Principal Total Rewards Specialist

About the role

You will manage the end-to-end lifecycle of U.S. and Canadian benefits programs as a senior owner within the total rewards and People Operations function. You will leverage technology, including artificial intelligence tools, to drive efficiency, accuracy, and scalability in benefits and compensation workflows. You will build and maintain robust Standard Operating Procedures and centralized knowledge bases to ensure compliance and consistent service delivery. You will act as a key strategic partner for international benefits and central support for compensation and equity initiatives. You will proactively identify process gaps and implement pragmatic solutions with minimal supervision. You will ensure data integrity and regulatory compliance through rigorous audits and reconciliations.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Orchestrate the full lifecycle of U.S. and Canadian benefits programs, coordinating with external vendors and brokers to maintain data accuracy and resolve employee inquiries.
• Conduct comprehensive audits and reconciliations of benefits and compensation data to safeguard company resources and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Analyze and organize market data to support compensation and equity initiatives, preparing benchmarking templates and managing offer letters and adjustments.
• Administer equity grants and generate detailed reports, utilizing advanced spreadsheet applications to handle complex data requirements.
• Create, maintain, and optimize Standard Operating Procedures, process documentation, and a centralized knowledge base to enhance workflow visibility and accuracy.
• Partner with the People Operations team to refine the employee journey, improving onboarding and offboarding processes and optimizing ticket triage systems.
• Collaborate closely with the international operations lead to manage global vendor and broker relationships, respond to inquiries, and oversee benefit renewals or new program implementations.
• Drive continuous improvement by evaluating vendor performance, strengthening data controls, and iterating on processes to support rapid company scaling.
• Own the creation of recurring operational reports that provide critical insights into benefits and compensation metrics for strategic decision-making.
• Utilize AI and productivity tools to streamline repetitive tasks, reduce manual errors, and improve the efficiency of total rewards operations.

Requirements

• Bring a minimum of eight years of hands-on experience in benefits administration or Total Rewards operations within a fast-paced, dynamic setting.
• Demonstrate a proven track record of owning recurring processes and workflows from conception to completion with a high standard of execution.
• Show expert-level hands-on experience managing U.S. and Canadian benefits, including open enrollment, vendor coordination, and complex employee escalations.
• Apply practical experience with compensation cycles and equity administration, including organizing market data and using advanced Excel for data-intensive tasks and reporting.
• Exhibit strong operational judgment, exceptional attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives with limited direct oversight.
• Navigate shared ownership across HRIS, payroll, finance, legal, and international partners, communicating effectively to drive alignment and resolution.
• Employ excellent written communication skills to create clear employee-facing resources, detailed process documentation, and formal Standard Operating Procedures.
• Comfortably work with distributed teams across different time zones and geographies, ensuring continuity and consistency in global operations.
• Maintain a growth mindset, actively seeking opportunities to iterate on processes, tools, and documentation in support of the company's scaling objectives.
• Adhere to all compliance, audit, and data integrity standards to protect company resources and employee information.
• Thrive in a role that demands adaptability, ownership, and resilience within a fast-paced, high-expectation environment.

Nice to have

• Bring background from a high-growth or technology company that supports remote or hybrid work models.
• Experience with unionized workforce programs and a structured understanding of collective bargaining processes.

Practical notes

• This is a remote position open to candidates located in Canada.
• Engagement requires primary responsibility for U.S. and Canadian benefits, with key partnership for international benefits.
• The role involves significant use of AI tools, HRIS, payroll systems, finance, legal compliance, and People Operations platforms.
• Proficiency in advanced spreadsheet applications is essential for data analysis and reporting.
• The position demands a high level of self-direction, ownership, and the ability to manage complex projects with minimal supervision.
• Success requires fluency in both U.S. and Canadian benefits landscapes, coordination across cross-functional stakeholders, and consistent delivery against service-level expectations.
• The candidate must be capable of producing clear documentation, conducting thorough audits, and driving continuous process improvements in a rapidly scaling organization.