Vice President, Total Rewards

SCHEDULE: Full-time, exempt. Must be available to work the hours necessary to meet business and position requirements.

BENEFITS: Our employees are our most valuable assets, so we invest in them with a comprehensive and competitive benefits package. Our philosophy of taking care of the customer extends to taking care of our employees so that they, in turn, can take good care of themselves and their families. Join Hills Bank and let us surprise you with even more perks!

SCOPE:

The Vice President, Total Rewards provides strategic leadership for Hills Bank's total rewards programs, including compensation, benefits, payroll, leave administration, recognition, and employee well-being.

As a member of the Human Resources leadership team, this role partners with executive leadership to design programs that attract, retain, engage, and develop talent while supporting business objectives.

The role ensures programs are market competitive, fiscally responsible, equitable, compliant, and aligned with Hills Bank's culture, values, and employee experience.

Total Rewards Strategy

Develop and execute a multi-year total rewards strategy aligned with organizational goals, workforce needs, and talent priorities.

Maintain a rewards philosophy that supports Hills Bank's culture, values, employee value proposition, and business objectives.

Monitor market trends, emerging practices, and workforce expectations to keep programs competitive and effective.

Present strategies, recommendations, and outcomes to executive leadership and governance groups as appropriate.

Compensation & Career Growth Frameworks

Lead compensation programs, including base pay, incentives, variable pay, salary administration, and executive compensation recommendations as appropriate.

Oversee job architecture, grading, salary structures, market pricing, benchmarking, and pay equity reviews.

Develop compensation frameworks that support career progression, internal mobility, performance management, succession planning, and employee development.

Provide strategic consultation to leaders on compensation decisions, promotions, internal moves, retention strategies, and employee communication.

Benefits & Wellness Programs

Develop benefits and wellness strategies that balance employee needs, market competitiveness, cost management, and organizational sustainability.

Manage health, welfare, retirement, financial wellness, voluntary benefits, open enrollment, renewals, and vendor relationships.

Monitor program utilization, employee feedback, vendor performance, market competitiveness, and return on investment.

Promote employee understanding and effective use of benefits and wellness resources.

Payroll Administration

Provide strategic and operational oversight of payroll administration to ensure accuracy, compliance, efficiency, and alignment with organizational standards.

Maintain controls, policies, and procedures that protect payroll integrity and reduce risk.

Partner with Finance and identify automation, reporting, and process improvement opportunities.

Leave Administration

Oversee leave programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, military leave, workers' compensation coordination, parental leave, and company-sponsored leave benefits.

Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations while maintaining policies, procedures, and employee communications.

Monitor leave trends and improve administration, employee support, and leader guidance.

Compliance & Governance

Ensure compliance with compensation, benefits, payroll, and leave-related regulations.

Oversee audits, reporting requirements, plan documentation, regulatory filings, and governance processes.

Partner with Legal, Risk, Finance, and HR leadership to monitor regulatory developments and manage compliance risk.

Analytics & Reporting

Establish and monitor total rewards metrics, dashboards, and reporting.

Evaluate compensation competitiveness, pay equity, benefits effectiveness, payroll performance, retention outcomes, and workforce trends.

Use analytics to inform strategic decisions, executive recommendations, and program return on investment.

Leadership & Team Management

Lead and develop compensation, benefits, payroll, and leave administration team members.

Foster a service-focused, collaborative, innovative, and continuous improvement-oriented culture.

Manage departmental budgets, vendor relationships, and operational resources.

Serve as a strategic resource to leaders on compensation, benefits, workforce rewards, and employee experience.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or related field required.

Ten or more years of progressive leadership experience in total rewards, compensation, benefits, payroll, human resources, or related disciplines.

Professional certifications such as CCP, CEBS, CBP, SHRM-SCP, or SPHR preferred.

Experience in financial services or other highly regulated industries preferred.

Demonstrated success developing enterprise-wide compensation and benefits strategies, overseeing payroll and leave administration, and partnering with executive leadership.

Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, related business technologies, relationship-building, prioritization, facilitation, written, and verbal communication skills.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER/VETERANS/DISABILITY