Director, Rewards

Director, Total Rewards

Cap Metro is Austin's regional public transportation provider, committed to delivering safe, reliable, and high‑quality transportation to residents, commuters, and visitors. The Director, Total Rewards reports directly to the Vice President, People and Culture (P&C) and plays a pivotal role in shaping and implementing the agency’s compensation, benefits, wellness, and rewards strategy.

The ideal candidate is a strategic leader capable of managing a team of up to four professionals, aligning rewards programs with Cap Metro’s strategic goals, and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations. They should bring a combination of HR expertise, analytical acumen, and strong stakeholder‑management skills.

This position requires a strategic leader who can manage a team of up to four professionals, align rewards programs with Cap Metro’s strategic goals, and ensure compliance with relevant regulations.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive Total Rewards strategy, including compensation, benefits, recognition, and equity programs; align programs with business and talent strategies to enhance employee value proposition; oversee Total Rewards budget for cost‑effectiveness and competitiveness.
• Lead design of base pay and incentive plans aligned with organizational culture and strategy; conduct market trend analysis, salary forecasting, and develop annual compensation plans; utilize market data to assess program effectiveness and make data‑driven recommendations.
• Manage health, wellness, retirement, and other benefits programs; optimize offerings and costs; lead development and administration of wellbeing programs, including Wellness Centers, EAP, and immunization programs; monitor KPIs for wellbeing service delivery and establish Seven Dimensions of Wellbeing objectives.
• Ensure compliance with state, federal, and local laws for benefit plans and compensation programs; oversee Self‑Insurance Board of Trustees, Retirement Plan Committees (401k and Pension), and Compensation Committee; lead regulatory strategy for HR functions in partnership with internal audit and finance.
• Partner with senior executives and consultants to present competitive compensation packages; prepare and deliver presentations to Board of Directors, senior management, and benefit committees.
• Direct procurement of third‑party contracts related to Total Rewards; manage benefit vendor relationships and oversee open enrollment processes.
• Act as an internal change agent, fostering innovation and best practices; collaborate with agency leadership and HR directors on internal and external initiatives; assist with acquisition‑related efforts, including due diligence and plan integration.
• Support Safety Management Systems (SMS) process by following safety and security policies, considering safety in every action, and reporting safety and security concerns.
• Ensure departmental compliance with the agency's Emergency Response Plan.
• Other related duties as assigned.
• Direct and manage department personnel by planning, scheduling, delegating, overseeing work assignments, authorizing, coordinating, and scheduling work with vendors and consultants, conducting personnel actions, including hiring and interviewing, and overseeing training and performance evaluations.

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Management, Public Administration, or a related field. Relevant experience may substitute for the required degree.
• Master’s degree in a relevant field preferred.
• Ten (10) or more years of progressive responsibility in human resources management, with a focus on compensation and benefits, including six (6) years of management experience managing employees and projects.
• SPHR, PHR, CCP, CBP, CEBS certification and/or three (3) additional years of specialized experience preferred.
• Leadership experience in classification, compensation, and benefits management preferred.
• Experience in benefits design, vendor management, and regulatory compliance preferred.

• Extensive knowledge of HR principles and practices, including employment law, labor law,…