Vice President, Total Rewards

Summary

Join Upwork as the Vice President, Total Rewards and lead the global compensation, benefits, and rewards strategy. This high-impact role involves designing and executing programs to attract, retain, and engage top talent. You will collaborate with the executive team and compensation committee to shape executive compensation and foster a culture of fairness and innovation. This pivotal role ensures competitive, compliant, and aligned total rewards programs, empowering employees to thrive. You will oversee executive compensation, global benefits strategy, and ensure compliance with regulations. Lead and develop a high-performing team, fostering collaboration and excellence.

Requirements

• Extensive experience leading global total rewards programs, including compensation, benefits, and equity, ideally in a high-growth or technology company
• Proven expertise in executive compensation design, strategy, and administration, with experience presenting to Boards of Directors and Compensation Committees
• Strong understanding of market trends, regulatory requirements, and governance in executive and broad-based compensation
• Demonstrated success in building and implementing pay-for-performance strategies and incentive programs
• Deep analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to leverage data for strategic decision-making
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with experience influencing senior executives and Board members
• Experience managing and developing high-performing teams, fostering professional growth and engagement
• Passion for creating inclusive, equitable, and innovative rewards programs that support a diverse, remote-first workforce

Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a comprehensive global total rewards strategy, including compensation, benefits, equity, and recognition programs
• Oversee executive compensation, including the design and administration of base salary structures, annual and long-term incentive programs, and equity compensation
• Serve as the key partner to the Compensation Committee, preparing and delivering materials on executive compensation, pay-for-performance alignment, and total rewards governance
• Ensure Upwork’s rewards programs are competitive, equitable, and aligned with market trends and business objectives
• Lead the design and implementation of broad-based compensation programs, including salary structures, job leveling frameworks, and incentive plans
• Oversee global benefits strategy to enhance employee well-being and overall experience
• Drive data-driven decision-making through benchmarking, analytics, and insights on compensation, benefits, and workforce trends
• Support total rewards integration during mergers and acquisitions, including due diligence, compensation benchmarking, benefits harmonization, and retention planning
• Ensure compliance with all relevant global compensation and benefits regulations and governance best practices
• Partner with Finance, Legal, HR, and senior leadership to ensure alignment of total rewards programs with business and financial strategies
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering collaboration, innovation, and excellence

Benefits

• Annual bonus plan or sales incentive plan
• Eligibility to participate in our long term equity incentive program
• Development opportunities
• Mentorship
• Employee resource groups