VP, Total Rewards

Avalara

7d•Remote

About The Position

We are at an inflection point. We are raising the bar on talent, performance, and leadership. Compensation and benefits are one of the most powerful levers we have, shaping who we attract, how we differentiate performance, and how effectively we invest in our workforce. This role owns that lever. You will define how we invest in our people - across cash, equity, and benefits - ensuring we attract and retain top talent while making disciplined trade-offs. You will set the principles and build the systems that allow the company to scale, so leaders can make better decisions, faster, and with consistency. This is one of the highest-leverage roles in the company. You will operate with direct exposure to executive leadership and the board, as well as have a strong voice in shaping decisions that impact our most critical talent investments.

Requirements

Built or significantly evolved compensation, equity, and benefits programs in complex environments
Operated in both private and public companies, understanding how expectations shift with scale and how to influence in various context
Deep experience solving business problems with deep global compensation and benefits knowledge, including strong understanding of markets such as India where we have significant employee presence
Connect rewards decisions directly to business performance and company outcomes
Bring strong business understanding to solve real problems, not just optimize programs
Make high-quality decisions with incomplete information, balancing talent, cost, and long-term impact
Set a clear strategic vision for Total Rewards, evolving the function in line with the company’s growth and changing talent landscape
Think in principles and systems and not one-off solutions
Create clear, scalable frameworks across compensation and benefits that reduce noise, exceptions, and rework
Raise the quality of decision-making across the company and not just within your team
Obsessed with using AI and automation to build systems that scale as the company grows and evolves
Build strong teams and partnerships
Attract and develop high-caliber, respected Total Rewards professionals
Build strong, trusted partnerships with People & Culture and business leaders
Set a high bar for judgment, business acumen, and partnership
Build a team that leaders trust and rely on for critical decisions
Bring practical experience deploying AI within people practices and programs
Apply strong judgment in the confidentiality and responsible use of compensation data
Use data and AI to drive better insights and faster decisions
Continuously modernize how Total Rewards operates through technology
Take a solution-oriented, forward-looking approach, anticipating challenges before they become issues
Position Total Rewards as a function that helps the business stay ahead
Balance speed with rigor; simplicity with precision
Stay focused on what drives outcomes, not theoretical perfection
Embracing AI as an essential capability
Experience using AI and AI-related technologies, ready to thrive here
Apply AI every day to business challenges - improving efficiency, contributing solutions, and driving results for your team, our company, and our customers
Grow with AI by staying curious about new trends and best practices, and by sharing what you learn so others can benefit too

Responsibilities

Evolve the compensation philosophy anchored in company performance and business strategy
Translate business priorities into clear pay decisions - who we invest in, how much, and why
Drive strong, consistent pay-for-performance differentiation across the company
Lead annual compensation cycles with precision, discipline, and credibility
Own the executive compensation strategy, including salary, bonus, and equity programs
Design and evolve equity programs to effectively attract, retain, and motivate talent across different company stages
Bring clarity and rigor to complex, high-stakes decisions that directly impact senior leadership and company outcomes
Build on a strong existing foundation to ensure benefits remain competitive, scalable, and aligned to company priorities
Partner with the benefits team to evolve programs thoughtfully as the company grows and expands globally
Ensure benefits investments are well understood, valued by employees, and aligned to business needs
Maintain the right balance between global consistency and local market competitiveness
Build Total Rewards frameworks that are clear, consistent, and scalable
Reduce reliance on exceptions and increase manager accountability by strengthening principles, guardrails, and decision-making quality
Continuously refine programs based on business needs, market shifts, and talent outcomes
Use data, analytics, and AI to improve the quality, speed, and scalability of compensation and benefits decisions
Ensure responsible use of data with strong judgment around privacy, governance, and accuracy
Embed a proactive insight-led approach across the Total Rewards function
Build, develop, and retain a team of credible, business-minded compensation and benefits leaders
Maintain momentum on the team’s business judgment and partnership across the function, ensuring that they operate as strategic partners, not a transactional service
Create leverage so that the function scales through your team and systems, not just your direct involvement