Premera Blue Cross

Director, Total Rewards

Premera Blue Cross$157K — $315K *
Business Services
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, or related field or equivalent experience.
  • Ten years of progressive professional experience, including five years in a managerial role.
  • Experience leading enterprise-wide compensation and benefits programs with financial and governance expertise.
  • Ability to act as a strategic advisor to senior leaders with strong communication skills.
  • Capability to simplify complex information for various audiences and thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
  • Preferred certifications include Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) or Certified Employment Benefits Specialist.

Responsibilities

  • Define and lead Premera’s Total Rewards strategy with a multi-year roadmap aligning with business priorities.
  • Modernize Total Rewards programs to remain competitive and aligned with Premera’s mission.
  • Develop and implement innovative benefits offerings using unique healthcare payer insights.
  • Advise senior leaders on Total Rewards solutions that align with business strategy.
  • Provide oversight and governance on compensation and benefits in partnership with the Benefits Plan Committee.
  • Lead and inspire a high-performing Total Rewards team, fostering a collaborative culture.
  • Ensure compliance and risk management across compensation and benefits programs.

Benefits

  • Medical, vision, and dental coverage with low employee premiums.
  • Voluntary benefits including pet insurance.
  • Life and disability insurance.
  • Retirement programs with employer match and a pension plan.
  • Wellness incentives and mental well-being resources for employees and dependents.
  • Generous paid time off policy for employee reenergization.
  • Tuition assistance for undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Full Job Description

Workforce Classification:

Hybrid

As the Director, Total Rewards, you will play a critical role in shaping how Premera attracts, rewards, and retains talent. In this leadership role, you will define and lead a forward‑looking Total Rewards strategy that is customized to meet the unique needs of a not-for-profit that ensures we are able to attract and retain talent in a highly competitive marketplace. This strategy will also need to align with Premera’s mission, support long‑term business objectives, and ensure we are effective stewards of our compensation and benefits investments. You will serve as a trusted strategic advisor to senior leaders while leading and developing a high-performing Total Rewards team.

As a vital member of the HR leadership team, you will partner closely with executives and leaders across the organization to design innovative, market‑competitive compensation and benefits programs that support Premera’s transformation and growth. This is a unique opportunity to build, evolve, and modernize Total Rewards at Premera—bringing creativity, analytics, and a holistic perspective to how we reward and engage our workforce over the next 5–10 years.

What You Will Do:

Set the Strategy and Shape the Future of Total Rewards

  • Define and lead Premera’s enterprise Total Rewards strategy, establishing a forward‑looking, multi‑year roadmap that aligns compensation, benefits, and wellness programs with business priorities, workforce needs, and a pay‑for‑performance philosophy.
  • Bring a creative, holistic, and market‑informed perspective to Total Rewards—modernizing programs to remain competitive, sustainable, and aligned with Premera’s mission in a rapidly evolving environment.
  • Leverage the unique information available to you, as part of a healthcare payer, to develop, build, and implement innovative, value-add benefits offerings.

Act as a Trusted Advisor and Executive Thought Partner

  • Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders, executives, and the HR leadership team, translating business strategy into thoughtful Total Rewards solutions and guiding critical compensation and benefits decisions.
  • Provide governance, oversight, and financial stewardship through partnership with the Benefits Plan Committee, leveraging analytics and reporting to optimize rewards investments and deliver executive insight on engagement, performance, and retention.

Build, Lead, and Evolve the Total Rewards Function

  • Lead, develop, and inspire a high‑performing Total Rewards team, building capability, providing direction and guidance, and fostering a collaborative, results‑driven culture.
  • Provide oversight of vendors, compliance, internal controls, and third‑party risk across compensation and benefits programs, ensuring consistent execution, strong governance, and regulatory alignment.

What You Will Bring:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field of study, or four years of equivalent professional work experience.
  • Ten years of progressively responsible professional experience, including five years managing teams.
  • Demonstrated experience leading enterprise‑wide compensation and/or benefits programs with strong financial, analytical, and governance expertise, preferably leading a corporate HR, compensation or benefits team.
  • Proven ability to operate as a strategic advisor to senior leaders and executives, with strong executive presence and communication skills.
  • An ability to translate complex qualitative and quantitative information for diverse audiences and operate effectively in ambiguous, fast‑paced environments with a results‑oriented, action‑driven mindset.

Additional preferred certifications include:

  • Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) or Certified Employment Benefits Specialist
  • PHR, SPHR, or Lean certification or equivalent

Premera total rewards

Our comprehensive total rewards package provides support, resources, and opportunities to help employees thrive and grow. Our total rewards are more than a collection of perks, they're a reflection of our commitment to your health and well-being. We offer a broad array of rewards including physical, financial, emotional, and community benefits, including:

  • Medical, vision, and dental coverage with low employee premiums.

  • Voluntary benefit offerings, including pet insurance for paw parents.

  • Life and disability insurance.

  • Retirement programs, including a 401K employer match and, believe it or not, a pension plan that is vested after 3 years of service.

  • Wellness incentives with a wide range of mental well-being resources for you and your dependents, including counseling services, stress management programs, and mindfulness programs, just to name a few.

  • Generous paid time off to reenergize.

  • Looking for continuing education? We have tuition assistance for both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

  • Employee recognition program to celebrate anniversaries, team accomplishments, and more.

For our hybrid employees, our on-campus model provides flexibility to create your own routine with access to on-site resources, networking opportunities, and team engagement.

  • Commuter perks make your trip to work less impactful on the environment and your wallet.

  • Free convenient on-site parking.

  • Subsidized on-campus cafes make lunchtime connections with colleagues fun and affordable.

  • Participate in engaging on-site activities such as health and wellness events, coffee connects, disaster preparedness fairs and more.

  • Our complementary fitness & well-being center offers both in-person and virtual workouts and nutritional counseling.

  • Need a brain break? Challenge someone to a game of shuffleboard or ping pong while on campus.

About Premera Blue Cross

Premera Blue Cross is a nonprofit health plan that provides health, life, vision, dental, and long-term care insurance to more than 2 million people in Washington and Alaska. The company was founded in 1933 as Washington Hospital Service and changed its name to Premera Blue Cross in 1998. Premera Blue Cross is committed to improving the health of its members and communities it serves. The company has a strong focus on innovation and has launched several initiatives to improve healthcare delivery and reduce costs. Premera Blue Cross is also committed to sustainability and has implemented several programs to reduce its environmental impact.
Learn more about Premera Blue Cross
Size
3,500 employees
Industry

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