Executive Director, Total Rewards

About the role

We are seeking an Executive Director, Total Rewards to join our team. The role will be a key member of a highly collaborative HR team and will evolve, develop, and manage the execution of total compensation strategies and programs to align with near- and long-term business objectives, our culture and values, and are market competitive to enable Xenon to attract, reward, and retain top talent in the U.S. and Canada.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation and governance of competitive, integrated total rewards strategies (base, bonus, equity, recognition, benefits) to attract key talent, reward high performance, and support employee retention in Canada and the US
• Manage the base salary program including, but not limited to, budget and forecast (i.e. workforce planning, annual review), job design and matching, salary ranges (i.e. preparation and approval, maintenance, pay transparency, legal compliance), annual and promotion increase guidance, and metrics & analysis
• Lead and manage incentive compensation for non-Sales employees; collaborate on program design with Sales Management and Commercial HRBP for Sales employees; ensure incentive compensation plans are aligned with performance expectations; work with program lead for performance management to ensure robust and well-articulated program alignment
• Support the Executive Vice President, Human Resources in managing external compensation consultants and developing materials for the Compensation Committee and Board of Directors
• Review and provide input on various compensation governance reports, including, for example, proxy Compensation and Discussion Analysis, collaborating with Finance and Legal as required
• Lead and manage non-financial employee recognition programs in collaboration with HRBPs and HR Operations
• Lead and manage US benefits, including health related and 401(k), from design proposals supported by external advisors and industry benchmarking to contracting to employee communications to governance
• Oversee compensation details to enable accurate forecasting for the Annual Operating Plan and 5-year Plan financial data
• Collaborate with HRBPs in continued evolution of Xenon’s Career Framework, particularly as it relates to compensation philosophy and programs
• Collaborate with the HR systems and data team to review and recommend systems to streamline compensation and other reward programs in accordance with Company and HR systems roadmap
• Manage participation in a variety of compensation surveys in Canada and US
• Collaborate with HRBPs and other key functions, such as Finance, to create communication strategies for total rewards programs to foster employee and candidate understanding and appreciation of Xenon’s total compensation packages
• Develop strong relationships with leaders and internal partners, based on a high level of collaboration, transparency and agility to inform total rewards programs that align with business objectives
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge on life sciences compensation trends and governance; drive thought leadership to address current and emerging trends and challenges
• Develop and propose short- and long-term objectives for the function in accordance with overall Company strategies and plans
• Plan and manage budget proposals and approved budgets in accordance with the Company’s strategic and operating plans and Finance policies
• Recruit, lead, direct, develop, coach and evaluate direct reports, if any, in accordance with the Company’s Human Resource policies and practices
• Act in accordance with Company policies, including, for example, the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics and ensure policies are understood and followed by direct reports, if any

Qualifications

• At minimum a relevant undergraduate degree, including coursework in math, accounting, finance and/or law; MBA strongly preferred
• 15+ years of experience in progressive compensation/HR management roles in a public, multi-national company life sciences organizations experiencing rapid growth and change; experience in both pre-commercial and commercial companies strongly preferred; ideally experience preparing materials for and interacting with the Board and/or Compensation Committee
• Deep business acumen and understanding of how business strategy in biopharma affects total rewards
• Strong analytical and conceptual capability, problem solving, and business planning skills; ability to develop and successfully execute strategies at an organizational level
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including related to compensation context and employee messaging, to executive and non-executive audiences
• Ability to collaborate effectively and build relationships with key stakeholders
• Impeccable integrity, dependability, and a keen sense of urgency to achieve results
• Strong skills in Office software, HR and Finance systems and data