Director of Total Rewards

Merlin Labs • Boston, MA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

Merlin is a venture backed aerospace startup building a non-human pilot to enable both reduced crew and uncrewed flight. Backed by some of the world’s leading investors, Merlin is scaling alongside our customers to begin leveraging autonomy today to solve some of aviation’s biggest challenges. About You: You are a strategic and hands-on total rewards leader who drives the design, execution, and evolution of compensation, equity, benefits, and recognition programs within a software-focused organization. You partner closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams—including Finance, Legal, and People—to build competitive, scalable rewards programs that align with business strategy and support company growth.

Requirements

• 8–12+ years of progressive experience in total rewards, compensation, or related HR disciplines
• Proven experience leading total rewards programs in a software, technology, or product-driven environment
• Deep expertise in compensation design, equity programs, and benefits strategy
• Strong business and financial acumen with the ability to balance market competitiveness, internal equity, and cost discipline
• Experience supporting executive leadership and board-level compensation discussions
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate data into clear recommendations
• Knowledge of relevant employment and compensation regulations
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a high-growth, scaling, or pre-IPO environment
• Public company and/or SOX exposure
• Global compensation and benefits experience
• Experience building or scaling a total rewards function
• Familiarity with modern HRIS and compensation tools (e.g., Workday, Radford, Pave, Carta)

Responsibilities

• Define and execute a comprehensive total rewards strategy aligned with company growth, talent priorities, and business objectives
• Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on compensation philosophy, equity strategy, and rewards tradeoffs
• Own compensation architecture, including job leveling, salary bands, and pay-for-performance frameworks
• Lead annual compensation planning cycles (merit, bonus, and promotion) in partnership with Finance and HRBP
• Design, administer, and evolve equity programs (e.g., stock options, RSUs), including new hire grants, refresh cycles, and executive compensation support
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, including pay transparency, wage and hour, and public-company or pre-IPO standards as applicable
• Oversee benefits strategy and administration, including health, retirement, wellness, and leave programs
• Manage benefits vendors, brokers, and annual renewals with a focus on cost management and employee experience
• Establish strong governance, policies, controls, and documentation across all total rewards programs
• Lead rewards analytics, benchmarking, and reporting to support data-driven decision-making
• Work with the CPO to prepare materials for executive leadership, compensation committee, and board discussions, as needed
• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing total rewards team (as applicable)
• Partner cross-functionally with Finance, Legal, Payroll, and IT to deliver integrated solutions and operational efficiencies
• Support workforce planning, organizational change, and M&A initiatives from a total rewards perspective

Benefits

• top-notch benefits package (health, dental, life, unlimited vacation, and 401k with match)
• catered lunches featuring a rotating menu of delicious options
• an assortment of snacks
• a selection of beverages, including coffee, tea, and other drinks

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees