About this opportunity
Crucial Hire lists this Total Reward Manager opportunity in chicago, Illinois. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
Director of Total Rewards & People Operations
Professional Services | Partner Environment | Workday in Motion
Open to senior leaders based in Illinois or Indiana – Hybrid | Core leadership team anchored in Towson, MD – $160K–$180K base + meaningful complexity
Let’s be clear: this is not a maintenance role.
This is a build-it-right, scale-it-once leadership seat inside a national professional services firm with a true partner model.
The firm is growing. The economics are evolving. Workday is live (or going live).
And Total Rewards can no longer be “good enough.”
They’re looking for a leader who has been inside the machine — who understands how compensation decisions ripple through partners, performance, culture, and trust.
If you’ve never had to defend comp logic to strong personalities with strong opinions, this won’t be your role.
What You’ll Own (And Be Accountable For)
Total Rewards — the center of gravity
Architect and lead a firm-wide Total Rewards strategy aligned to partner economics and growth goals
Own base pay, bonus design, incentives, and partner-aligned compensation
Lead annual comp cycles end-to-end: benchmarking, job architecture, budgeting, incentive planning
Oversee benefits strategy with discipline around experience, compliance, and cost
Partner deeply with Finance, Legal, and senior leadership on complex, high-stakes comp decisions
People Operations & Payroll
Lead multi-state payroll and people operations with zero tolerance for sloppiness
Ensure consistency, compliance, and credibility across jurisdictions
Be the calm, steady presence when things get messy — because sometimes they will
Systems, Data & Workday
Own Workday HCM post-implementation and ongoing optimization
Build people analytics leaders can actually use (not just admire)
Establish data governance that holds up under scrutiny — internally and externally
Leadership & Influence
Trusted advisor to the CPO, COO, Finance, and partner groups
Translate numbers into narratives partners understand — and respect
Lead and develop a high-performing Total Rewards / People Ops team
Hands-on when needed; strategic always
Who This Role Is Actually For
You’re likely a fit if you:
Have 10+ years in Total Rewards / People Operations
Have owned comp, incentives, benefits, payroll, and HR systems
Have operated in professional services or partner-driven environments
Understand how compensation decisions shape behavior, not just budgets
Can sit with strong personalities and hold the line without burning bridges
Have led or owned a Workday implementation
Prefer clarity, accountability, and substance over buzzwords
This is not an enterprise observer role. This is a decision seat .
Location Reality (Read This Carefully)
Core leadership team is based in Towson, MD
Role is hybrid and highly visible
The firm is open to exceptional candidates based in Illinois or Indiana
Travel is part of the job — purposeful, not performative
If you’re Midwest-based and ready for a national-scope leadership role , this is absolutely in play.
Why This Is Worth a Conversation
Real authority — not window dressing
Direct access to decision-makers
Compensation complexity that actually uses your brain
A leadership team ready to listen — and invest
A moment of change where the right leader leaves a real mark
If this sounds like the kind of problem you enjoy solving — or you know someone who fits this exactly — message me directly.
This is a career role , not a résumé refresh.
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Worksite address
chicago, IL, 60290, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.