Description
The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD is hiring a Senior. Total Rewards Manager to join our HR Team. The Senior Total Rewards Manager is responsible for the development, administration, and ongoing evaluation of the organization’s compensation and retirement programs within a public sector environment. The position ensures total rewards practices—including base pay, incentive compensation, physician and executive compensation, and employer-sponsored retirement plans—support workforce stability, fiscal responsibility, internal equity, and regulatory compliance. This role provides professional and technical leadership for compensation strategy, retirement plan oversight (403(b), 401(a), 457(b), and other defined contribution plans), job classification, salary administration, market analysis, and specialized pay programs. The Senior Total Rewards Manager partners closely with executive leadership, Finance, Legal, Payroll, and Human Resources to align total rewards strategy with organizational and financial objectives and serves in a supervisory capacity.
Your role in Action
Administers and evaluates the organization’s compensation programs to ensure alignment with approved Total Rewards strategy, public sector best practices, and budgetary guidelines.
Provides strategic oversight of employer-sponsored retirement plans, including 403(b), 401(a), 457(b), and related programs, ensuring effective plan governance, regulatory compliance, and coordination with Finance, Payroll, Legal, and external vendors.
Ensures retirement plan operations, documentation, and administrative practices comply with applicable Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements, ERISA standards (where applicable), and governmental plan exemptions.
Oversee vendor relationships and supports plan design reviews, contribution structures, and communication strategies related to retirement and deferred compensation programs.
Leads market pricing, benchmarking, and salary survey participation to assess competitiveness and maintain equitable compensation structures across all employee groups.
Develops and maintains job classifications, job families, and salary band structures in accordance with organizational and regulatory requirements.
Designs, administers, and evaluates supplemental compensation programs, including shift differentials, stipends, specialty pay, on call pay, and incentive programs.
Provides strategic oversight and governance for physician and executive compensation programs, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, market competitiveness, performance metrics, compliance requirements, and internal equity.
Partners with executive leadership on the development, review, and ongoing management of physician and executive compensation strategies, including base pay, incentives, and contract-related compensation components.
Provides expert guidance and recommendations regarding salary actions, executive compensation changes, reclassifications, and equity adjustments.
Ensures compliance with all applicable compensation-related laws and regulations, including FLSA, pay equity standards, and other relevant federal, state, and local requirements.
Supervises and evaluates compensation staff, providing coaching, professional development, and performance feedback.
Prepares and presents complex analyses, reports, and recommendations for senior leadership related to compensation trends, retirement plan metrics, physician and executive compensation, and budget planning.
Collaborates closely with Finance, Payroll, Legal, and Human Resources partners to support integrated total rewards planning, implementation, and compliance activities.
Performs related duties as assigned and adapts to evolving organizational and workforce needs.
What qualifications you will need:
Education:
Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, or a related field required. Master’s degree or professional compensation certification (e.g., CCP) highly preferred.
Experience:
Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in compensation administration, classification, and salary analysis within a public sector or large complex organization, including supervisory experience.
Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Comprehensive knowledge of compensation principles, job classification systems, and salary administration practices within a public sector or similarly regulated environment.
Knowledge of defined contribution retirement plans, including 403(b), 401(a), and 457(b), and applicable IRS regulations, ERISA standards (where applicable), and public-sector exemptions.
About us:
The Harris Center is the state-designated Local Mental Health Authority and Local Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) Authority serving Harris County, Texas. As the largest behavioral and developmental disability care center in Texas, The Harris Center provides care to over 90,000 people and has an annual budget of over $300 million.
As part of its mission to transform the lives of people with behavioral health and IDD needs in the third largest county in the United States, The Harris Center provides a full continuum of services at 80 different sites across Harris County. In addition, services are provided in more than 40 different languages as well as sign language in order to better serve what is one of the largest communities in the nation.
By utilizing the unique expertise of its more than 2,500 employees, The Harris Center is committed to meeting the behavioral health and IDD needs of Harris County residents and giving them hope to live to their fullest potential.
What else you should know:
This posting is associated with position number 2410001.
This role is critical to ensuring compliance with IRS regulations, ERISA standards (as applicable), FLSA, and pay equity laws, as well as maintaining audit-ready retirement plan governance. It also serves as a strategic partner to executive leadership, Finance, Legal, Payroll, and Human Resources, providing data-driven analysis and recommendations that directly impact workforce stability, fiscal sustainability, and organizational competitiveness.
What we have to offer:
The Harris Center not only offers a competitive salary but also a suite of excellent benefits designed to enrich your life both professionally and personally. Imagine a future with a robust retirement plan complemented by our generous company matching – a testament to our investment in your long-term financial well-being. Experience the unique advantage of our prior service credit, accelerating your journey towards a more substantial Paid Time Off accrual, empowering you to enjoy well-deserved breaks.
Enjoy Cell Phone Discounts, exclusive entertainment deals through Tickets at Work, and a free Headspace subscription for mental wellness. Additionally, our Employee Assistance Program supports your overall well-being.
Take advantage of significant financial relief through student loan forgiveness as a valued member of The Harris Center team. As a qualifying entity, our employees are eligible for various student loan forgiveness programs, designed to alleviate the financial burdens associated with higher education.
Contributes to suicide care and prevention by embracing our values and applying a trauma-informed approach rooted in safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment.
