Director Total Rewards

Rapid Micro Biosystems is seeking a Director, Total Rewards to play a vital role in shaping the company's culture, attracting top talent, and driving employee engagement through competitive and well-managed compensation and benefits programs. This role requires a strategic thinker who can balance the need to reward and retain employees with the company's financial objectives.

Reporting directly to the SVP, Head of Human Resources, this role requires a strategic and analytical leader with a deep understanding of total rewards strategies and a desire to be hands-on in both implementation and change management.

Key Responsibilities

Total Rewards Strategy:

• Develop, implement, and maintain a total rewards strategy aligned with the company's business goals, values, and culture.
• Innovate and react quickly as business and market realities change, staying up to date on best practices and trends; ensure compliance with applicable legislation.

Compensation Management:

• Lead the design, execution, and management of the company's compensation programs, including base salary, bonuses, long-term incentives, and executive compensation.
• Facilitate regular benchmarking cycles to analyze and assess market data, industry trends, and best practices to create market competitive reward packages. Conduct thorough job analyses to ensure internal equity, external competitiveness, and compliance with legal standards, while actively maintaining data integrity.
• Implement and maintain performance-based pay strategies that reward high performance and drive employee engagement.
• Ensure equity and fairness in compensation practices while maintaining compliance with relevant regulations.
• Develop and implement additional pay policies and practices in line with the needs of a global and complex business.
• Collaborate with HR and leadership teams to align performance management processes with compensation practices.
• Coordinate with HR Operations and Payroll to ensure timely changes and quick, positive resolution should issues occur.

Benefits Management and Administration:

• Bring innovative practices and designs to our employee benefits programs through the lens of supporting all generational and life stage needs – including health and wellness benefits, retirement plans, and other benefit programs.
• Collaborate with benefits vendors to optimize offerings, control costs, and enhance employee satisfaction.
• Oversee the annual open enrollment process, including communication strategies, vendor coordination, and employee education to ensure smooth execution.

Compliance and Governance:

• Stay informed about relevant labor laws, regulations, and industry standards, ensuring all compensation and benefits programs comply with legal requirements.
• Work closely with legal and compliance teams to address any issues or concerns.
• Manage all aspects of benefits compliance, including the annual 401(k) audit, qualified plan non-discrimination testing and timely submission of the Company’s various benefit plan filings.

HRIS Administration, Data Analysis and Reporting:

• Manage, optimize, and analyze our Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) to ensure effective HR operations.
• Lead HRIS projects to enhance system capabilities, streamline processes, and provide data-driven insights to support organizational goals.
• Oversee HRIS system configuration, testing, and administration to ensure employees can easily access and enroll in their benefits.
• Drive analytical rigor and deep analysis on effectiveness and competitiveness of existing programs; establish key metrics including usage, engagement, and cost analyses.
• Leverage analytical, communication and presentation skills to provide insights to leadership on the impact of total rewards on talent attraction, retention, and engagement.
• Develop and generate customized reports and dashboards for HR and management, ensuring timely delivery of critical data.

Budgeting and Cost Management:

• Develop and manage the total rewards budget, ensuring cost-effective solutions that align with the company's financial objectives.

Communication and Education:

• Develop and execute communication strategies to educate employees about compensation and benefits programs.
• Provide guidance and support to the HR team and management in addressing employee inquiries related to total rewards.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Business, Human Resources, or a related field
• Minimum of 10 years of experience
• Experience participating in compensation surveys and utilizing benchmarking tools (i.e. Radford)
• Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize, handle multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability to develop efficient and auditable processes that ensure accuracy and form a sound foundation for company growth.
• Deep knowledge of HR compliance, employment law, and regulatory requirements
• Excellent customer service skills and a collaborative team-oriented approach. High attention to detail required.
• Strong technical aptitude and experience with reporting and data analysis with a demonstrated understanding of the concepts and issues unique to the management of HR data.
• High level of emotional intelligence, strong partnership skills, and ability to influence and drive to consensus.
• Deep data-orientation and desire to fuel business decisions by providing insights.
• Expert in HR systems and MS office tools with a focus on Excel and PowerPoint.
• Previous experience using UKG Pro and Workforce Management strongly preferred.
• Previous experience in life sciences or biotech preferred.