Lead Total Rewards Partner
About The Position
Airwallex is hiring its first Total Rewards team member based in the Americas to build the region’s rewards operating model while partnering with a small, globally distributed team. The role owns the Americas Total Rewards program across the US, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico, with end-to-end responsibility for compensation, benefits design, and equity programs. The position leads compensation planning, benchmarking, salary structures, geographic differentials, market positioning, merit and bonus cycles, and offer guidance. It designs benefits programs and leads renewals, broker negotiations, and transition projects alongside local People Operations partners. It also partners with the global Total Rewards team on US stock plan administration and leads regional and global projects, including the Americas equity framework rollout and IPO-readiness initiatives. The role uses market data, benchmarking, and financial modeling to advise leaders and communicate complex analysis to managers and employees. It partners with Talent Acquisition, People Partners, Payroll, Finance, Legal, Equity, and executive leadership on compensation, organizational decisions, systems, equity budgets, compliance, and strategy. The successful candidate will build practical processes and documentation for Americas Total Rewards and work independently across time zones. The role is based in Airwallex’s San Francisco office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Occasional flexibility in working hours may be needed to collaborate across countries and time zones.
Requirements
- At least 7 years of experience in total rewards, compensation, or benefits, including experience supporting employee populations across the Americas.
- Experience owning or building a complete Total Rewards program spanning compensation, benefits, and equity.
- Experience designing benefits programs and managing plan renewals, including broker and insurance carrier negotiations.
- Strong compensation analytics capability, including market benchmarking, salary range architecture, geographic pay differentials, compensation cycles, modeling, and projections.
- Experience making and communicating compensation decisions with senior leaders, People Partners, recruiters, and employees.
- Working knowledge of US equity compensation and stock plan administration, including RSUs, ISOs, ESPP, and vesting mechanics, and ability to explain these concepts to non-specialists.
- Experience at a late-stage private, pre-IPO, or recently public company, particularly through changes to an equity program or increased governance requirements.
- Track record of leading complex Total Rewards projects from design through implementation, aligning stakeholders and influencing without formal authority.
- Strong business partnering, judgment, and communication skills, including confidence to challenge decisions that do not align with strategy, data, or compliance requirements.
- Builder mindset and ability to work independently across time zones without an established local playbook.
Nice To Haves
- Experience supporting multi-region Total Rewards programs where the global framework is set outside the candidate’s time zone.
- Familiarity with compensation, equity, and HR systems such as Carta, Shareworks, BambooHR, or Workday.
- Experience using survey and benchmarking sources such as Radford, Compensia, Mercer, or Aon.
- Experience with 401(k), ERISA, US pay transparency, benefits compliance, or related US rewards requirements.
- Experience supporting IPO readiness, equity plan governance, tax reporting, or SEC-related considerations.
- Experience building a Total Rewards function or major program from the ground up in a high-growth technology, fintech, or payments company.
Responsibilities
- Own the Americas Total Rewards program across the US, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico, covering compensation, benefits design, and equity programs.
- Lead compensation planning, benchmarking, pay decisions, salary structures, geographic differentials, market positioning, merit and bonus cycles, and offer guidance.
- Design benefits programs and lead plan renewals, broker negotiations, and transition project management with local People Operations partners.
- Partner with the global Total Rewards team on US stock plan administration, including RSUs, ISOs, ESPP mechanics, vesting, taxation, grant execution, plan governance, and employee communications.
- Lead global and regional Total Rewards projects, including the Americas equity framework rollout and IPO-readiness initiatives, from scoping and design through stakeholder alignment and implementation.
- Use market data, benchmarking, and financial modeling to make recommendations, influence decisions, and explain complex analysis to leaders, managers, and employees.
- Partner with Talent Acquisition, People Partners, Payroll, Finance, Legal, Equity, and executive leadership on compensation, organizational decisions, systems, equity budgets, compliance, and strategy.
- Build practical processes and documentation for Americas Total Rewards and help establish a local operating model while working independently across time zones.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
