Sr Director Total Rewards and HR Systems

• Lead the HRIS transition: Lead the evaluation, business case, and end-to-end implementation of a new HRIS, including the planned transition from Paycom to UKG.
• Payroll system: Own the payroll system transition, including vendor evaluation, data migration, parallel testing, and cutover planning.
• System integration: Evaluate API and integration options between the HRIS, payroll, benefits, and finance/accounting systems to ensure clean data flow across platforms.
• Project governance: Build and manage the multi-year implementation roadmap, budget, and vendor relationships for all HR systems work, reporting progress regularly to the CPO.

Benefits Strategy & Administration (U.S.)

• Plan lifecycle: Own the full lifecycle of U.S. benefit plan design and administration, including medical, dental, vision, life/disability, 401(k)/retirement, FSA/HSA, and voluntary benefits; lead plan redesign efforts, open enrollment, and ongoing program optimization.
• Multi-year strategy: Develop and execute a multi-year U.S. benefits strategy that balances cost efficiency, competitive positioning, and employee experience; lead benefits integration for acquired businesses and harmonize plan offerings across the enterprise.
• Vendor management: Oversee vendor relationships (medical, 401(k), HSA/FSA providers, and brokers) and ensure service delivery excellence.
• Compliance & governance: Ensure rigorous compliance across all U.S. benefit programs (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, etc.), including plan documents, SPDs, Form 5500 filings, nondiscrimination testing, and audit readiness.

Compensation & Pay Grade Architecture

• Korn Ferry partnership: Serve as Cardinal’s internal lead partnering with Korn Ferry on the design and 2028 rollout of new pay grades and job architecture across all divisions, corporate and field.
• Job architecture: Design and maintain a scalable job architecture across all business units, including leveling, titling, and career frameworks, for both corporate/professional roles and distributed field labor (grading, utility, paving crews), incorporating Davis-Bacon and prevailing wage considerations.
• Market benchmarking: Lead market benchmarking and ensure competitive pay positioning across all Cardinal markets in the Carolinas, Atlanta metro, and expanding FL/GA/AL regions.
• Annual comp planning: Oversee the annual compensation planning process, including merit increases, promotions, and off-cycle adjustments.
• Governance & controls: Establish clear compensation governance, guidelines, and controls to ensure consistency and defensibility of pay decisions across the organization.
• Regulatory compliance: Ensure compensation structures comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including pay transparency and prevailing wage laws across Cardinal’s multi-state footprint.
• M&A integration: Lead compensation and benefits due diligence and post-close harmonization for acquired companies as Cardinal continues to grow through M&A across FL, GA, and AL.
• Public company support: Support executive and equity compensation processes (RSUs, performance incentives) in coordination with Legal and Finance for proxy and SEC reporting purposes.

Executive & Incentive Compensation

• Pay-for-performance strategy: Drive market-informed compensation strategies for President-level leaders and above, using benchmarking, competitive intelligence, and trend analysis to strengthen pay-for-performance positioning and align incentives with business performance and shareholder value.
• Executive reward frameworks: Develop executive reward frameworks that improve retention, leadership effectiveness, and long-term organizational growth as Cardinal scales.
• Model evolution: Own the evolution of executive compensation models to align with enterprise priorities, shareholder value, and Cardinal’s growth trajectory as a public company.
• Executive partnership: Partner with the CEO, CPO, and senior leaders to deliver strategic compensation guidance that informs critical talent and business decisions.
• Long-term incentives: Design long-term incentive strategies that reinforce retention, engagement, and ownership among executive and key talent populations.
• Equity lifecycle: Oversee equity lifecycle programs including annual grants, promotions, new hire awards, and retention initiatives with a focus on operational excellence.
• Effectiveness analysis: Evaluate program effectiveness through analysis of retention outcomes, participation, dilution, and financial impact to drive continuous improvement.
• Board & Committee support: Influence governance processes by delivering insights, analyses, and materials that support Compensation Committee and Board decision-making.

Business Partnership & Influence

• Finance partnership: Partner closely with Finance to ensure Total Rewards programs are designed with cost discipline and aligned to financial objectives.
• Executive influence: Influence senior leaders across the organization through clear data, well-structured recommendations, and a credible point of view.
• Business consultation: Consult with business leaders to ensure rewards programs support workforce needs across a complex, multi-state government and public infrastructure contracting environment.

Integration & Continuous Improvement

• Process improvement: Identify and implement process improvements, system enhancements (e.g., UKG), and data integrity initiatives across Total Rewards programs.
• Analytics & reporting: Develop analytics and reporting to support decision-making and program effectiveness for the CPO and executive leadership team.

• Experience: 15+ years of progressive HR experience, including at least 5 years leading compensation, benefits, and/or HR systems functions.
• Systems transformation: Direct, hands-on experience leading a major HRIS and/or payroll system conversion - not solely administering an existing system - is required.
• Industry background: Prior experience in heavy civil construction, infrastructure, engineering, or a heavy industrial, multi-site environment strongly preferred.
• M&A experience: Experience leading compensation/benefits due diligence and integration work in an M&A environment strongly preferred.
• Regulatory: Working knowledge of FLSA, ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, pay transparency laws, and Davis-Bacon/prevailing wage requirements across multiple states.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Finance, Business Administration, or related field; CCP or CEBS designation a plus.
• Analytical: Strong data modeling and cost-to-value analysis skills to evaluate vendor proposals and quantify implementation ROI.

Pulled from the full job description

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance
• Health savings account
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account