# Director, People Operations & Total Rewards

**Company:** [Formation Bio](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/formation-bio)
**Location:** New York, NY, Boston, MA
**Role:** People Ops
**Salary:** $186k – $267k/yr
**Experience:** 8+ years
**Skills:** People Operations, Total Rewards, Compensation Strategy, Equity Programs, Benefits Design, AI Automation, Performance Management, Compliance, Vendor Management, Talent Management
**Posted:** 2026-05-18

> Lead compensation strategy, benefits design, and people operations infrastructure for an AI-driven pharma company. Own total rewards frameworks, performance processes, and scalable AI-native systems while partnering cross-functionally.

## Job Description

## People Operations Excellence
- Drive AI-native operations across the people function - identifying opportunities to leverage technology while maintaining the human elements of our work
- Ensure compliance and evolve our people processes to ensure they are fit for purpose as the business scales
- Lead cross-functional processes and partner with internal stakeholders including Legal, Finance, Tech Ops, and Quality Assurance
- Serve as escalation point for complex operational issues, benefits decisions, and compensation situations
- Manage external vendor relationships and consultant partnerships

## Total Rewards Strategy & Execution
- Own compensation strategy and execution for Formation's unique business model, including framework design, market positioning, and equity programs
- Lead benefits strategy, vendor selection, and plan design; ensuring our total rewards package is competitive and supports our culture and business needs
- Own cyclical compensation reviews end-to-end
- Partner on complex offer negotiations and provide market intelligence and competitive positioning recommendations

## Program Design & Strategic Execution
- Elevate and own our annual performance, promotion and compensation review process to ensure quality, consistency, and scalability as we grow
- Partner with Director, People Business Partner on program execution and continuous improvement
- Anticipate program needs based on business growth and evolution

## About You
- 8+ years of experience in people operations, total rewards, and/or HR leadership roles
- Deep compensation expertise - you've designed frameworks, led market analysis, structured equity programs, and can think strategically about total rewards in complex or unique business models
- Proven track record implementing AI and automation - you have concrete results in people operations, not just enthusiasm, and a strong vision for where an AI-native function can go
- Strong operational background - you've owned people systems, benefits, compliance, and built scalable people operations infrastructure
- Experience designing and scaling talent management programs - you know how to balance quality with operational efficiency
- Ability to make independent, complex decisions - you evaluate tradeoffs with a company-wide perspective and anticipate long-term implications
- Strong ownership mentality and high accountability - you take full responsibility for outcomes and drive work to completion
- People management experience - you've developed and elevated individuals and teams, and care deeply about career development
- Strong cross-functional partnership skills - you build excellent relationships with internal teams and external vendors
- Comfortable working in fast-paced, high-growth environments - you can be both strategic and hands-on
- Experience in biotech, pharma, or other technical/regulated industries is a plus but not required

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