Total Rewards Director

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world’s poor. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence of which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to a tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600 leading academics to conduct over 900 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.

About the role

Innovations for Poverty Action is looking for a Total Rewards Director. The role is a hands-on professional responsible for designing, implementing, and managing the company’s total rewards (compensation, benefits and mobility) programs. This role will collaborate closely with the Chief People Officer and other HR stakeholders to ensure that the organization’s compensation, benefits and global mobility strategies align with business objectives, attract and retain top talent, and foster employee engagement. The Total Rewards Director will play a critical role in evaluating market trends, developing competitive compensation structures, managing benefits programs, and administering recognition and rewards initiatives. The role is responsible for the compliance of IPA’s benefits and compensation practices with applicable laws in the U.S. and in countries where IPA operates. The role serves as part of the HR leadership team and works across the organization at both strategic and hands-on levels while demonstrating business acumen, proactive customer care and stakeholder management, and collaboration with all levels of the organization. The successful candidate will thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment that requires attention to detail, the development of high-quality outputs for, and engagement with leadership, and the ability to manage multiple priorities.

Key Responsibilities:

Compensation Strategy

• Collaborate with the Chief People Officer to develop and implement a comprehensive compensation strategy that aligns with the company’s business goals and industry best practices.
• Conduct regular market analyses to evaluate the competitiveness of the organization’s compensation programs.
• Design and manage salary structures pay grades, and incentive plans to attract, motivate, and retain employees.
• Lead the development of compensation strategies, including base pay, job architecture and job levelling, incentive compensation, compensation ratio and equity compensation, in line with market trends and industry best practices.
• Develop and track the annual operating budget and expenditures for all compensation, benefits and mobility programs by conducting regular market benchmarking assessments and presenting recommendations for executive leadership review and approval.
• Design reports for executive leadership that monitor competitiveness, costs, and budget impacts of IPA’s global rewards programs.

Benefits Administration

• Oversee the administration of employee benefits programs, both US and international, including health insurance, retirement plans, wellness programs, and other fringe benefits.
• Directly manage benefits programs for US and Expat/Third Country Nationals (TCN) staff (health, dental, vision and retirement plans) by ensuring regulatory compliance, audit, and reporting requirements.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations related to benefits administration.
• Conduct regular benchmarking to assess the competitiveness and cost-effectiveness of the organization’s benefits offerings.
• Design and implement changes to existing processes to promote a fair and transparent process in the areas of total rewards, compensation planning, benefits administration, annual compensation review, and staff promotion processes. Collaborate with managers to proactively identify potential problem areas and develop timely solutions.

Performance and Rewards

• Support performance management systems, including goal setting, performance appraisals, and performance-based rewards.
• Collaborate with HR business partners and managers to establish effective performance metrics and recognition programs.
• Monitor the effectiveness of performance and rewards programs and recommend improvements as needed.

Total Rewards Communication

• Develop effective communication strategies to educate employees about the organization’s total rewards programs and initiatives.
• Create clear and concise communication materials such as benefit guides, total rewards statements, and compensation summaries.
• Conduct training sessions or workshops to enhance employees’ understanding of total rewards programs.

Compliance and Governance

• Stay updated on legal and regulatory requirements related to compensation, benefits, and rewards.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies in all total rewards practices in the US and in the locations where IPA operates.
• Support internal and external audits related to total rewards programs.

Vendor Management

• Manage relationships with external vendors, consultants, and service providers related to compensation, benefits, and rewards programs.
• Evaluate vendor performance, negotiate contracts, and ensure timely and accurate delivery of services.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, or related field.
• Minimum 10+- years of experience managing and directing Total Rewards strategies in programs with international organizations.
• Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) certification and/or Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) certification.
• Proven experience with ADA, FMLA, COBRA, FLSA, ERISA and other US and state laws and regulations applicable to compensation, benefits and global mobility administration.
• Hands-on experience in ADP, NetSuite
• Proficiency in HRIS systems and tools for managing compensation, benefits and mobility data.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and make informed decisions.
• Proven track record of implementing domestic and international benefit plans (e.g. medical, dental, disability, life, 401(k), medical and safety and security evacuation, COBRA, etc.)
• Deep knowledge of compensation, benefits and global mobility best practices, trends, and regulations in the international NGO industry including Third Country Nationals (TCNs).
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement annual compensation planning and review process.
• Strong and detailed understanding of the compensation market benchmarking process and interrelationships among various components of the total rewards program.
• Experience working in a diverse international organizational setting.
• Exceptional project management and execution capabilities including the ability to inspire and lead collaboration across teams.
• Ability to set and manage competing priorities across several functional domains.
• Superior analytical, evaluative and problem-solving abilities with exceptional attention to detail.
• Service orientation and responsiveness to internal and external clients.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate complex information with a wide range of stakeholders. –
• Strong analytical skills to evaluate compensation data and develop effective programs.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively communicate total rewards programs to employees at all levels.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders at various levels of the organization.
• High level of attention to detail, accuracy, and confidentiality.

 Compensation

IPA’s compensation structure is designed based on the labour market for the specific geographic location where the employee is located. We are offering the following salary ranges for this position:

• The director is classified as “D2” on IPA’s global job structure.
• For US-based employees, the starting annual gross salary is $115,000 with a maximum of $130,000. Salary ranges apply to locations with a market similar to our U.S. office in New York City. A different range may apply based on your work location.

Location: US – State where IPA is registered, though NY or DC are preferred (Arizona, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Washington State, and West Virginia).

Reports to: Chief People Officer

How to Apply

 Closing date: 4th September 2023

To apply please click ‘apply for job’

As part of the application process kindly submit your CV and a cover letter, preferably in MS Word. All application documents (cover letter and CV) should be submitted in English.

Need help submitting your application? Please email us at [email protected]

Should you require access to information in a different format to facilitate your application please contact us via [email protected]

Please name your submitted files with the following reference: IPA_TRD

IPA’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) 

As an organization, IPA is dedicated to improving the lives of the world’s most vulnerable populations through evidence and policy. We also recognize how important it is for our staff to reflect the diversity of the places where we work and the communities we work with. As such, IPA is committed to hiring from a diverse pool of candidates, from a range of backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and perspectives. We know that this makes our work stronger and more responsive to the challenges faced by those we work with and for and we encourage people from historically underrepresented groups to apply. Click here to learn more about IPA’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Red Sea is committed to meeting the standards set out in our Equality and Diversity statement, acting in line with the UK Equalities Act 2010 and building an accurate picture of the make-up of the workforce in encouraging equality and diversity.

Red Sea takes our responsibility towards protecting your personal data very seriously. The data you provide is processed in line with relevant data protection legislation. For the purposes of this recruitment, and as defined under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Red Sea is defined as the Data Controller.