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Cohen & Co · 1 month ago

Director of Total Rewards and People Operations Services

US-IL-Chicago

Full-time

Hybrid

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$160K/yr - $180K/yr

10+ years exp

Cohen & Co is seeking a strategic and hands-on Director of Total Rewards and People Operations Services to lead the firm’s compensation, benefits, payroll, and people operations infrastructure. This role involves designing a competitive and data-driven total rewards strategy while partnering closely with various internal teams to scale programs and systems, particularly with the implementation of Workday HCM.

AccountingConsultingFinancial Services

Growth Opportunities

Responsibilities

Develop and lead a comprehensive total rewards strategy aligned with firm goals, professional services norms, and Cohen’s culture, serving as a trusted advisory to the Chief People Office and People & Culture team, COO, Service Line Leaders, Finance team, and relevant internal committees

Design and manage compensation programs including base pay, bonus programs, long-term incentive structures, and partner-aligned compensation models

Oversee equity-related administration, including tracking, reporting, compliance, and coordination with Finance and Legal

Lead annual compensation cycles including salary benchmarking, job architecture, incentive planning, and compensation budgeting

Oversee benefits design and administration ensuring competitiveness, compliance, and an excellent employee experience

Partner with Finance, Legal, and HR leadership to ensure integrated, compliant, and data-driven rewards strategies

Partner with business and Go-To-Market leaders to evaluate incentive frameworks that support performance and revenue growth

Monitor industry trends and regulatory requirements to maintain competitive and compliant programs

Lead all aspects of People Operations including compliance, policies, onboarding/offboarding, and process execution

Oversee payroll operations ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance across multiple jurisdictions

Partner with Finance and Legal on tax, regulatory, and employment matters

Drive operational excellence and consistency in People Operations delivery

Own the firm's Workday HCM management and ongoing system optimization

Lead the people systems roadmap, data governance, and reporting infrastructure

Ensure reliable people analytics to support workforce planning and leadership decisions

Partner with Finance, IT, and vendors to deliver scalable and integrated systems

Serve as a strategic advisor to the CPO and senior leadership on total rewards, workforce planning, and organizational scale

Engage with executive leaders and Service Line Leaders to ensure alignment between compensation, performance, and business priorities

Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Total Rewards and People Operations team while fostering operational excellence, innovation, and inclusion

Bring a hands-on, pragmatic approach to building and maturing programs in a dynamic, evolving environment

Support preparation of compensation program summaries and materials for partner groups, committees, and leadership discussions

Qualification

Total Rewards StrategyCompensation DesignWorkday HCMPeople OperationsData GovernanceAnalytical CapabilityCollaborative StyleLeadership SkillsProject Leadership

Required

Bachelor's degree required

10+ years progressive experience in Total Rewards and People Operations

5+ years in leadership roles overseeing compensation, benefits, payroll, and HR systems

Expertise in compensation design, incentive structures, benefits compliance, payroll, and people data governance

Experience managing HR technologies and building scalable processes

Strong analytical capability, project leadership, and comfort operating in environments with evolving priorities

Collaborative, thoughtful, and proactive leadership style with a focus on operational excellence

Experience implementing or managing Workday HCM

Preferred

Professional services experience

Benefits

Time off outside of your standard PTO to give back to the community

Annual discretionary merit increases and bonuses

Talent development resources to tap into growth opportunities

Company

Cohen & Co

Glassdoor3.8

Founded in 1977, Cohen & Co is one of America’s Most Recommended Tax and Accounting Firms by USA TODAY and serves a broad range of clients — from privately held companies and their owners; to public and private funds, advisers and fund service providers within the investment industry; to Fortune 1000 multinational enterprises.

Founded in 1997

Cleveland, Ohio, USA

501-1000 employees