Stanford University is one of the world’s premier academic and research institutions, devoting tremendous intellectual and physical resources toward the betterment of humanity. As a major Silicon Valley employer, Stanford seeks people committed to excellence and to improving our world. In turn, the university is committed to supporting its employees as they develop their careers and enrich their lives.
Reporting to the Vice President for Human Resources and serving as a core member of the HR Leadership Team (HRLT), the Associate Vice President, Total Rewards (AVP, Total Rewards) leads strategy and operations for university-wide staff compensation, executive compensation, and benefits, overseeing a team of specialists and consultants who execute against that strategy. The AVP, Total Rewards owns the full lifecycle of total rewards, from strategy and policy design through implementation, and is accountable for the oversight, design, and implementation of new total rewards strategies, policies, and programs across the entire compensation and benefits portfolio. This role is critical in reviewing existing offerings and recommending changes and upgrades aligned with university values and strategic goals, ensuring Stanford remains a competitive employer within the higher education market. The AVP also supports the Vice President for Human Resources in advising the Board of Trustees Compensation Committee on executive compensation and governance matters, and brings demonstrated, full-scope mastery across both compensation (executive, staff, and market-based pay structures) and benefits (health, welfare, retirement, and well-being programs).
As a trusted partner and senior-level advisor to the Vice President for Human Resources, fellow members of the HRLT, and leaders across Stanford’s schools/units, a critical aspect of the role is building and managing relationships, driving enterprise-wide outcomes, and shaping high-stakes communication and strategy with university leadership, governance bodies, and key stakeholders.
This position is hybrid with a minimum of two on-site days per week at Stanford’s Redwood City campus.
CORE DUTIES:
- Lead the university’s total rewards strategy, setting vision and direction for compensation and benefits programs that align with institutional values, financial sustainability, and long-term strategy goals.
- Serve as a core member of the HR Leadership Team, partnering directly with the Vice President for Human Resources and fellow HRLT leaders to shape enterprise-wide HR strategy, policy, and priorities.
- Lead a multi-year transformation of the total rewards function, rebuilding the service delivery model and the total rewards organization, including job architecture, job evaluation and leveling methodology, and the creation of clear, scalable guidelines and communication tools.
- Exercise accountability for both compensation and benefits, ensuring integrated, end-to-end total rewards programs rather than siloed oversight of either discipline.
- Drive strategic and operational excellence in total rewards by championing incremental change, building organizational maturity, and instilling consistency and clarity across all total rewards programs, policies, and practices.
- Design, govern, and continuously evolve market-based compensation and benefits programs that are competitive within higher education and broader labor markets, and that support the university’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP).
- Conduct current state assessments, model ideal future state, and recommend and lead pay structure movement, job structure redesign, and organizational job architecture changes.
- Build and sustain relationships and partnerships across the university, including with senior HR leaders, finance leadership, general counsel, and other key stakeholders, to influence and drive institutional outcomes.
- Lead and develop the total rewards team, setting organizational structure, goals, and performance standards, and ensuring team capability aligns with the strategic and operational needs of University Human Resources.
- Ensure superior end-to-end delivery of benefits services to active staff, retirees, former employees, and other university customers.
- Oversee executive compensation, including design, governance, and delivery of executive rewards programs; proactively identify risk areas and develop and implement solutions.
- Serve as the primary management-level liaison to the Board of Trustees Compensation Committee (or equivalent governing body), preparing board materials, presenting executive compensation analyses and market data, and advising the Board and senior leadership on governance, risk, and regulatory considerations related to executive pay.
- Direct the analysis of market data and other compensation factors, determining and recommending pay structures and market-competitive solutions to university leadership.
- Manage total rewards program budget and financial performance, managing costs and annual spend while ensuring programs remain competitive, engaging, and sustainable.
- Support the university’s annual budget process for total rewards, analyzing and communicating financial implications, cost drivers, and benefit trade-offs to senior leadership and finance partners.
- Nurture and evaluate relationships with Stanford’s total rewards consulting partners, claims payors, insurers, and other vendors, ensuring alignment with Stanford’s procurement process and practices.
- Ensure compliance with state and federal regulations governing tax-qualified benefit programs, including but not limited to annual audits, accurate, timely filing of annual plan forms and schedules, and timely distribution of required participant communications.
- Direct university participation in compensation and benefit surveys and ensure survey findings are translated into actionable guidance on market competitiveness, policy, and program design.
- Keep abreast of compensation and benefits trends, external benchmark best practices, regulatory requirements, and labor laws to gain insights and provide strategy, vision, and direction for university-wide compensation and benefits programs.
- Oversee university-wide standards and strategy for compliance with Fair Labors Standards Act (FLSA) and applicable federal and state pay equity and pay transparency regulations and reporting, including but not limited to: developing and implementing plans to assess university risk and liability; creating teams or task forces to address policy changes, compliance, or to mitigate potential risks; and developing education and communication strategy plans to support implementation of changes to policy or programs.
- Direct the design, forecasting, and implementation of the annual staff salary program, including market analysis, job pricing, and forecast modeling and costing.
- Provide senior-level oversight to ensure the effective, compliant delivery of executive compensation, staff compensation, and benefits programs through our vendors and delivery partners.
- Serve as the senior compensation advisor to Employee and Labor Relations and General Counsel on compensation strategy, market analysis, and specialized market studies related to collective bargaining and union classifications.
- Provide senior leadership and mentorship to compensation and benefits team members, guiding their support of HR, key stakeholders, and line managers on complex and alternative rewards and compensation options, including providing assessments, guidelines, evaluations, and recommendations.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
- Education & Experience:
- Master’s degree or Bachelor’s degree, and at least 10 years of relevant experience
- At least one of the following certifications is preferred: CEBS, ISCEBS, PHR/SPHR, CCP/CBP, or equivalent certification
- Demonstrated experience leading both compensation and benefits as an integrated total rewards function.
- Experience presenting to, or advising, a Board of Trustees, Compensation Committee, or equivalent governing body on executive compensation, governance, and risk matters.
- Track record of operating independently at a senior strategic level, with full accountability for program outcomes, budget, and organizational leadership — not solely in a supporting or advisory capacity.
- Experience serving as a member of a senior HR leadership team, partnering directly with a CHRO/VP of HR on enterprise strategy.
- Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Demonstrated executive-level relationship-building acumen in a highly matrixed environment with multiple constituencies (HR, finance, legal, unions, leadership, and governing boards); ability to independently navigate ambiguity, drive change, and negotiate flexible, high-stakes solutions.
- Proven experience independently ideating, setting, articulating, and leading a total rewards vision and multi-year strategic roadmap in a decentralized, dynamically changing work environment, aligned with institutional values and operational service expectations.
- Experience presenting to, or advising, a Board of Trustees, Compensation Committee, or equivalent governing body on executive compensation, market positioning, and governance/risk matters.
- Proven experience building, leading, and developing a team of compensation and benefits specialists, and establishing and reinforcing standards for exceptional customer service.
- Demonstrated full-scope command of both compensation and benefits as an integrated discipline, rather than depth in one area alone.
- Prior experience developing, owning, and managing large-scale budgets for compensation and benefits programs, and independently assessing ROI on total rewards investments.
- Subject matter expertise in best practices in compensation and benefits philosophy, theory, market-based pay structures, FLSA, pay equity, market pricing methodologies, and higher education governance.
- Deep knowledge of federal, state, and local regulations governing compensation and benefits (FLSA, ACA, ERISA, HIPAA, FMLA, IRS, etc.), with the ability to independently assess institutional risk and lead compliance strategy.
- Extensive experience leading Human Resources functions within large, complex, and decentralized organizations.
- Knowledge of the unique compensation and benefits issues and needs applicable to populations at a variety of career levels, including job evaluation, career frameworks, salary bands, and pay equity audits.
- Strong understanding of, and proven experience independently deploying, market-based pay strategies and best practices.
- Expertise in pay transparency laws and regulations, including advising senior leadership on compliance strategy.
- Demonstrated excellence in leveraging Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), including experience implementing compensation modules.
- Excellent and effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex analyses for executive and board-level audiences.
- Proven planning and organizational skills and effective time management abilities.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion with highly confidential and sensitive information.
- Proficiency with Google Workspace applications (Google Docs, Google Slides, etc.) and MS Office Suite, including advanced Excel and data visualization.
Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the university reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.
At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website (https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards) provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS*:
- Frequently stand/walk, sit, use a computer, use a telephone, and grasp lightly/fine manipulation.
- Occasionally twist/bend/stoop/squat, reach/work above shoulders, grasp forcefully, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 20 pounds, write by hand, sort/file paperwork.
- Rarely kneel/crawl.
* - Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires accommodation to perform the essential functions of the job.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
- Occasional work on evenings and weekends.
WORK STANDARDS:
- Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
- Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
- Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University's Administrative Guide, http://adminguide.stanford.edu.