Sr. Director, People Operations & Rewards

Position: Sr. Director, People Operations & Total Rewards
About Betterment

Betterment is a leading, technology-driven financial services company that offers investing and retirement solutions for retail investors and investment advisors as well as financial wellness solutions, including a 401(k) for small and medium-sized businesses. Our team is passionate about our mission: making people’s lives better. We’re headquartered in NYC and offer hybrid NY-based positions (Four days/ week in-office).

About the role

As Senior Director of People Operations & Total Rewards, you’ll shape and execute a holistic compensation strategy that’s both strategic and operational. You’ll lead all aspects of People Operations & Total Rewards (e.g., compensation, equity, payroll, benefits, and related-HR systems), ensuring programs are data-driven, competitive, and aligned with our company mission. As a trusted advisor to the CPO, CFO, and executive leadership team, you will play a critical role in designing and executing total rewards strategies that attract, retain, and motivate talent, while ensuring scalability, compliance, and financial discipline.

You’ll act as both architect and operator: designing scalable frameworks while staying close to the details that make them work.

This role is based out of our NYC office. For jobs based out of our NYC HQ, we require in office attendance Monday through Thursday, weekly. Below we've reflected the base salary range we would offer for this position. Actual salaries may vary depending on factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Betterment’s total compensation package for employees.

• New York City: $200,000 - $225,000

We offer a competitive equity package, health, dental and vision benefits, life and AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance, EAP, commuter and parking benefits FSA/HSA, and 401(k) with employer match as well as a flexible PTO policy. This job may also be eligible for variable compensation in the form of a company incentive bonus. For jobs based out of our NYC HQ, we require in office attendance Monday through Thursday, weekly.

A day in the life

• Design, implement, and govern compensation structures, including frameworks, pay band architecture as well as supporting equity programs and incentive plans

• Lead market benchmarking, pay equity analyses, and compensation reviews to ensure competitiveness, fairness, and transparency

• Partner with the CPO and CFO on compensation strategy, annual budgeting, and long-term incentive planning

• Collaborate with the Finance team to align policies and reporting across functions, as well as forecast compensation costs in support of workforce planning

• Manage and continuously improve benefits programs and ensure compliance with employment and benefits regulations (ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, FLSA, and others)

• Cultivate strong relationships with benefits providers, brokers, and HR technology vendors to optimize cost, service, and employee experience

• Lead the payroll function, ensuring compliant, accurate, and timely payroll cycles

• Partner cross-functionally with Finance, Legal, and external vendors to ensure compliance with complex tax and employment laws, while continuously improving payroll systems and processes

• Own HRIS and people data infrastructure-ensuring accuracy, reporting, and actionable analytics

• Drive operational excellence across People Operations, ensuring smooth execution of payroll, onboarding/offboarding, and compliance practices

What we’re looking for

• 10+ years of progressive experience in People Operations and Total Rewards, with at least 5 years in a leadership capacity

• Deep knowledge of payroll, benefits, and employment laws, practices and systems

• Proven ability to lead People Operations teams in high-growth environments

• Experience managing HR systems (e.g., ADP, Pave, Culture Amp, Lattice, Greenhouse) and driving data accuracy and compliance

• Strong project management and process design skills, particularly around building systems that scale with business growth (including IPO readiness)

• A collaborative, proactive, and detail-oriented approach with a passion for operational…