Sr. Director, Total Rewards & HR Technology

At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to make learning limitless– and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class higher education at scale. As the parent company of edX, a leading online learning platform, 2U powers thousands of  higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with our college, university, and corporate partners, we are helping accelerate careers and transform lives. 

What We’re Looking For:

We are looking for a Sr. Director, Total Rewards and HR Technology to drive the execution and modernization of the foundational operational pillars of our People organization. This role is designed for a forward-thinking HR leader who embraces AI and has a keen eye for efficiency, scalability, and operational excellence. As a key contributor to executive leadership, you will balance strategic implementation with a hands-on approach, leading critical compensation, benefits, and HR technology initiatives that support the company’s global workforce.

Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To:

Total Rewards Strategy & Execution

• Drive the implementation and ongoing management of the global compensation and benefits strategy, ensuring total rewards programs are competitive, equitable, and aligned to business objectives.
• Lead execution of the company’s annual merit, bonus, and compensation planning cycles, streamlining processes for efficiency and clarity.
• Develop and maintain scalable compensation frameworks, pay practices, and rewards governance processes.
• Provide strategic counsel to senior leaders on compensation, benefits, and workforce planning considerations.

   

   

HR Technology & Systems Optimization

• Drive key initiatives on the HR Technology roadmap, with a focus on maximizing Workday capabilities and exploring AI-driven HR solutions and automation opportunities.
• Lead HR systems optimization and process improvement initiatives to enhance operational efficiency and employee experience.
• Partner cross-functionally to improve data integrity, workflows, reporting capabilities, and system scalability across People operations.

Leadership & Team Management 

• Manage and mentor a team of professionals, fostering a high-performance and development-oriented environment.
• Establish team priorities, drive accountability, and support career development and succession planning within the function.
• Lead through organizational change and evolving business priorities with a collaborative and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Cross-Functional Partnership & Operational Support 
  • Provide strategic counsel and insights to the Chief People Officer’s team and other senior leaders on all matters related to human capital investment and organizational health.
  • Partner with Payroll, Finance, Talent Acquisition, HRBPs, Legal, and other business stakeholders to ensure operational alignment and compliance across rewards and HR systems.
  • Support enterprise initiatives related to workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, compliance, and process transformation.
  • Act as a hands-on leader capable of solving complex operational and process challenges in fast-paced environments.
    

Analytics, Reporting & Strategic Insights

• Leverage compensation, workforce, and HR systems data to support business decision-making and operational effectiveness.
• Develop reporting and insights that inform compensation planning, workforce trends, and HR operational priorities.

Things That Should Be In Your Background:

• 7–10+ years of progressive leadership experience in Total Rewards, HR Operations, or HR Technology.
• Extensive experience managing global compensation strategies, benefits programs, and company-wide merit cycles.
• Significant experience with Workday, HR systems optimization, and HR process automation.
• Proven success managing and developing teams.
• Demonstrated experience partnering with executive-level People leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and operational mindset with experience leveraging workforce and compensation data to support decision-making.

While this position is open to remote candidates across the U.S., we will prioritize those who live in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area and who are available to come into our Headquarters in Arlington, VA two days a week.

Benefits & Culture

Our global employee base is a diverse collection of innovators, dreamers, and doers working together to transform lives through higher education. We believe