Senior Manager, Total Rewards

Freenome•Brisbane, CA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Freenome is seeking a Senior Manager, Total Rewards to lead and co-own the company’s end-to-end total rewards strategy, balancing strategic design with hands-on operational leadership across compensation and benefits programs. This senior individual contributor role has substantial program ownership and influence in a newly public company, with responsibility for personally executing recurring processes, resolving complex employee and vendor escalations, and maintaining administrative accuracy, rigor, and compliance. The role partners closely with People, Payroll, Finance, Legal, brokers, carriers, vendors, and other external advisors, and requires sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential information. The position oversees day-to-day health and wellbeing benefits administration and wellness initiatives, as well as annual compensation planning, benchmarking, bonus operations, and equity grant administration. It also owns Total Rewards projects and operating practices, including procedures, calendars, tracking tools, and internal SOX control checklists. The role reports to the Senior Director, Total Rewards and Talent Acquisition and is hybrid, based at Freenome’s Brisbane, California headquarters, with an expectation of working onsite 3–4 days per week.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience in Human Resources, Business, or a related field.
At least 8 years of progressive experience in benefits, compensation, total rewards, or HR operations, including direct experience in biotechnology or life sciences.
Experience supporting Total Rewards programs at a publicly traded company, including understanding confidentiality, documentation, controls, and cross-functional coordination needs.
Hands-on experience administering health and welfare benefits and partnering with brokers, carriers, vendors, Payroll, and HR systems.
Experience supporting compensation processes such as market benchmarking, salary range administration, annual compensation planning, bonus or incentive programs, or equity administration.
Strong analytical and organizational skills, including reconciling data, investigating discrepancies, and managing recurring deadlines.
Proficiency with HRIS and benefits systems and strong spreadsheet skills.
Clear written and verbal communication skills, particularly when explaining programs and resolving employee questions.
Ability to work independently, prioritize competing needs, and know when to involve an appropriate partner or leader.
Fluency and practical proficiency with modern AI tools and technology, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or HR automation tools, alongside standard office software to drive efficiency, data analysis, and process optimization.
Sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential information.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a growing life sciences company or an environment with evolving programs and processes.
Familiarity with benefits compliance coordination and working with external advisors.
Experience supporting public-company compensation, equity, audit, or reporting processes.
Experience documenting procedures, improving workflows, or leading cross-functional projects.

Responsibilities

Lead and execute day-to-day health and wellbeing benefits strategy and administration for medical, dental, vision, life, disability, 401(k), and voluntary programs, including enrollments, terminations, leaves, wellness initiatives, and plan updates.
Process new-hire enrollments, qualifying life events, annual open enrollment, and employee status changes in HRIS and carrier portals.
Develop and manage employee wellness initiatives with stakeholders, including activities, education, and resources that support wellbeing.
Serve as a primary contact for employee benefits inquiries and investigate and resolve benefits questions, claims issues, and coverage escalations.
Partner with brokers, carriers, vendors, Payroll, HR Operations, and internal teams to resolve cases, coordinate plan administration, and maintain service quality.
Audit, reconcile, and process monthly benefits invoices, vendor files, and payroll deduction feeds; investigate and correct discrepancies with Payroll and carriers.
Drive annual open enrollment, including timelines, HRIS setup, user acceptance testing, communications, and post-enrollment audits.
Maintain accurate benefits documentation, employee resources, plan summaries, procedures, and internal guidance.
Execute compliance filings, audits, and testing, including Form 5500, ACA reporting, and nondiscrimination testing, with external brokers and advisors.
Support benefits renewals and program changes by gathering data, preparing analyses, tracking decisions, and coordinating implementation.
Identify recurring questions, service issues, and process gaps, and recommend practical improvements to employee experience and administration.
Lead and execute annual compensation-cycle operations, including updating job structures, configuring pay ranges, auditing manager entries, and updating employee compensation records.
Conduct market pricing and salary benchmarking for new roles, promotions, and annual market adjustments using survey databases such as Radford/Aon and Pave.
Prepare compensation reports, equity models, and analyses; validate data and summarize findings for executive leadership and Compensation Committee review.
Audit annual and quarterly bonus calculations, execute proration formulas, generate reward statements, and send accurate payout files to Payroll.
Oversee routine equity grant administration tracking and coordinate approved equity schedules with Stock Administration, Legal, and Finance for system entry, vesting reconciliation, and public-company compliance.
Maintain accurate compensation records and support review and approval workflows.
Prepare compensation data, slides, and materials for internal governance, Compensation Committee meetings, audit support, and public-company reporting.
Contribute to clear employee communications about compensation, benefits, and total rewards programs.
Build, maintain, and directly manage standard operating procedures, administrative calendars, tracking sheets, and internal SOX control checklists.
Own Total Rewards projects end-to-end by defining tasks, driving timelines, executing deliverables, and independently resolving roadblocks.
Build effective working relationships across People, Finance, Payroll, Legal, and external partners.
Identify and help implement practical improvements to data quality, vendor service, administrative efficiency, and employee experience.
Use sound judgment and discretion when handling sensitive employee matters and confidential benefits, compensation, and equity information.