Compensation and Benefits Lea (Total Rewards)

Lila Sciences; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative firm is seeking a Compensation and Benefits Leader to architect a total rewards strategy that aligns with its mission of transforming science through AI. This role involves designing frameworks for compensation and benefits, operationalizing compensation cycles, and collaborating with various departments to ensure alignment with business goals. The ideal candidate will have a builder mentality, strong analytical skills, and experience in compensation design. Join a dynamic team where your contributions will shape the future of compensation in a rapidly evolving environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in designing compensation programs from scratch.
• Ability to analyze trends and make data-driven decisions.

Responsibilities

• Design and lead total rewards strategy aligned with company values.
• Operationalize compensation cycles and ensure compliance.
• Collaborate across departments to align compensation with business goals.

Skills

Compensation Design

Analytical Skills

Strategic Thinking

Organizational Agility

Education

No Formal Prerequisites

Tools

Data Analysis Tools

Compensation Management Systems

Job description

Compensation and Benefits Leader (Total Rewards)

Cambridge, MA

The Company:

Lila Sciences is a privately held, early-stage technology company pioneering the application of artificial intelligence to transform every aspect of the scientific method. Lila is backed by Flagship Pioneering, which brings the courage, long-term vision, and resources needed to realize unreasonable results. Join our mission-driven team and contribute to the future of science.

Our Physical effort is developing a novel AI and data-driven approach to materials discovery and development to accelerate the transition to a sustainable economy. And our Life Sciences effort is leveraging AI and high-throughput automation for valuable therapeutic discovery and development across biological modalities.

At Lila, we are uniquely cross-functional and collaborative. We are actively reimagining the way teams work together and communicate. Therefore, we seek individuals with an inclusive mindset and a diversity of thought. Our teams thrive in unstructured and creative environments. All voices are heard because we know that experience comes in many forms, skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way.

If this sounds like an environment you’d love to work in, even if you only have some of the experience listed below, please apply.

The Role:

This role is designed for a builder—someone who thinks deeply, designs intentionally, and moves with conviction. As Compensation and Benefits Leader at Lila, you’ll own the design and delivery of our total rewards approach, partnering closely with the VP of Human Resonance to shape how compensation works in a company operating at the edge of what’s possible.

You’ll architect frameworks for base pay, equity, performance, and benefits that reflect our values, scale with our growth, and support long-term trust and clarity across our team. You’ll blend strategy with execution, modeling with communication, and systems-thinking with deep human consideration.

This is an M3/M4 individual contributor role, with meaningful visibility and a clear growth path into people leadership as we scale. It’s based in Cambridge, MA, with three days per week in-office as part of our hybrid working rhythm.

What You’ll Do:

Design and Lead Total Rewards Strategy

• Architect a compensation and benefits philosophy that aligns with Lila’s mission, values, and velocity.
• Own frameworks across cash, equity, bonus, and benefits—designing systems that are competitive, equitable, and sustainable.
• Translate vision into structure, policies, and experiences that support how we grow and retain talent.

Operationalize with Precision and Agility

• Lead compensation cycles from end to end—including merit, bonus, and equity review—alongside HRBPs and business leaders.
• Design tools and templates that help managers make informed, consistent, human-centered decisions.
• Ensure compliance and internal alignment across systems, functions, and geographies.

Model, Analyze, and Iterate

• Build models and run scenarios to guide decision-making and headcount planning.
• Analyze internal trends and external benchmarks to ensure our approach is both competitive and true to Lila’s values.
• Use data to tell clear, actionable stories—then act on them.

Collaborate Across the Organization

• Partner with the VP of Human Resonance, HRBPs, BU leaders, Finance, Legal, and Talent to align compensation strategy with business goals.
• Help shape the connective tissue between compensation, performance, and progression.

Think Long-Term, Build for Now

• Design for scale while staying deeply attuned to the experience of today’s employees.
• Help define what it means to build a compensation approach that fuels performance, creates clarity, and reflects what we truly value.

What You Bring:

Compensation Design Experience

You’ve built—or rebuilt—compensation programs from scratch. You think beyond mechanics, designing systems that support culture, performance, and trust.

Strategic and Operational Range

You move fluidly between strategy and execution, zooming out to spot patterns and zooming in to make it all work. You know when to rethink the system and when to ship the spreadsheet.

Analytical Confidence

You’re fluent in modeling and comfortable building frameworks that drive insight and decision-making. You don’t need to be a traditional comp expert—but you do bring clarity, rigor, and a strong point of view.

Builder Mentality

You’re not here to maintain. You’re here to make, improve, and shape. You take ownership from first draft to full launch—and do it while collaborating with others building in parallel.

Organizational Agility

You understand how startups evolve and how to build systems that can stretch, flex, and grow. You’ve worked in dynamic environments and know how to get things done even when things shift midstream.

No Formal Prerequisites

We care most about how you think and what you’ve built. No specific degree, certification, or title required. We welcome people with unconventional paths and high-impact outcomes.

Why Join Us:

This is your chance to shape the way compensation feels in a company building the future of science. You’ll help architect the experience behind one of the most exciting missions in AI today—creating systems that support clarity, trust, and long-term human growth.

You’ll work with people who care deeply, move quickly, and believe that how we work is as important as what we’re working on.

Location: Cambridge, MA (in-office three days per week)

Lila Sciences is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

We believe compensation should be fair, transparent, and tied to the impact people make over time. For this role, the expected base salary range is $185-$210K. Total compensation also includes equity, benefits, and growth opportunities designed to support meaningful, high-ownership work.