Manager, Total Rewards & HR Operations

Opus Regulatory, Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Opus Regulatory, Inc. is seeking a hands-on Manager, Total Rewards and HR Operations to own programs across benefits, payroll, leave administration, and related HR operations.

Reporting to the Director of Human Resources, this role will expand into compensation, job architecture, pay equity, and performance management over time. You will lead the health and welfare programs, manage multi-state payroll, and partner with Finance and HR leadership to deliver metrics, cost analyses, and governance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in total rewards, benefits, and payroll administration, with direct ownership of benefits programs
• Required: Hands-on experience administering or managing a self-insured health plan or

Responsibilities

• Develop and evolve total rewards strategy including benefits, compensation, recognition, and wellbeing aligning with business goals
• Lead benefits administration, open enrollment, and vendor partnerships, ensuring compliance and cost effectiveness
• Own multi-state payroll administration, ADP configuration, and tax filings across locations
• Provide reporting and insights to HR leadership and finance to inform decision making
• Coordinate with Legal and outside counsel on ERISA and leave requirements
• Drive employee communications and wellness initiatives for a dispersed workforce
• Support HR systems implementations and broader HR infrastructure projects

Skills

Total rewards

Benefits administration

Payroll

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Tools

ADP Workforce Now

Job description

Founded in 1994, Opus Regulatory (Opus) is a consultancy providing experts in Regulatory Strategy, CMC, Labeling, and Advertising & Promotion. Our clients range from development-stage biotech companies to mid-size and large pharmaceutical organizations. Backed by Audax Private Equity, Opus has grown to roughly 120 consulting professionals across the US and UK. Our team is made up of biopharmaceutical leaders and innovators, and our mission is to provide the highest level of Regulatory Affairs consultancy in the industry—continually exceeding client expectations through excellence, partnership, and integrity.

Position Overview

Opus Regulatory is seeking a hands-on Manager, Total Rewards and HR Operations to own and evolve the programs and processes that support our employees throughout the employment lifecycle. Reporting to the Director of Human Resources, this role will have primary responsibility for benefits, payroll, leave administration and related HR operations, while partnering with HR leadership to develop a broader Total Rewards strategy.

The role will serve as the subject matter expert and operational owner for Opus's health and welfare programs, including our self-insured/group captive medical plan, as well as multi-state payroll and related compliance. The role will also lead employee communications, wellness and engagement initiatives and provide data and insights to HR and business leadership.

As Opus continues to scale, this position will expand its ownership of compensation, job architecture, pay equity and performance management, creating an opportunity to build a cohesive, competitive and equitable Total Rewards framework in partnership with the Director of HR.

This is an ideal role for an experienced HR professional who enjoys both strategy and execution and is comfortable operating with significant autonomy in a lean, growing organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with the Director of HR to develop and evolve a cohesive Total Rewards strategy—spanning benefits, compensation, recognition, and well-being that aligns with Opus’s business goals, talent needs, and growth plans
• Serve as the subject matter expert on total rewards for HR and business leadership, providing market insights, program recommendations, and cost and competitiveness analysis
• Develop a phased Total Rewards roadmap, prioritizing initiatives as compensation, job architecture, and performance management responsibilities transition to this role
• Support annual benefits and total rewards budgeting and renewal planning with HR leadership and Finance, using claims, utilization, and market data
• Build and maintain total rewards metrics and reporting (e.g., plan costs, utilization, pay and turnover trends), delivering data and insights to HR leadership, Finance, and the board as needed
• Own the day-to-day administration of the company’s health & welfare benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and ancillary offerings
• Serve as the operational owner of the self-insured/group captive medical plan, directly managing relationships with the benefits broker, captive program manager, third-party administrator (TPA), stop-loss carrier, and network partners
• Monitor plan performance, claims trends, and funding levels in partnership with HR leadership and Finance; support renewal strategy, marketing, and cost analysis
• Lead annual open enrollment, including system configuration, testing, vendor coordination, and post-enrollment audits
• Serve as the primary point of escalation for employee benefits questions and claims issues
• Support administration of the company’s 401(k) plan in coordination with the recordkeeper, advisors, and Finance
• Ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other applicable regulations, partnering with Legal and outside advisors as needed
• Design and deliver wellness and well-being initiatives that reflect the needs of a remote, geographically dispersed workforce

Payroll & HR Ops

• Own end-to-end payroll processing for a multi-state (and potentially multi-country) employee and consultant population, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with federal, state, and local wage and hour laws
• Serve as primary administrator for the ADP Workforce Now payroll platform, including system configuration, troubleshooting, and ongoing maintenance
• Manage payroll-related vendor relationships, escalations, and issue resolution, including coordination with ADP and any third-party payroll intermediaries
• Partner with Finance on payroll funding, GL mapping, reconciliations, and month-end/quarter-end close activities
• Ensure accurate tax filings, W-2/1099 processing, and year-end payroll compliance
• Manage leave of absence administration (FMLA, ADA, state leave programs) in coordination with HR and Legal
• Own the accuracy of payroll and HRIS data and support employee lifecycle transactions (new hire setup, status and pay changes, terminations) in partnership with the HR team
• Maintain payroll and HR operations policies, procedures, and internal controls; identify and drive process improvements and automation opportunities
• Support broader HR infrastructure projects, including system implementations, audits, and policy development

Compensation & Performance

• Partner with the Director of HR to administer compensation practices, including market pricing, salary structures, and merit and bonus cycles
• Support the career framework and job architecture, helping ensure roles are leveled and paid consistently and competitively
• Support pay equity reviews and analyses, and recommend corrective actions in partnership with HR leadership
• Provide compensation guidance and analysis for offers, promotions, and pay adjustments in partnership with HR leadership and Talent Acquisition
• Support the annual performance management cycle, including process design, system configuration, manager enablement, and calibration logistics
• Over time, assume ownership of compensation, job architecture, pay equity, and performance management programs, including related analytics, policies, and communications

Employee Experience & Communications

• Lead total rewards communications, including benefits guides, open enrollment materials, town hall content, and employee education, so that employees understand the full value of their rewards
• Design, administer, and analyze employee engagement and benefits surveys; translate results into clear insights and action plans for HR and senior leadership
• Partner with HR leadership to develop recognition, retention, and engagement programs that reinforce Opus’s culture and values
• Track engagement and benefits utilization metrics and recommend improvements based on employee feedback and market trends
• Serve as a trusted, approachable resource for employees and managers on benefits, pay, and rewards questions

Own (Accountable from Day One)

• Benefits administration and annual open enrollment
• Day-to-day operation of the self-insured/group captive medical plan and its vendors (broker, captive program manager, TPA, stop-loss carrier)
• Multi-state payroll and ADP Workforce Now administration
• Leave of absence administration
• Accuracy and controls for payroll, benefits, and HRIS data
• Total rewards communications and employee education
• Engagement and benefits surveys and wellness programs
• Total rewards reporting, metrics, and insights

Support (Collaboration with HR and HQ Team)

• Total rewards strategy and benefits plan design and renewal decisions (Director of HR, with Finance and leadership)
• Captive funding, benefits budget, and payroll funding (Finance)
• Individual pay decisions, such as offers, promotions, and adjustments (HR and business leadership)
• Legal interpretation of ERISA, leave, and wage and hour requirements (Legal and outside counsel)
• Recognition and retention programs (co-developed with HR leadership)
• HR systems implementations and audits (partner with HR and IT/Finance)
• Compensation administration: market pricing, salary structures, merit and bonus cycles
• Career framework and job architecture maintenance
• Pay equity analysis and recommendations
• Performance management program: process, system, and manager enablement
• Co-leading total rewards strategy and benefits renewal with the Director of HR

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in total rewards, benefits, and payroll administration, with direct ownership of benefits programs
• Required: Hands-on experience administering or managing a self-insured health plan or