Associate Director, HR Operations & Rewards

Position: Associate Director, HR Operations & Total Rewards
Ocular Therapeutix, Inc. (NASDAQ:OCUL) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the formulation, development, and commercialization of innovative therapies for diseases and conditions of the eye using its proprietary bioresorbable hydrogel-based formulation technology, ELUTYX. Ocular Therapeutix has built a robust product pipeline of drug delivery solutions developed to reduce the complexity and burden of the current standard of care and position itself to become a leader in the ophthalmic space.

Outside of the ophthalmic realm and behind the doors of our headquarters in Bedford, MA, we strive to build a strong culture where employees can flourish and achieve their career goals. We encourage out of the box thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and creativity.

Position Summary:

The Associate Director, HR Operations & Total Rewards leads scalable HR operations and total rewards programs that advance the company’s growth, talent strategy, and employee experience. This hands-on role oversees compensation, benefits, HR systems, employee lifecycle processes, policy administration, compliance, and workforce reporting. The position partners with HR and business leaders to deliver competitive, efficient, data-driven programs aligned with organizational priorities.

This role reports to the SVP, Head of Human Resources. Principal Duties and Responsibilities include the following:

HR Operations and Employee Lifecycle:
Lead and improve core employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, employee changes, offboarding, HR documentation, policy administration, and employee data management. Direct the operational delivery of recurring HR programs, including compensation cycles, performance management, and talent processes. Coordinate communications, timelines, tools, data preparation, reporting, and issue resolution with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Finance, Legal, and HR leadership.

Compensation and Total Rewards:
Lead the design, implementation, and governance of integrated total rewards strategies, including base pay, bonuses, equity, and recognition programs, to attract and retain talent and reward high performance.

Benefits and Leave Administration:
Lead the administration and enhancement of health, welfare, retirement, and leave programs. Manage relationships with benefit providers, brokers, consultants, and third-party vendors, and support annual renewals, budgeting, forecasting, and cost-management initiatives.

HR Systems, Data, and Analytics:
Oversee HR data governance, reporting, dashboards, survey submissions, and system enhancements to strengthen data accuracy, automate recurring processes, and provide leaders with reliable workforce insights.

People Management:
Manage, coach, and develop one direct report by setting clear priorities, reinforcing accountability, and supporting professional growth.

Hybrid Work Model:
Support team collaboration by working in the office two to three days per week.

Qualification Requirements:

Education:

Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, finance, organizational development, or a related field required.

Experience:

At least 10 years of progressive HR experience, with significant responsibility for HR operations, compensation, benefits, and total rewards.

Experience supporting a fast-growing biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life sciences, or similarly regulated organization

Demonstrated experience managing compensation programs, including salary structures, annual cycles, market benchmarking, and job architecture.

Hands-on experience administering benefits, open enrollment, leave programs, wellness initiatives, and vendor relationships.

Advanced proficiency with ADP, Radford, Microsoft 365, benefits integrations, data analytics, reporting, and dashboard development.

Demonstrated people-management experience, including coaching, development, and performance accountability.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

Total Rewards Expertise:
Deep knowledge of total rewards strategy, compensation design, benefits administration, and HR operations best practices.

HR Compliance:
Strong knowledge of employment laws, regulatory requirements, and HR compliance practices.

Analytical Capability:
Strong quantitative skills and the ability to interpret market data, workforce metrics, and compensation analyses.

Project Execution:
Excellent project-management and organizational skills, with the ability to balance competing priorities and deliver on schedule.

Process Improvement:
Strong…