The Role

TripleLift is seeking a strategic, influential, and hands-on Senior Director, People Operations & Total Rewards to shape and lead our global rewards strategy while delivering seamless employee experiences across the organization. This executive-level leader will oversee and develop a high-performing People Operations team, setting clear expectations, driving accountability, and ensuring excellence in payroll, compensation, benefits, and compliance worldwide. As a trusted advisor to the CPO, CFO, and executive leadership team, this individual 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.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Team Development

Serve as a trusted advisor on compensation, benefits, and payroll strategies that enable business growth and employee engagement.Provide strategic direction and mentorship to the People Operations team, setting clear accountabilities, driving professional development, and ensuring operational excellence.Lead change management for global People Ops programs with clear communication, timely execution, and high adoption rates in a fast-paced environment.Ensure consistent, transparent messaging and effective information flow across all levels of the company.Ensure end-to-end data accuracy across all People systems, from role creation to off boarding, by establishing scalable processes and governance for reliable reporting and compliance.

Compensation & Total Rewards Strategy

Design, implement, and govern global compensation structures, including frameworks, pay band architecture as well as supporting equity programs and incentive plans.Partner with the CPO and CFO on compensation strategy, annual budgeting, and long-term incentive planning.Lead market benchmarking, pay equity analyses, and global compensation reviews to ensure competitiveness, fairness, and transparency.Prepare compensation insights and proposals for the executive team and, when applicable, the Board of Directors or Compensation Committee.Develop innovative recognition and rewards programs that reflect TripleLift’s values, culture, and business objectives.

Global Payroll & Compliance

Provide strategic leadership of the global payroll function, ensuring compliant, accurate, and timely payroll cycles across all countries.Oversee variable compensation cycles, including merit increases, promotions, bonus programs and assist in the payment of commissions.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.Establish and maintain governance frameworks, audits, and metrics that safeguard accuracy and ensure executive-level visibility into payroll performance.

Benefits Leadership

Support the strategy, design, and execution of comprehensive global benefits programs that are competitive, inclusive, and cost-effective.Provide subject matter expertise on U.S. benefits while guiding regional HR teams on localized benefits aligned to market and regulatory requirements.Lead vendor strategy and negotiations to optimize costs, performance, and employee experience.Serve as the escalation point for complex benefits issues, ensuring resolution with empathy and operational excellence.

Workforce Planning, Data & Systems

Oversee HRIS strategy and workforce data governance, ensuring accuracy, scalability, and compliance across all People systems.Deliver workforce analytics and forecasting that inform executive decision-making and long-term people strategy.Partner with Finance and the CPO on workforce planning, modeling, and budgeting for global headcount and total rewards.Maintain audit readiness across payroll, benefits, and employee practices while proactively identifying and mitigating compliance risks.

Global Mobility & Immigration

Oversee the company’s global immigration and mobility strategy, partnering with external counsel and internal stakeholders to ensure compliant, timely, and employee-focused experiences.Anticipate and advise on immigration policy changes, proactively communicating risks and opportunities to executive leadership.

Workplace Strategy

Lead the global workplace operations function, ensuring safe, efficient, and engaging work environments across all locations.Align workplace strategy with business needs, hybrid work models, and company culture while managing budgets and vendor relationships.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive experience in People Operations or Total Rewards, with at least 5 years in a leadership capacity.
• Deep knowledge of global payroll, benefits, and employment laws, practices and systems.
• Proven ability to lead and scale global People Operations teams in high-growth environments.
• Experience managing HR systems (e.g., ADP, HiBob, CultureAmp, or similar) and driving data accuracy and compliance.
• Strong project management and process design skills, particularly around building systems that scale with business growth.
• A collaborative, proactive, and detail-oriented approach with a passion for operational excellence and a bias to action.