Vice President, Total Rewards and HR Operations

Crinetics is a pharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California, developing much-needed therapies for people with endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors. We were founded by a dedicated team of scientists with the simple belief that better therapies developed from rigorous innovation can lead to better lives. Our work continues to make a real difference in the lives of patients. We have a prolific discovery engine and a robust preclinical and clinical development pipeline. We are driven by science with a patient-centric and team-oriented culture. Crinetics is known for its inclusive workplace culture. We are also a dog-friendly workplace. This is an exciting time to join Crinetics as we shape our organization into the world’s premier fully integrated endocrine company from discovery to patients. Join our team as we transform the lives of others. 

Position Summary: 

The Vice President, Total Rewards & HR Operations will strategically lead the Compensation, Benefits, and HR Operations functions within the Human Resources department. Reporting to the Chief Human Resources Officer, this role is accountable for evolving Crinetics’ total rewards philosophy and programs to support the company’s continued growth and increasing organizational complexity. This leader will serve as an internal subject matter expert for compensation, benefits, wellness, HR operations, and HR systems; drive scalable, compliant processes and controls; and build a high-performing team and operating model that deliver exceptional employee experience in a complex, multi-state environment. 

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities: 

These may include but are not limited to: 

Strategy & Governance 

• Lead all strategic global compensation, benefits and HR operations processes, including salary planning and administration, variable pay development and administration, benefits/wellness programs, annual benefits design/open enrollment, and HRIS/HR operations. 

• Create and implement functional strategic plans (3-5 years), associated budget and staffing for the Total Rewards & HR Operations functions. 

• Lead and develop a high-performing Total Rewards & HR Operations team. 

• Serve as a subject matter expert and trusted partner, owning the total rewards philosophy and approach. 

• Serve on HR Leadership Team and model leadership for HR function, acting as an enterprise leader across Crinetics 

Compensation, Executive & Equity Programs 

• Prepare materials for Board of Directors’ Compensation Committee meetings and participate as required in collaboration with Finance, Legal, Tax, and external advisors. 

• Develop executive offers and continually enhance the offer process in collaboration with Talent Acquisition for optimal effectiveness and efficiency in accordance with Total Rewards principles. 

• Promote pay equity and pay transparency initiatives to strengthen organizational trust and mitigate reputational risk.  

• Partner with Stock Administration and other internal partners to manage equity incentives and the Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), driving program effectiveness and enterprise-wide understanding. 

Benefits & Wellness 

• Lead the design, administration, vendor management, and compliance of U.S. and international benefits and wellness programs, ensuring cost effectiveness, compliance, and marketplace competitiveness. 

• Work in partnership with insurance consultants to ensure compliance with federal, state, and other regulatory agencies and to limit company exposure to liability associated with fiduciary responsibilities. 

• Remain current on benefits and employment law changes and trends; proactively recommend actions needed to comply with U.S. employment laws, governmental agency requirements, fiduciary requirements pertaining to U.S. benefit plans, and international benefits programs as applicable. 

HR Operations & HRIS 

• Own the HR Operations and HRIS roadmap, driving scalable, compliant processes, strong controls, and high data integrity across the employee lifecycle.  

• Lead the use of AI across HR systems to improve workforce planning, personalize rewards, and strengthen insights into engagement and turnover. 

• Implement AI/ML solutions to automate HR operations, improve data quality, and increase shared services efficiency. 

• Ensure HR operations and systems comply with legal requirements and organizational standards in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Policy, Compliance & Market Intelligence 

• Develop and implement policies that align with Crinetics’ people strategy and ensure total rewards programs are competitive with market practices and comply with federal and state laws. 

• Benchmark across all areas of total rewards to elevate understanding of current and future competitiveness; maintain market intelligence on pay transparency, internal equity, and emerging rewards practices. 

• Oversee development of communication materials and training to educate managers and employees on total rewards philosophies, programs, and value. 

• Facilitate required government reporting, non-discrimination testing, and required employee communications. 

• Other duties as assigned. 

Education and Experience: 

Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree, with 15+ years of progressive experience in compensation, equity, benefits, and HRIS (An equivalent combination of experience and education may be considered). 

• Minimum of 14 years’ experience managing and developing people. 

• Must have Life Science/Pharmaceutical industry experience. 

• Highly preferred to have worked at a fast-paced Biotech or Life Science organization, bringing credibility, energy and enthusiasm to the Human Resources function, founded in sound strategy and long-term success. 

• Experience managing HR systems (preferably Workday) and demonstrate process improvements and systems optimization. 

• Roll-up-your-sleeves mentality, as this is a senior leadership position but heavily involved in individual contributor work with a desire to build next level services. 

• Exceptional executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders and diverse stakeholder groups.  

• Experience overseeing self-funded and fully funded plans. 

• Experience leading compensation programs, utilizing market pricing, variable pay, job evaluation, and cost modeling. 

• Experience in high-growth environments with the ability to handle shifting priorities and multitasking with tight deadlines. 

• Strong business acumen, financially astute, and detail oriented. 

• Experience opening global entities and supporting all areas of HR Operations. 

• Experience working in public companies and SOX compliance. 

• Extensive experience with Microsoft Office Suite coupled with knowledge of executive compensation tools (i.e., Equilar and ISS) and financial tools (e.g., CAP IQ). Experience implementing Workday highly preferred. 

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with absolute discretion. 

Preferred: 

• SPHR or SHRM-SCP; Certified Comp Professional (CCP) preferred. 

Physical Demands and Work Environment: 

Physical Activities: On a continuous basis, sit at desk for a long period of time; intermittently answer telephone and write or use a keyboard to communicate through written means. Some walking and lifting up to 25 lbs. may be required. The noise level in the work environment is typically low to moderate. The physical demands described above are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and responsibilities. 

Travel: 

You may be required to travel for up to 10% of your time. 

Equal Opportunity Employer:  

Crinetics is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and/or expression), pregnancy, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, religion or similar philosophical beliefs, disability, marital and civil union status, age, genetic information, veteran status or any personal attribute or characteristic that is protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.