Director, Total Rewards

ABOUT GOWLING WLG

At Gowling WLG, our dedication to excellence and quality service begins with our people. As a global law firm with offices across Canada, the U.K., Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we pride ourselves on sourcing and retaining top talent who bring energy, passion and commitment to the delivery of outstanding client service.

Employee satisfaction is important to us. We work hard to ensure that our people are motivated, engaged and empowered. We are guided by our firm’s Core Values - The Power of Teamwork, Always Striving to be Better, We all Bring Something Different - in all that we do.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are an integral part of our firm’s core values. We are always striving to build a more equitable, engaging and rewarding workplace by attracting and retaining talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Our aim is to help everyone reach their full potential and achieve their personal and professional goals.

Our diverse group of legal professionals, law students, law clerks, paralegals, legal administrative assistants and business services team members work together, and are respected and valued for their individual contributions.

PROFILE

Reporting to the Chief People Officer, Gowling WLG (Canada) is seeking a Director, Total Rewards. The Director will lead the national Total Rewards team and drive a Total Rewards strategy that is aligned with the Firm’s strategic plan, core values and business objectives.

This position can be based in any of our Canadian offices.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and implement the overall Total Rewards strategy aligned with the Firm's strategic plan, core values and key business objectives.
• Establish and drive a thoughtful, modern Total Rewards offering for all positions within the Firm – inclusive of compensation, benefits, HRIS and Payroll.
• Work seamlessly with other members of the People Leadership Team to ensure the Firm’s critical areas of focus (DEI, Wellbeing and Learning & Development) are front and centre in all decisions made around the portfolio.
• Build strong Total Rewards action plans to position the Firm as an employer of choice both within and outside of the legal sector.
• Benchmark and provide innovative Total Rewards strategies by leveraging available trends, tools and best practices both within and outside of the legal sector.
• Year one deliverable is to maintain and continue to build a high-performing Total Rewards team that is service obsessed towards our internal clients.
• Lead the development of a proper BI dashboard inclusive of modern, key Total Rewards metrics.
• Lead standardization activities to ensure that the Firm’s Total Rewards practices and processes meet internal quality standards and, relevant, legal requirements and make recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Research and communicate market trends and best practices that support effective Total Rewards strategies, contributing to the team’s ability to make data and insights-driven decisions.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A Minimum of 10 years of proven experience in a senior Total Rewards leadership role managing a team that spans Compensation, Benefits, HRIS and Payroll.
• A minimum of 10 years’ experience in effectively leading teams and inspiring others to achieve goals, with the ability to mentor and develop an engaged team.
• Experience influencing cross-functional teams and driving programs/projects against KPIs through to completion.
• Experience partnering with senior leaders of management across all levels.
• Experience developing and implementing end to end Total Rewards programs inclusive of compensation at all levels, benefits RFP’s, HRIS re-platforms and payroll improvements.
• Significant experience in developing and scaling Total Rewards strategies.
• Demonstrated experience managing full-cycle Total Rewards across all levels in an organization.
• Strong understanding of Total Rewards best practices, employment laws, and market trends.
• Knowledge of strategic planning and program delivery principles and best practices.
• Professional Services experience a strong asset, but diverse industry experience is equally sought after.
• Bilingual English/French is a strong asset.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills with the ability to build high performing teams.
• Effective interpersonal, communication and leadership skills to influence operational changes and maximize adoption of new ideas, tools and practices.
• Demonstrated ability to be seen as a true Total Rewards Partner at all levels of the business and externally.
• Strong organizational skills and judgement; ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
• Strong internal service mindset coupled with a passionate goal to provide an excellent internal firm member experience reflective of the culture of our firm.
• Ability to think out of the box to reach broad networks and bring new and innovative programs and analytics to the team.

Gowling WLG employees benefit from a hybrid work environment.

Not sure if you meet all the requirements? If you are excited about this opportunity but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Gowling WLG is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know.

While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.