Senior Total Rewards Specialist

Employment Type: Existing Role

Work Environment: We offer a hybrid work environment that offers flexibility to our employees in balancing in-office (2 days per week OR 15 hours per week in a Wawanesa office) and remote work. You may work from any of the following locations: Winnipeg, MB; Vancouver, BC; Calgary, AB; Edmonton, AB; Toronto (North York), ON; Kitchener, ON; Ottawa, ON; Montreal, QC; Moncton, NB; Dartmouth; NS.

Working Business Language : English. This role is considered a head-office role and will be required to communicate with internal stakeholders across Canada where the primary business language utilized is English.

Salary: At Wawanesa, salary is only one component of a holistic, comprehensive and competitive offering that we provide to our employees. In addition to salary, full-time and part-time permanent employees are eligible for an annual bonus plan, leave of absence top-up programs and provided with generous vacation time, personal days, premium free benefits and pension plan.

The salary offered for this role is determined with consideration to various factors, including but not limited to: your work location, local labour market conditions, external market salary data, internal pay equity and the knowledge, skills, experience and anticipated proficiency in the role. The salary offered is estimated to be within the following range: $85,000 - $115,000. Candidates with salary expectations outside of the range are still encouraged to apply.

About The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company

Founded in 1896, The Wawanesa Mutual Insurance Company is one of Canada’s largest mutual insurers, 100% owned by its members, with more than $4.1 billion in annual revenue and $12.5 billion in assets. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Wawanesa is the parent company of Wawanesa Life, which provides life insurance solutions throughout Canada, and Western Financial Group, a leading national distributor of personal and business insurance. In March of 2026, Wawanesa entered into an agreement to acquire Everest Insurance Company of Canada to strengthen its commercial insurance capabilities and advance its long-term growth strategy.

Wawanesa proudly serves more than 1.8 million members and we are home to more than 3,000 employees across Canada. The company actively gives back to organizations that strengthen communities, donating more than $4 million annually to charitable organizations, including more than $2 million each year in support of people on the front lines of climate change. Learn more at wawanesa.com.

We are currently looking for dedicated, driven, and enthusiastic individuals who thrive in an environment that welcomes change and are looking for an opportunity for diverse experience and advancement on a growing team.

Job Overview

Working under minimal supervision, the Senior Total Rewards Specialist designs, implements, administers and continuously improves organization-wide compensation, recognition and reward programs. Using market intelligence, workforce insights, analytics and emerging practices, the incumbent ensures programs remain competitive, internally equitable, sustainable and aligned with Wawanesa's total rewards philosophy, People Strategy and business needs. As a trusted advisor, the incumbent partners with leaders and People teams to deliver practical, data-informed solutions that strengthen the employee value proposition, support attraction and retention, and improve organizational performance.

Job Responsibilities

• Advance Wawanesa's total rewards philosophy by translating organizational priorities, market intelligence and workforce needs into effective compensation, recognition and reward programs and practices.
• Participate in compensation surveys, market research and benchmarking; analyze workforce insights, employee feedback, external market developments and future-of-work trends; and identify implications for competitive positioning and evolving workforce needs.
• Design, maintain and administer salary structures and compensation frameworks that reflect economic conditions, organizational needs and industry practices.
• Lead and support the annual compensation review cycle, including merit, incentive, communications, analysis and approval processes.
• Design, implement and maintain incentive and recognition programs that reinforce performance, accountability, organizational priorities and desired behaviours.
• Lead Wawanesa's job architecture, including governance, job evaluation, documentation and titling, and drive consistent role alignment and adoption across the organization.
• Monitor the effectiveness, utilization and value of compensation and recognition programs and recommend improvements based on data and business requirements.
• Act as a trusted advisor to leaders and People teams on compensation, recognition and reward decisions, using analytics and market insights to support informed decision-making.
• Lead or contribute subject-matter expertise to Total Rewards projects and People Strategy initiatives, applying knowledge of Wawanesa's structure, philosophy and organizational priorities.
• Ensure compliance with applicable pay-related legislation, regulatory requirements, policies and governance processes, and identify and mitigate associated risks.
• Use technology, automation, analytics and reporting tools to improve program administration, employee experience and decision-making, including dashboards and insights that support workforce decisions.

Qualifications

• Diploma or degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Commerce or a related discipline.
• Certified Compensation Professional designation.
• Minimum five years of progressive experience in compensation or Total Rewards, including accountability for complex compensation programs and processes.
• Experience with market pricing, benchmarking, salary structures, job evaluation, compensation cycles and compensation analytics.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to identify and assess complex issues, opportunities, risks and impacts and make informed recommendations.
• Strong interpersonal, consultation and influencing skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills, discretion, sound judgment and the ability to work independently while managing changing priorities and highly confidential compensation information.
• Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning, collaboration, change and mentoring others.

Diversity Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

At Wawanesa, we are committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) and believe that our strength lies in the diversity of our people – this is supported by having a representative workforce.

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, including racialized persons, women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, gender-diverse and neurodiverse individuals, and anyone who can contribute to the further diversification of thought and ideas.

We aim to ensure our recruitment process is accessible to all candidates. If you require accommodations during any stage of the recruitment process, please reach out in confidence to View email address on canada.jobradars.com.

All Wawanesa job applicants are subject to Wawanesa's Privacy Policy.

Please note that the recruitment process for this position may involve the use of AI tools to screen, assess, or select applicants. All final decisions are taken or reviewed by human recruiters and human hiring leaders in compliance with all applicable legislation.