Director, Total Rewards

1 big thing: Axios is seeking a strategic, execution-focused Director of Total Rewards to design and lead a competitive, scalable, and mission-aligned total rewards strategy that supports our growth and empowers our people to do their best work. 

Why it matters: At Axios, people are our product. A thoughtful, data-driven total rewards program helps us attract, retain, and motivate top talent—while reinforcing our values, culture, and commitment to fairness. This role will shape how we reward performance, support well-being, and invest in our teams as Axios continues to grow.

Go deeper: This role sits on our People Operations team alongside employee experience and compliance. It reports to the Senior Director of People Operations and manages one direct report. Responsibilities include:  

Total Rewards Strategy 

• Evaluate current-state compensation and benefits programs against future-state needs and recommend data-driven enhancements.
• Own and evolve our compensation and benefits strategy in alignment with business priorities. 
• Conduct compensation market analyses across the organization to ensure competitive market pricing and internal equity, informing compensation and benefits decisions.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to benchmark roles and design competitive total rewards packages.
• Lead the annual rewards cycle, including merit and promotion reviews, in close partnership with FP&A on budget modeling.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and consultant to business leaders on the company's total rewards philosophy. 

Benefits Management

• Lead annual benefits renewals and budget modeling to provide Finance with the accurate data needed for informed decision-making.
• Own open enrollment strategy and execution, including communications, presentations, and employee support (office hours and enrollment sessions).
• Manage benefits vendors and broker relationships, including evaluation and ongoing performance.
• Design and launch a holistic wellness program that supports employee well-being, engagement, and retention.

Cross-functional Partnership & Leadership

• Serve as a trusted partner to leadership and stakeholders across Finance, Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, and Newsroom leadership to ensure seamless experiences. 
• Facilitate presentations and training across total rewards, including annual open enrollment and rewards cycle, such as merit and promotion reviews.
• Foster a collaborative culture that emphasizes innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Lead, coach, and develop one direct report while fostering a collaborative, high-performing team culture.

Process Optimization & Operations

• Leverage data, analytics, AI, and automation to improve and optimize total rewards processes, scalability, and tools.
• Continuously assess processes and programs to identify opportunities to enhance total rewards initiatives and evolve the total rewards program. 
• Lead planning and execution for multiple total rewards initiatives, ensuring clear communication and timely delivery.

The details: Ideal candidates will demonstrate most of the following:

• 8+ years of compensation and benefits experience, specifically in digital media/news industry 
• Comprehensive knowledge of compensation and benefits plan design and administration
• Experience with HRIS systems (e.g. Workday) and advanced proficiency in Excel and Google Sheets (e.g. pivot tables, vlookup) for compensation and benefits budget modeling 
• Familiarity with compensation benchmarking surveys (e.g. Croners, Comp Analyst) and related compensation and benefits tools 
• Strong analytical and detail oriented approach ensuring accuracy in compensation and benefits data and reporting.
• Understanding of monetary rewards and non-monetary recognition as methods to promote employee engagement and retention.
• Strong project management skills, with experience delivering total rewards initiatives from concept to execution.
• A collaborative, cross-functional mindset and the ability to influence leaders and navigate ambiguity.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and the ability to build relationships across all levels of the organization.
• Experience managing benefits plans and have prior experience with self-funded benefit plans and broad vendor selection
• Strategic, execution-oriented leader with high EQ and accountability, comfortable managing time-sensitive requests in a fast-paced environment.

​​Starting salary for this role is in the range of $130,000 - $160,000 and is dependent on numerous factors, including but not limited to location, work experience, and skills. This range does not include other compensation benefits. Axios' compensation philosophy takes into account the cost of labor differentials across the country. Because this is a remote-optional job posting, this salary range takes into account all possible locations within the United States, but candidates will only be eligible for the salary range for their location.

Axios is committed to embracing artificial intelligence as a core part of how we work. All team members are expected to actively develop AI literacy and use AI tools to enhance their productivity, creativity, and efficiency. We invest in ongoing learning to ensure every employee is equipped to responsibly and effectively integrate AI into their daily workflows.

What Axios brings to the table besides salary:

• 401(k) with employer match
• Robust PPO and High Deductible health insurance options on the Blue Cross Blue Shield network
• Employer Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution for the high deductible health plan option
• Dental and vision coverage
• Primary caregiver 12-week paid leave
• Generous vacation policy, plus holidays
• One mental health day per quarter
• Annual learning and development stipend
• $100 monthly work-from-home stipend
• Tele-mental health services through Headspace
• OneMedical membership, including telehealth services
• Personal health advocacy resources through HealthAdvocate
• Inclusive fertility, hormonal health, and family-forming benefits through Carrot Fertility
• Access to the Axios “Family Fund”, which was created to allow employees to request financial support when facing financial hardship or emergencies
• Increased work flexibility for parents and caretakers
• Virtual company-sponsored social events
• A strong and positive work environment
• A commitment to an open, inclusive, and diverse work culture

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Axios is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Axios makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.