Director of Total Rewards & Employee Experience, ASU Preparatory Academy


Position:
Director of Total Rewards & Employee Experience

Type:
Charter


Location:
Urban


Job ID:
134073

County:
East Maricopa


Posted:
May 11, 2026




Contact Information:
ASU Preparatory Academy
1130 E University Dr. #230
Tempe, Arizona 85044
District Website

Contact:
Kathy Piippo
Phone: 480-944-4963
Fax:
District Email


Job Description:

Salary Range:

$80,000.00 - $89,500.00 USD annually.

As part of Arizona State University’s charter to provide access and excellence, ASU Preparatory Academy (ASU Prep) shares this commitment by demonstrating all students can achieve at the highest levels, regardless of their background. To scale our current impact, ASU Prep is advancing a major expansion program taking fundamental responsibility for the communities we serve.
ASU Preparatory Academy is seeking a Director of Total Rewards & Employee Experience to design, implement, and continuously improve a comprehensive strategy to attract, support, and retain a high-performing, mission-aligned workforce. This role oversees all aspects of employee benefits, wellness, and experience, ensuring that employees across a multi-state charter school network feel supported, valued, and empowered to do their best work.
Reporting to the Executive Director of Human Resources, this role leads and partners cross-functionally to deliver scalable, compliant, and employee-centered programs that enhance the full employee lifecycle - from the onboarding experience through the ongoing engagement and development of each employee.

QUALIFICATIONS:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, required. Master’s, preferred.

  • 7–10+ years of progressive HR experience, with a strong focus on total rewards, benefits, and/or employee experience.

  • Experience managing benefits programs across multiple states with a strong knowledge of FMLA, ADA, and other employment regulations.

  • Demonstrated experience managing vendor relationships, including insurance brokers.

  • Experience leading employee engagement initiatives and analyzing survey data.

  • Proven ability to lead and develop teams.

  • Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.

  • Active AZ Department of Public Safety (DPS) IVP Fingerprint Clearance Card.

  • Any equivalent combination of experience, training and/or education from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities may be considered. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Lead the development and execution of a competitive, sustainable total rewards strategy aligned with organizational goals and budget.

  • Support the Benefits Manager with overseeing all employee benefits programs, including health, retirement, leave, and wellness offerings.

  • Manage and optimize relationships with external partners, including insurance brokers and benefits providers, to ensure high-quality, cost-effective offerings.

  • Conduct regular market benchmarking and analysis on salary compensation and benefits to ensure competitiveness across multiple states, especially Arizona. Providing robust reports to support recommendations made to senior leadership.

  • Create and lead Prep’s compensation philosophy, structures, and governance. Ensuring to benchmark pay bands against the market trends on an annual basis.

  • Leads the accountability for labor cost strategy in alignment with the Finance team and HR leadership.

  • Provides direction, vision and leads the initiative on total rewards analytics and reporting frameworks

  • Ownership of HRIS strategy as it relates to overall total rewards offerings.

  • Design and lead a cohesive employee experience strategy that supports engagement, retention, and organizational culture.

  • Oversee employee listening systems (e.g., engagement surveys such as Peakon), analyze the results, and drive actionable improvements in partnership with respective managers. 

  • Partner with leadership to translate employee feedback into meaningful organizational changes by creating robust reports based on the available data provided.

  • Lead the team to ensure we have compliant and compassionate administration of employee leave programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, and other state-specific requirements.

  • Partner with the Benefits Manager to define clear processes and guidance for employees and managers navigating complex leave and accommodation needs.

  • Partner with legal counsel and HR leadership to ensure compliance across various jurisdictions.

  • Oversee New Employee Orientation and all related onboarding programs to ensure a consistent, welcoming, and mission-aligned experience in partnership with the HR Managers and HR Partners.

  • Partner with the Training and Development Manager to improve the new employee onboarding experience to drive early engagement, clarity, and retention across the organization.

  • Oversee the organization’s staff evaluation processes, ensuring they are equitable, clear, and aligned to organizational initiatives and priorities.

  • Partner with senior leadership to evolve performance management practices that support growth, accountability, and recognition.

  • Lead the design and implementation of employee wellness initiatives that support physical, mental, and financial well-being.

  • Promote a culture of care, inclusion, and belonging across all campuses and teams.

  • Lead all staff recognition initiatives events, including but not limited too: Teacher, Staff, and Manager of the Year and EOSS Annual Years of Service ceremony.

  • Lead, coach, and develop the Total Rewards and Employee Experience team across benefits administration and employee experience initiatives.

  • Establish clear priorities, workflows, and service standards to ensure high-quality employee support.

  • Drive process improvements and leverage technology to scale operations efficiently across a growing organization.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Directly supervises employees.  Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.  Responsibilities include decisions related to selection, performance appraisal, discipline and salary recommendations.

  • Build strong and empowered teams by providing direction, delegation, counsel, mentoring and expertise to individual team leads, while retaining overall responsibility and accountability for results.

  • Promote and encourage the development, training and promotion of staff members to ensure the perpetuation of a professional and competent workforce.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES 

  • Ability to build and lead compensation strategy, salary benchmarking and incentive plan design.

  • Ability to utilize HRIS and compensation analytic tools.

  • Demonstrated knowledge of employee benefit programs and vendor management.

  • Demonstrated knowledge of federal and state employment laws related to hiring, employment, pay, benefits and leaves

  • Skilled with building pay equity and job evaluation methodologies.

  • Knowledge of operational requirements and standards of integrated HRIS.

  • Skilled with data analysis and compensation modeling.

  • Demonstrated ability to conduct strategic planning and program design.

  • Ability to interpret complex compensation and benefits data, and translate business strategy into reward programs.

  • Skilled in developing effective written technical and employee communication and/or presentation materials.

  • Effective verbal communication skills, including interpersonal, teambuilding, and executive presentation skills.

  • Ability to work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders in and outside of ASU Preparatory Academy.

  • Ability to apply critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills related to analysis and determining solutions.

  • Ability to maintain confidentiality with sensitive employee information.

  • Ability to apply knowledge and experience to anticipate, forecast, and develop strategies to achieve objectives.

  • Ability to articulate, represent professional demeanor and ability to take initiative.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand and talk or hear and sometimes walk and sit. The employee must use hands, arms and fingers to input data, handle, feel or reach. While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 30 lbs. such as boxes, supplies, etc. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, and the ability to adjust focus, close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision and depth perception.

LOCATION:  

UCENT

TRAVEL: 

Occasional travel may be required for site visits, meetings, trainings and/or conferences. Locations may vary and may require overnight stays.

This job description is subject to change at any time.



Other:

What about learning drives us to do more than deliver the lesson? Maybe we’re overachievers. Or maybe we just know what real impact looks like. Each one of us has seen passion win over fear, vision become relentless focus and belief in human potential make it all the way to the finish line.


Our mission is to design new models for educational success and raise academic achievement for all learners. Are you ready to find a career with a company whose mission, vision, and values align with yours? Can you see yourself fitting into this mission with us? 

For more information please visit: https://asuprep.asu.edu/careers/