Senior Director of Total Rewards

Apptronik; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Apptronik is seeking a Director of Total Rewards to architect and lead compensation, equity, and benefits programs for a fast-moving robotics company. You will own the pay structure, benchmarking, and annual refresh cycles, partnering across Finance, Legal, and People Operations to ensure market competitiveness and fair, data-informed decisions.

You will manage merit cycles, equity mechanics, and offer strategy with Talent Acquisition, while building education resources for employees to

Qualifications

• 12+ years in compensation, total rewards, or a combined people operations role in high-growth/tech environments.
• Experience with equity, benefits design, and total rewards programs.
• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, Finance, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).

Responsibilities

• Own compensation, equity, and benefits strategy end-to-end.
• Lead merit cycles, equity refreshes, promotions, and calibrations.
• Build salary bands, benchmarking, and annual refresh processes.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition on offers and competitive positioning.
• Create dashboards and pay equity analyses for leadership and board visibility.

Skills

Analytical mindset

Clear communicator

Builder's instinct

Total rewards strategy

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, Finance, or related field

Tools

Radford benchmarking

Job description

• Apptronik is building robots that will change how humanity works - and we’re building the people function to match
• As our Director, Total Rewards, you’ll be a founding architect of how we attract, reward, and retain world-class talent in one of the most competitive markets on the planet
• You’ll own compensation and benefits strategy end-to-end, partnering with Finance, Legal, and People Partners, and reporting to the VP, People Operations
• Level will be calibrated to your experience and what you’re ready to own from day one
• Own job architecture, leveling frameworks, and salary structures across engineering, business, and operations functions
• Lead compensation cycles (merit, equity refresh, promotions), including modeling, calibration, and manager communications
• Conduct regular market benchmarking using Radford or comparable surveys; maintain salary bands and refresh annually
• Partner with Talent Acquisition on offer strategy, competitive positioning, and real-time compensation intelligence
• Partner with Legal and Finance on equity mechanics, liquidity events, and board materials; build education resources that help employees understand and value their ownership
• Own the full benefits lifecycle - broker relationships, annual renewal, plan design, cost modeling, and employee communication; serve as the escalation point for complex claims and coverage questions
• Evaluate and evolve the benefits portfolio to remain competitive in the tech and robotics talent market
• Oversee leave of absence administration and ensure compliance with applicable federal and state regulations
• Ensure programs comply with FLSA, ACA, ERISA, and applicable state laws; maintain plan documents, SPDs, and governance documentation
• Build dashboards and conduct pay equity analyses that give leadership clear visibility into total rewards spend and support a fair, data-informed workplace
• PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Vision to read printed materials and a computer screen
• Hearing and speech to communicate

Total Rewards Depth: 12+ years in compensation, total rewards, or a related people operations role, ideally in a high-growth or tech environment. Breadth across comp strategy, equity, and benefits matters more than any single credential12+ years in compensation, total rewards, or a combined people operations roleCHIPC Values: You naturally embody our core values (Curiosity, Humility, Integrity, Passion, and Creativity) - how we make decisions every dayAnalytical Mindset: You build models, identify trends, and translate complex data into clear insights for Finance, Legal, and Board-level audiencesClear Communicator: You handle sensitive data with discretion and translate complex comp concepts into plain language for employees, managers, and executives alikeBuilder's Instinct: You bring structure to ambiguity and take ownership through to execution - no playbook requiredBachelor's degree in HR, Business, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent practical experienceApptronik is an equal opportunity employer. We actively work to build a team that reflects the full range of backgrounds, identities, and perspectives - and we strongly encourage candidates from underrepresented groups to apply, even if you don't check every boxCCP, CEBS, or PHR/SPHR certification is a plus, not a requirementExperience in a venture-backed or high-growth company strongly preferred; transferable depth from other dynamic environments welcome