Associate Director, Compensation & Benefits

PharmaEssentia; Burlington (MA); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical coverage

Dental and vision coverage

Generous paid time-off

401(k) retirement plan with competitive company match

Medical & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account

Up to $150 monthly cell phone reimbursement

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

PharmaEssentia is looking for an experienced professional to design and maintain a compensation and benefits system that aligns with our growth. This hybrid position requires 3 days in the office in Burlington, MA, and includes responsibilities for benchmarking, pay equity, and benefits administration.

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree and over 5 years of relevant experience in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry. You will be part of a team committed to diversity and inclusion, ensuring equitable opportunities for all.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in Compensation & Benefits or Total Rewards in biotech/pharma.
• Excellent leadership skills and ability to lead through change.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive market benchmarking, pay equity analysis, and pay transparency compliance.
• Establish and manage job architecture and salary bands.
• Design and administer merit and incentive programs.

Skills

Leadership skills

Strategic thinking

Problem-solving abilities

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Resilience

Education

Bachelor’s or Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field

Job description

Location: Burlington, MA (hybrid with 3 days per week in office). Remote candidates not considered.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Senior Director, Human Resources, you will design, implement, and maintain a core compensation and benefits infrastructure that supports PharmaEssentia’s growth and business goals. This new position will put the right frameworks, governance, and discipline in place—from implementing our global job architecture and incentive strategy—to creating practices, policies, and procedures that will scale with our growing business and support managers and employees. This individual will bring data, insight, and clear recommendations to leaders to support smart decision‑making and will have a significant impact on how we attract, reward, and retain talent.

Key Responsibilities

Compensation

• Drive market benchmarking, pay equity analysis, and pay transparency compliance
• Establish and manage job architecture, role grading, and salary bands
• Design and administer merit, short‑term incentive, and long‑term incentive programs
• Own/manage the annual compensation process and compensation statements
• Support workforce planning and related costs/budgets
• Maintain program documentation and communication

Benefits

• Drive market benchmarking for benefits packages; ensure the competitive position of the PEC’s benefit structure
• Provide strategic consultation and partnership with leaders to ensure alignment of benefit strategy and plan design initiatives, directly supporting and enabling operational business goals and objectives
• Develop and implement strategy for design and management of cost‑effective benefit programs
• Lead vendor selection, contract negotiations and relationships to ensure competitive and cost‑effective benefit programs
• Manage finances related to benefits plan costs and operating budgets
• Manage open enrollment and benefits education processes
• Own/manage comprehensive benefits administration, including leaves, working closely with payroll to ensure accurate related processing
• Provide PEC colleagues with ongoing benefits support, including leave management

Required Education/Experience And Skills

• Bachelor’s or Masters degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field is required.
• 5+ years of progressive experience leading Compensation & Benefits or Total Rewards in biotech/pharma
• Excellent leadership skills, along with strategic thinking and problem‑solving abilities.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills.
• Ability to lead through change and ambiguity, with a growth mindset and resilience.

The expected salary range for this position based on greater Boston, MA location is $160,000-200,000. Actual salary pay will be based on multiple factors, including geographic location, experience, qualifications, and other job‑related factors permitted by law.

Benefits of Working With Our Team

• Comprehensive medical coverage
• Dental and vision coverage
• Generous paid time‑off
• 401(k) retirement plan with competitive company match
• Medical & Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Up to $150 monthly cell phone reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program

At PharmaEssentia USA, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. PharmaEssentia USA believes that diversity and inclusion among our team are critical to our success as a global company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.