Director, Total Rewards
Calian
About Calian
At Calian, we help organizations overcome obstacles, manage risks, and drive progress. Since 1982, we’ve grown from a small consulting firm into a trusted global company across defence, space, health, nuclear energy, public safety, and government.
We create innovative solutions that tackle complex challenges and help organizations and communities stay resilient, informed, and connected. If you’re driven by purpose and energized by solving real-world challenges, we want you on our team.
Position Overview
The Director, Global Total Rewards will lead and shape the enterprise-wide strategy for compensation, benefits, recognition, and wellness programs across all regions where Calian operates. This is a senior leadership role with a global scope, responsible for ensuring our reward practices are competitive, equitable, compliant, and aligned with our people strategy, while enabling flexibility to meet diverse local market and regulatory requirements. This position is on-site with potential flexibility for hybrid arrangements as needed.
The ideal candidate is a strategic and experienced global rewards leader with a proven track record in developing and implementing enterprise-wide Total Rewards programs across multiple countries. They are a trusted advisor to senior executives, skilled at leveraging data and analytics to inform decision-making, and capable of leading cross-functional teams to deliver equitable, compliant, and market-competitive programs. They possess strong communication and collaboration skills, thrive in complex global environments, and have a passion for fostering an inclusive and engaging employee experience.
Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and execute the global Total Rewards strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and long-term workforce needs.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on global compensation, benefits, and total rewards decisions.
- Provide leadership, coaching, and direction to the Total Rewards team and regional HR partners.
- Influence organizational decision-making using data-driven insights and reward analytics.
Global Compensation
- Architect and govern global compensation frameworks, job architecture, and salary structures across all regions.
- Lead enterprise-wide compensation cycles (merit, bonus, promotion), ensuring consistent global standards and effective executive reporting.
- Oversee global benchmarking methodologies using international market data across multiple currencies and geographies.
- Advise executives on cross-border compensation solutions, including international assignments, mobility, and new country entry.
- Establish global pay governance standards to ensure equity, transparency, and alignment with the company’s reward philosophy.
- Lead global compensation transformation initiatives, such as HRIS integrations and job architecture deployments.
Global Benefits
- Set the global benefits strategy and ensure regional plans align with overarching principles while meeting local compliance obligations.
- Oversee benefit vendors, brokers, and regional HR teams to optimize plan design, renewals, and cost effectiveness.
- Monitor global trends and emerging practices to recommend benefit enhancements that strengthen the employee value proposition.
- Lead benefit harmonization and integration efforts related to M&A or organizational restructuring.
- Ensure a cohesive employee experience across markets while respecting cultural and legislative differences.
Recognition Strategy & Programs
- Own the enterprise recognition strategy, ensuring alignment with company values, culture, and performance outcomes.
- Oversee the design, governance, and evolution of all recognition programs including awards, milestones, peer recognition, and leadership recognition.
- Partner with leaders to embed recognition into daily practices and enhance people leader capability.
- Manage recognition platforms and vendors, ensuring adoption, scalability, and cost stewardship.
- Ensure recognition programs are inclusive, equitable, and globally consistent.
Wellness & Wellbeing Programs
- Set the global wellness strategy across physical, mental, financial, emotional, and social wellbeing pillars.
- Oversee vendor selection, program management, and evaluation of wellness initiatives to ensure impact and value.
- Collaborate with Health & Safety, Benefits, and HR to integrate wellness into broader organizational programs.
- Drive awareness, engagement, and education through targeted global communication strategies.
Data, Insights & Continuous Improvement
- Develop and maintain global reward dashboards, analytics, and KPIs to measure program effectiveness.
- Leverage engagement data, utilization trends, and external benchmarks to drive continuous improvement.
- Provide insights and recommendations to executives and HR leadership based on global quantitative and qualitative data.
Governance, Compliance & Risk
- Establish and enforce global policies, controls, and approval frameworks for compensation, benefits, and recognition.
- Lead enterprise-wide initiatives related to pay equity, pay transparency, and fair pay practices.
- Partner with Legal and regional HR to ensure compliance with employment, benefits, and privacy legislation across jurisdictions.
- Support audits, regulatory reporting, and internal governance reviews.
Collaboration & Stakeholder Management
- Act as the enterprise subject matter expert on global Total Rewards.
- Partner with HR Business Partners on org design, workforce planning, and strategic reward decisions.
- Collaborate with Finance on reward budgeting, forecasting, and cost modeling.
- Educate managers and HR partners on global reward practices, tools, and governance.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or related field (required).
- 10–15+ years of progressive experience in global compensation and benefits leadership (required).
- Demonstrated success leading Total Rewards strategies across multiple countries or regions (required).
- Deep knowledge of global market data, international benefit practices, and compensation design (required).
- Experience with HRIS/HR technology, particularly for global compensation and job architecture (required).
- Strong understanding of global employment practices, pay equity, and regulatory compliance (required).
- Professional certifications such as CCP, GRP, or CEBS (strongly preferred).
Additional Requirements
- Strong leadership and team management skills, accountable for multiple functions and global programs.
- Proven ability to influence senior leaders with data-driven insights and strategic guidance.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills across diverse geographies and cultures.
- Ability to navigate complex regulatory environments and adapt strategies accordingly.
- Problem-solving and decision-making for enterprise-level initiatives.
Compensation
Base salary range: $164,000 – $190,000, plus Short-Term and Long-Term Incentive Plans.
Vacancy
We have 1 available position.
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At Calian, we do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to screen or evaluate candidates. AI tools may support backend administrative tasks, but they do not influence hiring decisions. All evaluations and decisions are made by real people on our recruitment team and hiring managers. All applicants are reviewed and only those chosen for an interview will be contacted by our recruiting team.
How we hire
- Our hiring process is designed to help us get to know you and discover if you are the best fit for our team. It's also an opportunity for you to gauge if a role at Calian is the right fit for you.
Throughout the process, we’ll share details of the kind of work you’ll be doing, the projects you’ll be working on, the team you’ll be joining, and what it’s like working at Calian. Our biggest tip throughout the process is to just be your authentic self! - Our commitment to diverse, yet highly specialized solutions require many different skills and abilities. We look for the best talent that can contribute to Calian’s success as well as enhance our culture. We encourage you to apply to a role or join our talent community and sign up for job alerts that match your area of expertise and what you are looking for in your next opportunity.
During the recruiting process, you’re encouraged to notify us of any accommodations you may require. We’ll be happy to help.
- We give the same time and consideration to everyone who applies. Here are a few things you can do to ensure your application shines:
- Do your research on Calian, the department, and team you are looking to join
- Add a cover letter that explains why you are a good fit for this position
- Share a portfolio, personal websites, or links to your professional social media
- In your CV, highlight your key achievements - this is your time to brag
- Include dates! Share the timeline of your experience
- Stand out by tailoring your resume to each position you apply to
- Only apply to roles you’re genuinely interested in and that align to your experience
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- Be prepared! Do your research on Calian, the department, and team you are looking to join
- View the responsibilities for the role and find examples that demonstrate how you’ve completed these in your previous work experience
- Prepare a list of questions to ask us
- Dress business casual for your interview (virtual and in person)
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- We assess your skills and fit, you assess our fit for you
- We keep you updated and share expectations as we make progress in the recruiting cycle
- Feel free to reach out to your Talent Acquisition Specialist at any time during the hiring process