Sr. Manager, Total Rewards - Modesto, CA

ABOUT US

About The Save Mart Companies

The Save Mart Companies operates over 200 stores in neighborhoods across California, Western Nevada, Oregon, and Washington under the Save Mart, Lucky, FoodMaxx, and Roth''s and Chuck''s Fresh Market banners. Proud to be one of the West Coast's largest regional, full-service grocery chains, the Company and its 11,000 associates take extra care to provide customers with the freshest food for their families at affordable prices. The Save Mart Companies' philanthropic non-profit organization, The CARES Foundation, provides vital resources for children and families and has donated over $5 million to local communities.

We are currently recruiting for the position of:

Sr. Manager, Total Rewards - Modesto, CA

Job Summary:

The Senior Total Rewards Manager holds a leadership role to drive the design, implementation, and administration of the organization''s compensation and benefits programs, ensuring they are competitive, equitable, and aligned with business strategy, and in compliance with applicable governmental regulations. The Senior Manager operates with significant autonomy, translating total rewards philosophy into scalable programs and policies, while driving continuous improvement across the functions.

Under the Director''s direction, this position manages the company''s 401(k) retirement plan day-to-day -- including plan design, vendor management, compliance, and administration -- and works cross-functionally to ensure accurate contribution processing and data integrity. Primary responsibilities within the Compensation team will include project and program management, job hierarchy, and data analysis. This role reports directly to the Director, Compensation & Records with a matrix reporting relationship to the Director, Benefits & Leaves Administration with final decision authority with Directors.

Responsibilities:

• Total Rewards

• Drive development of total rewards philosophy, guidelines, and policies in partnership with Compensation and Benefits Directors

• Lead total rewards integration work during mergers and acquisitions

• Analyze total rewards data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities

• Identify opportunities for process improvement across compensation and benefits

• Mentors analyst and specialist positions in both compensation and benefits as needed

• Compensation

• Manage key compensation projects such as implementation of new salary structure and rollout of job architecture

• Provide program management for annual compensation cycles, including merit increase and short-term incentive plan

• Lead market pricing efforts and ensure timely completion of surveys

• Conduct pay equity audits and partner with Legal/HR on remediation strategies

• Participate in functions and maintenance of Compensation related tasks within the Workday platform

• Benefits

• Serve as the primary owner and for the company''s 401(k) retirement plan, managing plan design, vendor relationships, and day-to-day administration with minimal escalation

• Own the relationship with the 401(k) recordkeeper/TPA, negotiating fees, service levels, and plan enhancements; recommend and lead implementation of plan design changes (e.g., auto-enrollment, employer match structure) to support competitiveness and cost management

• Lead all 401(k) compliance activities, including the annual plan audit, Form 5500 filing, and nondiscrimination testing (ADP/ACP), serving as the primary point of contact with auditors, recordkeepers, and regulators

• Partner directly with Payroll to ensure accurate and timely funding of employee/employer contributions, loan repayments, and file feeds; proactively resolve escalations related to payroll-benefits data integration

• Serve as the escalation point for the most complex retirement plan, exercising independent judgment to resolve them with minimal need for leadership involvement

Some of our competitive offerings include generous benefits packages (Health, Dental, Vision, Life and AD&D, 401K), tuition reimbursement and scholarship opportunities, vacation and personal holidays, and in-store purchase discounts.

Hiring pay range: $115,142.00 - 129,535.00

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Strong knowledge of job evaluation methodologies, market pricing, and pay equity analysis
• Advanced Excel/analytical skills; experience with HRIS and compensation planning tools (e.g., Workday, PayFactors)
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities independently and influence stakeholders without formal authority
• Demonstrated background as a retirement program manager, independently owning a 401(k) or other qualified retirement plan end-to-end, including plan design, vendor/recordkeeper management, and compliance (ERISA, IRS, DOL)
• Working knowledge of Payroll, including payroll-to-benefits file feeds, contribution and loan repayment processing, and data reconciliation
• Ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy on retirement plan and benefits matters, exercising sound judgment to resolve complex issues with minimal oversight from HR leadership
• Excellent communication skills, with experience presenting to senior leadership
• Cross-functional collaboration / stakeholder management
• Strong negotiation skills, with demonstrated experience negotiating vendor contracts, fees, and service levels
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and discretion with highly sensitive/confidential information

Preferred:

• Experience in grocery industry
• Experience in a matrixed or multi-state/multi-country environment

Experience: 7 minimum years progressive experience in compensation and/or benefits, including program design and administration

Education: 4 Year/Bachelors Degree and/or equivalent experience/training

Licenses & Certifications: CCP (Certified Compensation Professional or CEBS certification preferred

Work Environment: Office

Reference: req41920

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The Save Mart Companies is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we welcome resumes from individuals who will contribute to our diverse workforce.