Senior Director, Total Rewards

Etsy•Brooklyn, NY

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Etsy is seeking a Senior Director of Total Rewards to establish the strategy, lead the team, and be accountable for how Etsy rewards its employees. This role involves leading a team that includes a Director of Compensation and a Senior Manager of Benefits. The primary responsibilities include defining a clear Total Rewards philosophy, ensuring compensation and benefits function as a unified strategy, and representing Total Rewards to senior leadership and the board. The position requires a deep understanding of Etsy's business model, talent market, and the factors necessary for attracting and retaining employees. The goal is to develop Total Rewards programs that are tailored to Etsy's specific context rather than relying on generic playbooks. The role is crucial at a time when compensation and benefits functions are being integrated, requiring senior judgment to guide this process and shape the Total Rewards strategy for the next three to five years. The Senior Director will report to the Head of People & Workplace and collaborate closely with Finance, Legal, and the Board's compensation committee. In addition to salary, the role is eligible for an equity package, an annual performance bonus, and competitive benefits. This position requires the employee to be present in Etsy’s Brooklyn Office one to two times per week, depending on proximity. Candidates living within commuting distance of the Brooklyn Office Hub will be considered first.

Requirements

12+ years in total rewards, with meaningful expertise across both compensation and benefits
Experience leading senior practitioners (directors or senior managers who run programs and teams)
A track record of setting and executing Total Rewards strategy, not just administering programs
Comfort at the executive level: advising a CHRO or CFO, presenting to a board compensation committee, making recommendations involving trade-offs
Strong financial fluency: ability to build a business case, pressure-test assumptions, and participate in budget conversations
Experience at a public company with equity program complexity (RSUs, equity plan management, SEC disclosure familiarity)

Nice To Haves

Experience leading a function through active redesign (benefits strategy, comp philosophy overhaul, or both)
Background in tech or a similarly dynamic, distributed workforce environment
Familiarity with Workday or comparable HRIS (Human Resources Information System) at a strategy level

Responsibilities

Set strategy rooted in business understanding
Build and articulate Etsy's Total Rewards philosophy
Translate Etsy's business strategy and performance philosophy into a comp and benefits approach
Anticipate market trends and keep Etsy's programs ahead of them
Make high-stakes decisions regarding merit matrix design, benefits architecture, equity program structure, and executive compensation positioning
Apply outcome-based thinking, using market data, principles, and business context to make decisions
Treat employee equity as a real standard and design programs that hold up to that bar across the full workforce
Build a business case when needed to push back on constraints
Drive continuous improvement by identifying creative options within real constraints
Finalize the benefits strategy redesign, including vendor decisions and a sustainable benefits portfolio
Complete the compensation strategy revamp aligned to Etsy's updated performance philosophy
Manage and develop a Director of Compensation and a Senior Manager of Benefits, along with their teams
Set the standard for how the function operates with rigor, clear communication, and a focus on outcomes
Partner with People Systems, People Operations, and HRBPs to ensure accurate system reflection and smooth administration of programs
Own executive and board relationships, including preparation of compensation committee materials and presenting recommendations
Communicate Total Rewards strategy and changes to executives and the broader workforce in plain language
Stay ahead on technology, including AI's impact on benchmarking, equity gap identification, scenario modeling, and benefit personalization
Evaluate new tools with skepticism and build a team that works smarter through technology