Senior Director, Total Rewards

Apptronik; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 275,000 - 325,000; Full time

Job summary

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company pioneering AI-powered robots. The Senior Director, Total Rewards will architect compensation, benefits, and equity strategies to attract and retain top talent in a competitive market.

You will partner with Finance, Legal, and People Partners, reporting to the VP, People Operations, with a leadership role across engineering, business, and operations. The role emphasizes pay equity, benchmarking, governance, and data-driven decision making in a

Qualifications

• 12+ years in compensation, total rewards, or a related people operations role.
• Experience in high-growth or tech environments with depth across comp strategy, equity, and benefits.
• Strong analytical modeling and data interpretation for executive audiences.
• Ability to translate complex comp concepts into clear language for employees and leaders.

Responsibilities

• Own compensation design, job architecture, leveling frameworks, and salary structures.
• Lead compensation cycles, modeling, calibration, and manager communications.
• Conduct market benchmarking and maintain salary bands; refresh annually.
• Oversee equity mechanics, education resources, and equity communications.
• Own benefits lifecycle, plan design, cost modeling, and compliance with laws.

Skills

Total Rewards

Analytical Mindset

Builder’s Instinct

Clear Communicator

CHIPC Values

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Business/Finance

CCP/CEBS/PHR/SPHR certification is a plus

Job description

Apptronik is a human-centered robotics company developing AI-powered robots to support humanity in every facet of life. Our flagship humanoid robot, Apollo, is built to collaborate thoughtfully with people, starting with critical industries such as manufacturing and logistics, with future applications in healthcare, the home, and beyond.

We operate at the cutting edge of Applied AI, applying our expertise across the full robotics stack to solve some of society's most important problems. You will join a team dedicated to bringing Apollo to market at scale, tackling the complex challenges like safety, commercialization, and mass production to change the world for the better.

Senior Director, Total Rewards

Full-Time | People Operations | Sunnyvale, CA (Hybrid)

JOB SUMMARY

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.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES or KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Compensation Design & Management

• 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

Equity Compensation

• Partner with Legal and Finance on equity mechanics, liquidity events, and board materials; build education resources that help employees understand and value their ownership

Benefits & Well-being

• 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

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure programs comply with FLSA, ACA, ERISA, and applicable state laws; maintain plan documents, SPDs, and governance documentation

Analytics & Systems

• Build dashboards and conduct pay equity analyses that give leadership clear visibility into total rewards spend and support a fair, data-informed workplace

SKILLS AND REQUIREMENTS

• 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 credential.
• Analytical Mindset:You build models, identify trends, and translate complex data into clear insights for Finance, Legal, and Board-level audiences.
• Builder’s Instinct:You bring structure to ambiguity and take ownership through to execution — no playbook required.
• Clear Communicator: You handle sensitive data with discretion and translate complex comp concepts into plain language for employees, managers, and executives alike.
• CHIPC Values: You naturally embody our core values (Curiosity, Humility, Integrity, Passion, and Creativity) — how we make decisions every day.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• 12+ years in compensation, total rewards, or a combined people operations role
• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Finance, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience
• CCP, CEBS, or PHR/SPHR certification is a plus, not a requirement
• Experience in a venture-backed or high-growth company strongly preferred; transferable depth from other dynamic environments welcome

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

Salary Range for CA: $275,000 - 325,000

Apptronik 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 box.

Apptronik provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.