Total Rewards & HR Operations Leader

Total Rewards & HR Operations Leader

Location: Torrance, CA (corporate headquarters), on-site 3–4 days per week
Reports to: Chief Human Resources Officer
Compensation: $200,000–$225,000 base + 25% bonus + equity

About the Company

Our client is a highly profitable, fast-growing food manufacturer with approximately 2,500 employees , producing sushi in manufacturing facilities for some of the largest retail partners in North America, including Costco . With strong financial footing and demand that exceeds current production capacity , the company is positioned for significant growth .

Operations span corporate headquarters in Torrance, CA; Houston, TX; roughly 700 employees in Canada; and a presence in Australia , along with franchise operations that require HR oversight .

The company is centralizing HR and building the function largely from scratch under a newly hired CHRO . This is a rare opportunity to shape the people infrastructure of a profitable business at an inflection point.

The Opportunity

As the CHRO's right hand , the Total Rewards & HR Operations Leader will assess what exists today and build, from the ground up, every function they own : benefits, compensation, HRIS, and payroll. This leader will be the bridge between HR and the CFO and finance team , turning people data into insight for headcount planning, reporting, and people analytics .

This role is for a builder and creator who thrives in ambiguity and complexity and wants to design scalable systems that support high growth across multiple countries and business models.

What You'll Do

Total Rewards Strategy

• Build a unified total rewards strategy across U.S., Canadian, and Australian operations that supports growth, competitiveness, and cost discipline.
• Partner with the CHRO to evaluate current programs, identify gaps, and set a multi-year roadmap.

Benefits (expert level)

• Serve as the company's benefits subject-matter expert , overseeing health and welfare, retirement, leave, and wellbeing programs.
• Evaluate plan design, funding, broker and vendor relationships, and compliance across all locations and countries.
• Drive consolidation and optimization of benefit programs as HR centralizes.

Compensation

• Design and implement compensation structures , including job architecture, salary ranges, market pricing, and incentive plans.
• Lead merit and bonus cycles and ensure pay practices are equitable, compliant, and aligned with business goals.

HRIS & Systems

• Own the HR technology strategy. The company runs ADP across all sites, but under separate contracts , and this leader will consolidate and optimize those contracts or evaluate alternative platforms .
• Build an integrated HR data stack that connects HRIS, payroll, benefits, and finance systems.
• Explore opportunities for automation and AI-enabled tools to improve efficiency and employee experience.

Payroll Oversight

• Oversee the payroll team and processes across all entities and countries, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and scalability.
• Standardize payroll practices and controls as the organization centralizes.

People Analytics & Finance Partnership

• Partner closely with the CFO and finance team on headcount planning, labor cost modeling, budgeting, and reporting .
• Build people analytics capabilities that give leadership clear, reliable data for decision-making, including workforce metrics tied to manufacturing productivity and growth.

HR Operations & Franchise Oversight

• Build HR operations infrastructure (policies, processes, and service delivery) to support a centralized model.
• Provide total rewards and HR operations oversight for franchise operations .
• Lead and develop a team across benefits, compensation, HRIS, and payroll.

What You Bring

• 10+ years of progressive experience in total rewards and HR operations, including leadership of benefits, compensation, HRIS, and payroll.
• Expert-level benefits knowledge , including plan design, vendor management, funding strategies, and compliance.
• Strong financial acumen and comfort partnering with finance on budgets, forecasting, and cost modeling.
• Deep HR systems and data expertise : a strong understanding of data stacks and HR technology . ADP experience is highly preferred.
• Track record of building HR functions or programs from scratch in complex, ambiguous, high-growth environments .
• Experience with multi-country operations (U.S., Canada, Australia) is a strong plus.
• Experience in manufacturing, food production, or multi-site/franchise environments is a plus.
• Bachelor's degree required; CCP, CEBS, or related certifications preferred.

Why This Role

• Build a function from the ground up alongside a new CHRO, with executive visibility and direct partnership with finance.
• Join a profitable company with real growth ahead , backed by major retail partnerships.
• Competitive package: $200K–$225K base, 25% bonus, and equity.