Associate Director / Director, Total Rewards

Position Overview

The Associate Director / Director, Total Rewards will strengthen engagement and retention by building a competitive, scalable, and employee-centered total rewards. This role will lead the design and administration of compensation practices, benefits, leave programs, 401(k), equity planning, and rewards & recognition ensuring our offerings attract, motivate, and retain top talent while remaining compliant, cost-effective, and aligned to our culture.

Responsibilities

Engagement and Retention

• Develop and execute a total rewards strategy that supports talent attraction, engagement, and retention.

• Partner with other functions of HR and business leaders to ensure rewards programs reinforce performance, internal equity, and our culture.

• Translate company growth and workforce needs into scalable and fiscally responsible rewards programs.

Compensation Programs

• Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing management of compensation plans, including salary structures, incentive programs, market pricing, pay equity analysis, and compliance oversight.

• Support equity planning (new hire grants, promotions, refresh cycles, and annual planning) in coordination with Finance, Legal, and the equity administration partner.

• Prepare for and support the annual compensation cycle (merit, promotion, bonus planning as applicable): tools, timelines, manager guidance, calibration support, and reporting.

• Assist Chief Financial Officer by researching trends, gathering data and preparing compensation information to be reviewed by executive team, compensation committee, and board of directors.

Benefits Administration

• Oversee day-to-day benefits administration including medical, dental, vision, life/AD&D, disability, FSA, and related programs.

• Own leave administration processes (e.g., FMLA, state leaves, disability coordination), ensuring an excellent employee experience and compliant practices.

• Manage 401(k) administration: vendor partnership, annual testing support, audits as needed, enrollment and education initiatives.

• Lead annual benefits renewal: plan design evaluation, cost modeling, vendor negotiations, open enrollment project management, and employee communications.

• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations (e.g., ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, ACA) in partnership with legal/benefits vendors and internal stakeholders.

Rewards & Recognition

• Own and improve recognition programs that reinforce values and performance (spot awards, peer recognition, and milestone/service awards).

• Partner with people leaders to ensure recognition is timely, inclusive, and consistently applied across teams.

Stakeholder Partnership & Influence

• Serve as a strategic advisor to leaders on total rewards decisions, tradeoffs, and communications.

• Collaborate closely with HRBPs, Talent Acquisition team, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and People Operations to ensure seamless program delivery.

• Lead vendor relationships (brokers, carriers, leave administrator, 401(k) provider, compensation survey partners, recognition platform).

Measurement & Continuous Improvement

• Monitor costs, utilization, participation, and employee feedback to refine offerings and improve experience.

• Create scalable documentation, SOPs, and governance for all total rewards programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.

• A minimum of 8+ years of progressive experience in Total Rewards, Compensation, Benefits, or HR, including program ownership in a scaling organization.

• Biotech/life science industry experience is strongly preferred.

Knowledge and Skills

• Hands-on experience with benefits administration (health plans, leave administration, 401(k)) and vendor management.

• Strong compensation experience including benchmarking roles, creating job architecture/leveling frameworks administering annual compensation cycles, and supporting sales incentive programs.

• Demonstrated experience with equity administration platforms and stock plan basics.

• Strong analytical skills (modeling, reporting, and presenting insights) and ability to translate data into clear recommendations.

• Strong stakeholder influence and experience partnering cross-functionally with Finance, Legal, Payroll, and senior leaders.

• Excellent facilitation, program design, and communication skills.