations, HRIS, personnel records, and HR data governance.
Develop, implement, and maintain district policies, procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and internal controls to ensure compliance with collective bargaining agreements, civil service requirements, School Board policies, public records laws, and employment regulations.
Align total rewards, HR operations, and data governance strategies with district strategic priorities, equity commitments, and service delivery standards.
Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership and the School Board on payroll, compensation, benefits, HR systems, records management, and compliance matters.

-Payroll Administration

Oversee end-to-end payroll operations for all employee groups, including licensed staff, education support professionals, administrators, substitutes, and seasonal employees.
Ensure accurate and timely processing of school-year, calendar-year, extra-duty, stipend, and substitute pay in accordance with district calendars and collective bargaining agreements.
Ensure payroll data including assignments, position changes, compensation elements, earnings, and deductions is accurately entered and maintained in the HRIS.
Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local wage and hour laws, tax regulations, retirement reporting, and audit requirements.
Partner with Finance on payroll reconciliations, audits, budgeting, cash flow planning, and year-end reporting.
Lead continuous payroll process improvements to strengthen accuracy, efficiency, internal controls, automation, and audit readiness.

– Compensation Strategy & Administration

Develop, administer, and maintain district compensation structures, salary schedules, pay bands, stipends, and incentive programs in alignment with labor agreements, statutory requirements, and market benchmarks.
Partner with the Executive Chief of HR and senior executive leadership to support annual compensation reviews, collective bargaining preparation, pay adjustments, and implementation of negotiated agreements.
Lead pay equity analyses and ensure compliance with all applicable equal pay, wage transparency, and wage and hour laws.
Work in partnership with Finance to provide analytical support for compensation modeling, cost projections, and labor negotiations.

-Benefits & Retirement Administration

Lead in partnership with the Benefits Manager, the administration of district employee benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, retirement (e.g., state pension, 403(b)), wellness, and voluntary benefits.
In partnership with the Benefits Manager, coordinate the annual benefits renewals and open enrollment processes in collaboration with labor partners, vendors, and internal stakeholders.
Ensure benefits enrollment, eligibility, and deduction data are accurately recorded and maintained in the HRIS and payroll systems.
Ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and applicable public-sector benefits regulations.
Manage vendor relationships, contracts, renewals, performance guarantees, and service-level agreements.
Analyze benefits utilization, costs, and employee feedback to support fiscal sustainability, equity, and employee satisfaction.
Lead the administration of compensation/benefits provisions of the labor agreements, employment contracts and benefits/compensation resolutions for employees.
-Leave Management

Ensure smooth administration of all employee leave programs, including FMLA, state and local paid family and medical leave, sick leave, personal leave, parental leave, military leave, jury duty, workers¿ compensation leave, and contractual leaves.
Ensure systems are in place for accurate leave designation, documentation, tracking, and reporting for licensed and non-licensed staff.
Integrate leave management with payroll processing, benefits continuation, ADA accommodations, and workers¿ compensation.
Ensure leave data is properly documented and maintained in personnel files and HRIS records.
Monitor leave trends, assess instructional and operational impacts, and recommend policy or process improvements.

-Workers Compensation, ADA & Risk Coordination

Ensure robust systems are in place and maintained for workers¿ compensation claims administration, return-to-work programs, and modified duty assignments in coordination legal counsel, the Executive Chief of HR and third-party administrators.
Ensure the development and implementation of robust systems facilitate timely and responsive ADA interactive processes, reasonable accommodation determinations, and documentation.
Ensure the coordination among workers¿ compensation, ADA, and leave programs, including proper documentation in personnel records and HRIS systems.
Analyze injury, claim, accommodation, and lost-time data to reduce costs, mitigate risk, and minimize operational disruptions.

-HRIS, Technology & Personnel Records Management

Serve as the HR business owner for the HRIS technology ecosystem supporting payroll, compensation, benefits, leave, timekeeping, and employee records.
Lead HRIS strategy, roadmap development, system implementations, upgrades, integrations, optimizations, in partnership with the PeopleSoft Team.
In partnership with the PeopleSoft Team, establish HRIS governance standards, data definitions, configuration principles, workflows, and system controls to ensure data accuracy, consistency, security, and reliability.
Provide districtwide oversight of personnel records management, ensuring accurate, complete, and compliant maintenance of electronic and paper personnel files.
Ensure all employee data including employment status, assignments, compensation, licensure, evaluations, leave, accommodations, and disciplinary actions is accurately and timely entered into the HRIS in accordance with district policy and legal requirements.
Develop and enforce records management procedures, including documentation standards, retention schedules, indexing, audit protocols, confidentiality requirements, and public data practices.
Partner with Information Technology, Legal, and Compliance to ensure role-based access, data privacy, cybersecurity, and appropriate release of personnel data in response to audits, grievances, litigation, and public records requests.
Conduct regular HRIS data audits and personnel file reviews to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance across schools and departments.
Drive automation, workflow standardization, digital forms, and self-service functionality to improve efficiency, accuracy, and user experience.

-Data Analytics, Compliance & Reporting

Oversee HR, payroll, compensation, benefits, leave, and workforce reporting to support compliance, budgeting, labor negotiations, and workforce planning.
Lead the development of dashboards and analytics related to headcount, compensation, benefits utilization, leave trends, labor costs, and workforce demographics.
Ensure accuracy, integrity, and consistency of HR data used for internal decision-making, audits, and public reporting.
Prepare and present reports and analyses for the Executive Chief of HR, senior executive leadership, the School Board, auditors, and regulatory agencies.
Lead and coordinate internal and external audits related to payroll, benefits, leave, HRIS, compensation, and personnel records.
Direct the completion of approved information requests from internal staff, as well as, the completion of surveys from governmental and other external agencies.
Direct the completion of public information requests related to any public HR related information.

-Team Leadership, Development & Labor Collaboration

Build, mentor and develop a high-performing Total Rewards team.
Provide supervision and direction to the benefits, payroll, HRIS teams and records management functions.
Foster a culture of service excellence, accountability, equity, confidentiality, data accuracy, and continuous improvement.
Establish clear roles, expectations, and accountability aligned with district goals, contractual requirements and district policies and procedures.
Lead development, implementation and ongoing review of Total Rewards standard operating procedures and ongoing process improvement efforts.
Assess training needs and implement professional development focused on contract compliance, equity-centered HR practices, customer service, and operational efficiency.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and service-oriented team culture.
Develop and deliver training for HR staff, school leaders, and system users on payroll, benefits, compensation, leave administration, HRIS data entry standards, SOPs, and records confidentiality.
Collaborate closely with labor relations staff and union leadership to ensure transparent, accurate, and contractually compliant administration of payroll, compensation, benefits, and leaves.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of total rewards administration, including compensation structures, employee benefits, retirement programs, and leave management.
Knowledge of applicable state, federal and local employment laws and regulations, including wage and hour laws (FLSA), payroll tax and reporting requirements, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, ESST and MN PML, ADA and reasonable accommodation requirements, workers¿ compensation laws, and equal pay and wage transparency laws.
Knowledge of collective bargaining agreements and public-sector employment practices.
Knowledge of HRIS and payroll systems, including data entry standards, system controls, integrations, and reporting.
Knowledge of personnel records management, data privacy, confidentiality, retention, and public records requirements.
Knowledge of internal controls, audit principles, and compliance requirements related to payroll, benefits, and HR data.
Foundational knowledge of HR data reporting and analytics to support compliance, operational oversight and decision-making.
Ability to lead and oversee complex HR operational functions, including payroll, compensation, benefits, leave, HRIS, and records management.
Strong organizational, prioritization and time-management skills to manage high-volume, deadline-driven processes with accuracy.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify discrepancies, trends, risks, and compliance issues in payroll, benefits, leave, ADA, and workers¿ compensation data.
Skill in developing, interpreting, and implementing policies, procedures, and standard operating procedures based on legal, contractual, and regulatory requirements.
Effective written and verbal communication skills to convey complex information clearly to employees, leaders, and labor partners.
Skill in cross-functional collaboration with Finance, the PeopleSoft Team, Information Technology, Legal, Labor Relations, Talent Acquisition and other key stakeholders.
Skill in staff supervision, coaching, and performance management across multiple functional areas.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
Ability to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant payroll and total rewards administration in a unionized public-sector environment.
Ability to interpret and apply laws, contracts, and policies consistently across a large and diverse workforce.
Ability to ensure data accuracy, integrity, and security within HRIS, payroll, and personnel records systems.
Ability to respond effectively to audits, grievances, and information requests, including public data requests.
Ability to identify operational risks and implement corrective actions.
Ability to work effectively under pressure during critical payroll cycles, audits, and system implementations.
Ability to build trust and credibility with employees, leaders, and labor partners through consistent and equitable practices.
Ability to support equity, transparency, and consistency in compensation, benefits, leave, and data governance.