Blue Bird (NASDAQ: BLBD) is recognized as a technology leader and innovator of school buses since its founding in 1927. Our dedicated team members design, engineer and manufacture school buses with a singular focus on safety, reliability, and durability. School buses carry the most precious cargo in the world – 25 million children twice a day – making them the most trusted mode of student transportation. The company is the proven leader in low- and zero-emission school buses with more than 25,000 propane, natural gas, and electric powered buses sold. Blue Bird is transforming the student transportation industry through cleaner energy solutions. For more information on Blue Bird's complete product and service portfolio, visit www.blue-bird.com.
JOB SUMMARY
Reporting to the CHRO, the Executive Director, Total Rewards owns enterprise total rewards strategy and execution, including compensation, benefits, executive compensation support, incentive design, job architecture, governance, and rewards communications. This leader ensures programs are competitive, compliant, operationally practical for a manufacturing environment, and aligned to Blue Bird’s business priorities and culture.
The Executive Director, Total Rewards will drive scalable processes, analytics and insights, and a customer-oriented operating rhythm that supports both plant and corporate populations.
Total Rewards Strategy & Program Leadership
- Develop and lead Blue Bird’s enterprise total rewards strategy aligned to business priorities, talent strategy, and financial stewardship.
- Translate business needs into practical rewards solutions for plant and professional populations, balancing competitiveness, internal equity, and cost.
- Establish and monitor program success metrics (e.g., market competitiveness, turnover/retention impact, benefits participation, incentive effectiveness, pay equity indicators).
- Build strong cross-functional partnerships with Finance, Legal, HRBPs, and leaders to ensure consistent adoption and understanding of rewards programs.
- Ensure all regulatory compliance for all health and welfare programs.
Compensation & Job Architecture
- Own compensation philosophy and annual cycle execution (merit, bonus, adjustments, promotions), including guidelines, modeling, communications, and leader enablement.
- Lead job architecture and leveling: job families, career pathways, job documentation standards, pricing methodology.
- Maintain market benchmarking strategy and survey participation; recommend pay structure updates to support competitiveness and internal consistency.
- Consult on compensation decisions and offers, ensuring alignment with policy, market, and internal equity; provide tools and coaching that support timely, consistent decisions.
- Design, implement, and govern incentive programs (including operations, sales/commercial, and enterprise plans as applicable) to reinforce performance and profitable growth.
- Partner with Finance and business leaders to establish measures, targets, payout mechanics, and controls; assess plan effectiveness and recommend improvements.
Benefits Strategy & Vendor Management
- Lead benefits strategy and annual renewal process in partnership with brokers and vendors; ensure competitive offerings that support employee wellbeing and cost stewardship.
- Oversee vendor performance management, contracts, service delivery, compliance, and employee experience.
- Evaluate plan designs and benefit communications to increase utilization, understanding, and satisfaction across diverse employee groups and locations.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES FOR SUCCESS
- Experience designing and delivering learning programs, including end-to-end training cycle: needs assessment, design, development, delivery, and evaluation.
- Strong knowledge of instructional design for adult learners, learning experience design, and content curation.
- Experience working with a Learning Management System with demonstrated capability managing learning content, learning paths/curricula, and reporting.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate complex details in a clear, structured, and engaging manner.
- Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple assignments, deadlines, and stakeholders.
- Strong customer focus, able to anticipate needs, provide guidance, and deliver a positive learner and stakeholder experience.
- Strong interpersonal and customer relationship skills to handle difficult and sensitive matters with professionalism and discretion.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams); comfort building trackers, dashboards, and executive-ready summaries.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
- Bachelor’s degree required in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Economics, or related field.
- 10+ years progressive experience in Total Rewards, Compensation, Benefits, or related HR specialty (manufacturing and/or multi-site environment preferred).
- 5+ years’ experience leading enterprise programs (compensation cycles, benefits renewals, incentive plans, job architecture) with cross-functional stakeholders.
WE VALUE
- Ability to anticipate and understand customer needs and provide guidance
- Excellent interpersonal and customer relationship skills to handle difficult and sensitive matters.
- Strong project management skills.
- Effective communication and ability to communicate complex details in a clear manner.
- Flexible workspaces and work hours that help you unleash the best you.
- Working in a collaborative team and balancing the needs of individual stakeholders while delivering corporate objectives.
INCLUDES
- Continued Professional Development
- Benefits including medical, dental and vision insurance, 14 paid holidays, vacation time and 401k with match
*The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements and criteria necessary to successfully perform the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
Blue Bird® is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions on the basis of merit. We strive to have the best available talent in every job based on the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities each person brings. Blue Bird is committed to compliance with all applicable laws providing equal employment opportunities. This commitment applies to all persons involved in Company operations and prohibits unlawful discrimination in all forms.
All candidates must be a U.S. citizen. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.
#LI-Onsite
Qualifications Education Required Bachelors or better. Experience Required Experience leading enterprise programs (compensation cycles, benefits renewals, incentive plans, job architecture) with cross-functional stakeholders. Progressive experience in Total Rewards, Compensation, Benefits, or related HR specialty (manufacturing and/or multi-site environment preferred) Equal Opportunity EmployerThis employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field
- 10+ years of progressive experience in Total Rewards, Compensation, Benefits, or a related HR specialty
- 5+ years of experience leading enterprise programs, including compensation cycles, benefits renewals, incentive plans, or job architecture
- Experience with manufacturing and/or multi-site environments
- Experience designing and delivering learning programs across the full training cycle
- Knowledge of instructional design for adult learners, learning experience design, and content curation
- Experience managing learning content, learning paths or curricula, and reporting in a Learning Management System
- Excellent communication skills for explaining complex details clearly and engagingly
- Strong organizational and project management skills
- Strong customer focus and ability to provide guidance and deliver positive stakeholder experiences
- Strong interpersonal and customer relationship skills, including handling sensitive matters professionally and discreetly
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams
- U.S. citizenship
- Authorization to work in the United States
Blue Bird Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Blue Bird and has not been reviewed or approved by Blue Bird.
-
Pay Growth & Progression — The 2024 collective bargaining agreement delivered meaningful wage increases for covered hourly employees, with larger boosts at the lowest pay bands. Subsequent contractual provisions point to a structurally improved earnings path for many production roles.
-
Strong & Reliable Incentives — Overtime availability and profit sharing lift overall earnings potential, particularly in production settings. The contract formalized profit sharing and added financial provisions that enhance variable pay.
-
Retirement Support — A 401(k) with Roth option and an employer match is offered, and the union agreement introduced a defined‑contribution retirement plan for covered workers. Company materials indicate employer contributions are part of the total rewards package.
Blue Bird Insights
What We Do
About Us Blue Bird offers a complete line of Type A, C and D school buses in a variety of options and configurations. Since 1927, Blue Bird Corporation has continued to set industry standards with its innovative design and manufacturing capabilities. Additionally, Blue Bird provides comprehensive financial solutions through Blue Bird Capital Services. Today, Blue Bird has more than 1,600 employees, Georgia-based manufacturing facilities and an extensive network of Dealers and Parts & Service facilities throughout North America. Its global presence can be seen in more than 60 countries through sales into Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Our Promise We are singularly focused on building and selling school buses that customers want and value. The safety of schoolchildren is at the center of all that we do and we will strive every day, just as we have since our beginning in 1927, to provide an unparalleled and affordable product in terms of safety, quality, durability, and serviceability. We will be easy to do business with, responsive to our customers' wants and needs, and provide prompt after-sale support in parts and service through a professional, high-qualified distribution network. Customer satisfaction is our top priority. What We Stand For We come to work every day with one common goal, to design, build, sell and service the world's finest school bus. That's what we do - no distractions, no competing priorities. We are heirs to a rich legacy, one of listening to our customers, embracing their needs, and delivering innovations that lead the market. We commit ourselves to four driving priorities - safety, quality, durability, and serviceability. We embody the interests of every child that rides us, every driver that drives us, every service technician that services us and every district that buys us. More than a business, this work is our heritage, and we have been at it since 1927 - that's purpose driven.
