Highlights
This role serves as a trusted advisor to senior executives and partners across Talent, HR Business Partners, Finance, Legal, and business leadership to create programs and practices that align to the employee value proposition and drive accountability, performance, organizational agility, and employee engagement. The leader will also oversee the evolution of a personalized Total Rewards experience by designing reward, recognition, well-being, and benefits strategies that reflect the diverse needs, life stages, preferences, and career aspirations of employees while supporting enterprise objectives.
Numbers & Facts
| Location | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Industry | Financial Services |
| Company Size | 5,000 to 9,999 employees |
| Year Founded | 1857 |
| Website | https://www.northwesternmutual.com/ |
Description
The Vice President, Total Rewards is a key enterprise leadership role responsible for shaping the strategies, systems, and experiences that enable Northwestern Mutual's workforce and business performance. Reporting to the Vice President Total Rewards and Employee Experience, this leader oversees the design, governance and evolution of compensation, benefits, health and well-being, performance,andrewardsstrategieswhileleadingthecompensationandbenefitsteams.
This leader will help define the future of work at Northwestern Mutual by advancing job and career frameworks, redesigning performance and rewards approaches, and advancing a sustainable health and well-being strategy. This role serves as a trusted advisor to senior executives and partners across Talent, HR Business Partners, Finance, Legal, and business leadership to create programs and practices that align to the employee value proposition and drive accountability, performance, organizational agility, and employee engagement.
The leader will also oversee the evolution of a personalized Total Rewards experience by designing reward, recognition, well-being, and benefits strategies that reflect the diverse needs, life stages, preferences, and career aspirations of employees while supporting enterprise objectives.
Success requires a leader who can translate strategy into scalable organizational systems, influence executive decision-making, balance employee experience with financial stewardship, and lead complex enterprise changes.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities BenefitsandRetirementPrograms
Oversee the design, administration, and continuous improvement of health, welfare, retirement, and financial wellness programs.
Ensure compliance with all applicable legal, regulatory, and fiduciary requirements.
HealthandWell-BeingStrategy
Develop and execute a forward-looking, multi-year health and well-being strategy focused on employee experience, affordability, prevention, access, and sustainable cost management.
Drive long-term health plan design, vendor strategy, and investment decisions to improve employee outcomes and organizational value.
Partner with Finance and business leaders to balance employee well-being with responsible financial stewardship.
Provide strategic leadership for the Mutual Health Center growth strategy, ensuring alignment to employee needs, business priorities, and long-term cost stewardship.
EnterpriseRewardsandWorkforceStrategy
Set and lead an integrated Total Rewards strategy that supports Northwestern Mutual’s business priorities, workforce strategy, employee value proposition, and evolving operating model.
Ensure compensation, benefits, performance, career architecture, and recognition programsoperateasanintegratedtalentandbusinessperformancesystem.
Advise senior leadership on emerging workforce, labor market, rewards, and employee experience trends that impact organizational effectiveness and competitiveness.
PerformanceandRewardsTransformation
Lead the transformation of performance management and rewards programs to align with Northwestern Mutual’s operating model, leadership expectations, values, behaviors, and strategic priorities.
Evolve performance systems to strengthen accountability, talent differentiation, leadership effectiveness, and enterprise outcomes.
Ensure reward programs reinforce desired behaviors and support a culture of high performance, collaboration, and ownership.
Ensure rewards programs are strongly linked to organizational and individual performance.
Job and Career Architecture
Evaluate and evolve the company's job architecture, career framework, and compensation structure to support workforce planning, talent mobility, skills development, and organizational clarity.
Create scalable frameworks that align roles, accountabilities, capabilities, and career pathways with future business needs.
Partner with Talent and Workforce Planning leaders to establish foundational systems supporting enterprise talent decisions.
Compensation and Governance
Lead employee compensation philosophy, design, governance, and market competitiveness.
Support Board and Compensation Committee activities, providing strategic recommendations and insights.
Ensure all compensation and benefit programs are effectively governed and aligned with business objectives.
Ensure compensation programs and management actions are consistent with the Company’s pay for performance philosophy.
LeadershipandOrganizationalEffectiveness
Build and develop a high-performing Total Rewards organization with strong capabilities in strategy, analytics, consulting, and execution.
Lead through influence across a complex stakeholder environment, driving alignment and ownership among senior leaders.
Partner closely with Talent, Employee Relations, HR Business Partners, Finance, Legal, and business executives to advance strategic priorities.
PeopleAnalytics&ROIMeasurement
Establish metrics and analytics that measure the effectiveness, return on investment, and business impact of Total Rewards programs, informing enterprise workforce and financial decisions.
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Business or Human Resources Management, or related field.
A minimum of 12 years of progressive Human Resources leadership, primarily in Employee Benefits and Compensation.
Proven superior consulting, problem solving, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
Proven experience leading large-scale transformation initiatives involving rewards, performance management, job architecture, or workforce strategy.
Demonstrated success influencing executive leadership teams and driving enterprise-wide change.
Experience leading complex vendor relationships, governance processes, and significant program budgets.
Strong business acumen with the ability to connect people investments to organizational and financial outcomes.
Demonstrated understanding of compensation tools and techniques.
CertifiedEmployeeBenefitSpecialist(CEBS)designation.
CertifiedCompensationProfessional(CCP)designation.
Master'sdegreepreferred
Compensation Range:
Pay Range- Start:
Pay Range- End:
$386,400.00This role is eligible for additional short-term and long-term incentive compensation.
We believe in fairness and transparency. It’s why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. The standard pay structure is listed but if you’re living in California, New York City or other eligible location, geographic specific pay structures, compensation and benefits could be applicable, click here to learn more.
Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do. Get started now!
Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes talented individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.
About Company
Who We Are
What we believe.We believe relationships are built on trust. That our lives and our work matter. And that doing what’s right is good for everyone — our clients, our employees, our financial representatives and our communities.
These beliefs launched our company nearly 160 years ago. Today, they’re just a few of the reasons why people choose to build careers at Northwestern Mutual.
That means we’ll be here for the millions of people who are counting on us—our clients, our employees, our financial representatives and our communities.
We care.We make a positive difference in our communities. Nationally, thousands have benefited from our support of research and programs to fight childhood cancer. Each year, our Foundation, employees and financial representatives donate time, talent and financial support to causes they’re passionate about.
Why Work Here
We’re strong and growing.In a company with such a long and storied history, this may be the most exciting and important time to be a part of Northwestern Mutual. We’re strong, innovative and growing. And we want you to grow with us.
We invest in our people.We provide opportunities for employees to grow themselves, their careers, and, in turn, our business. Movement around the company is encouraged and we help our people build meaningful, long-term careers.
Be part of building our future.We’re expanding our campus in downtown Milwaukee overlooking Lake Michigan. The Northwestern Mutual Tower and Commons will include a state-of-the-art employee Learning Institute, and will feature a natural light-filled, 21st century work environment. This signature development reinforces our commitment to job growth, attracting top talent and drawing new business to Milwaukee.
Enjoy Milwaukee.Located on beautiful Lake Michigan, Milwaukee offers a perfect balance of big city and small town living. Home to Summerfest, the world’s largest music festival, Milwaukee has a thriving music scene, a celebrated annual film festival and vibrant performing arts community. Professional sports teams include the Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks and other major teams. And outdoor family fun is easy here. An extensive urban bike path network links our lakefront parks, beaches and other recreational hotspots.
Our Culture
We are always evolving.At Northwestern Mutual, our employees, and our business, are always evolving. We are agile and continuously learning and improving. We have a work environment that empowers problem solving and encourages innovation—you will make an impact here.
We do what’s right.Our “do-what’s-right” value is pervasive. We ask ourselves: “Is this in the best interest of our clients? Our employees? Our financial representatives?” Acting on this value improves our clients’ experience, and makes Northwestern Mutual a better place to work.
We recognize and develop possibilities in our people.Onsite training and leadership development programs help employees succeed and grow. We also sponsor learning opportunities outside the company to help employees stay current in their fields, network with peers and gain external perspective.
Diversity makes us better.We believe diversity and inclusion cultivate creativity, innovation and a better experience for our clients. That’s why we recruit and grow people who bring unique perspectives, ideas, beliefs and cultural backgrounds.