Senior Director of Total Rewards

Department: Human Resources

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

Financial Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

George Mason Human Resources is dedicated to creating a people-centered environment where every employee feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. Our mission is to attract, engage, and retain talented faculty and staff through meaningful programs and practices that foster connection, growth, and well-being.

As a trusted strategic partner, our team champions an all-inclusive and innovative culture that prioritizes community and belonging. We play a vital role in advancing the university’s goals by designing and delivering services that support each employee’s professional and personal journey.

Serving close to 10,000 employees and retirees, our HR team continuously evolves to meet the needs of a dynamic and dedicated workforce, building a workplace where people can do their best work and feel a strong sense of purpose.

About the Position:

The Senior Director of Total Rewards serves as a strategic leader responsible for developing and executing George Mason University’s comprehensive total rewards philosophy and programs, including compensation, benefits, and retirement offerings. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President and Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer, this role sets the vision and framework for total rewards that support an engaged, inclusive, and high-performing workforce.

This leader brings prior experience shaping and evolving institution-wide compensation and benefits strategies—ensuring competitive, equitable, and fiscally responsible programs. This role seeks to deliver a transparent, university-wide communications approach to promote understanding and trust in the university’s total rewards framework, reinforcing employee engagement, performance, and institutional alignment.

The Senior Director ushers in new market-based compensation strategies that support the attraction and retention of top talent across the institution. Simultaneously, they lead a forward-looking benefits strategy that enhances the employee experience—promoting well-being and flexibility—while serving as a prudent fiduciary of the university’s financial resources and compliance obligations.

Acting as the university’s senior subject matter expert in total rewards, this position guides the evaluation and design of salary structures, job architecture, and health and retirement benefit programs. The Senior Director leads cross-functional collaboration with senior leadership in Finance, Academic Affairs, Legal, Administration, and across HR Centers’ of Expertise (COEs) to operationalize strategic reward priorities. This includes directing the integration of pay equity principles, benefits program innovation, and compensation governance across faculty, staff, and senior leadership populations.

As a key partner in institutional strategy and a member of the HR leadership team, the Senior Director provides consultation on workforce trends, compensation and benefits modernization, and employee value proposition enhancements. This position brings the judgment, presence, and credibility to navigate complex organizational dynamics, advise on sensitive matters including senior leadership compensation and compliance, and lead through institutional transformation.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Total Rewards Leadership

• Develops and leads a unified, data-informed total rewards strategy that supports recruitment, retention, engagement, performance, and fiscal stewardship across a diverse employee population;
• Champions a merit-based culture by designing compensation and recognition frameworks that reinforce individual and team contributions, aligning reward structures with performance, institutional priorities, and mission-driven outcomes;
• Advocates for the transparent linkage between performance outcomes and reward opportunities, ensuring employees understand how contributions are recognized through both base and variable pay