Director, Total Rewards

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director, Total Rewards based in the United States.

We are seeking an experienced Total Rewards leader to build and scale a comprehensive compensation and rewards strategy within a fast-growing, international software organization. This is a highly strategic and hands-on opportunity to establish scalable compensation structures, equity programs, and global rewards practices. Working closely with senior People and Finance leadership, you will shape key compensation decisions and provide guidance to executive stakeholders and the board's compensation committee. You will take ownership of the entire rewards lifecycle, from salary architecture and annual compensation cycles to equity guidelines and benefits strategy. The ideal candidate combines strong analytical capabilities with sound business judgment and a practical, builder-oriented mindset. You will also leverage AI and automation to improve processes, strengthen decision-making, and create efficient, transparent, and equitable rewards programs.

Compensation Strategy and Structure: Develop and maintain salary bands across levels and functions, aligned with the company's leveling framework and market benchmarks. Define compensation philosophy, market positioning, salary range structures, and pay mix. Conduct regular pay audits to identify and address salary compression, inconsistencies, and out-of-band compensation. Compensation Cycles: Design and lead end-to-end merit, promotion, and market adjustment cycles. Develop budget models, eligibility criteria, manager guidelines, and calibration processes while partnering with Finance to ensure accurate cost forecasting, timely execution, and smooth payroll coordination. Equity and Variable Compensation: Establish equity compensation guidelines by level, including new-hire grants and refresh programs. Coordinate international equity grants with Finance, Legal, and employer-of-record providers. Align bonus and commission structures with organizational levels and business objectives. Board and Executive Reporting: Prepare comprehensive compensation committee materials covering salary structures, compensation budgets, equity guidelines, and grant approvals. Present recommendations and insights to senior leadership and the board's compensation committee. Global Rewards and Benefits: Develop consistent compensation and benefits practices across the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Latin America, including employer-of-record markets. Support benefits renewal strategies and employer contribution decisions. Data, Systems, and Process Optimization: Ensure compensation data accuracy within HR systems and support platform consolidation initiatives. Develop recurring reports and analytical tools to help Finance and leadership make informed decisions. Leverage AI and automation to improve compensation modeling, auditing, reporting, and operational efficiency.

Requirements:

10+ years of experience in Compensation or Total Rewards, including at least 3 years leading the function or a significant part of it. Proven experience building salary bands and compensation structures connected to organizational leveling frameworks within a high-growth software company of fewer than 1,000 employees. Demonstrated ability to manage end-to-end merit and promotion cycles, including budget modeling, employee eligibility, calibration, and manager enablement. Previous experience preparing and presenting compensation materials to a board or compensation committee. Strong knowledge of compensation benchmarking tools and market data, such as Pave or Radford, with advanced financial modeling and analytical skills in Google Sheets or Excel. International compensation experience across the United States and Europe, including employer-of-record markets. Practical experience using AI tools for compensation modeling, analysis, and process automation, with concrete examples of efficiency improvements. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex compensation decisions clearly to executives, managers, and individual contributors. Strong business judgment, discretion, and the ability to handle highly confidential employee and compensation information. Ability to balance fairness, employee retention, motivation, financial constraints, and operational efficiency when making compensation decisions.

Nice-to-have qualifications:

Experience working in a Series B to Series D startup environment. Knowledge of equity plan design and international equity grants. Experience designing sales compensation structures and pay mix strategies. Previous involvement in HRIS migrations or platform consolidation projects. Additional experience across EMEA, DACH, and/or Latin America. Familiarity with tools such as Pave, Carta, Culture Amp, Justworks, and Deel.

Benefits:

Competitive annual salary ranging from $195,000 to $220,000, depending on experience and qualifications. Equity participation, offering an opportunity to share in the company's long-term growth. Performance-based bonus opportunities. Fully remote working arrangement within the United States. Opportunity to build and lead the Total Rewards function with significant ownership and strategic influence. Direct collaboration with senior People and Finance leadership and exposure to board-level decision-making. Opportunity to shape global compensation and benefits practices in a growing international technology organization. Access to modern HR, compensation, equity, and collaboration tools.

We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.

We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!

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