Lead Total Rewards Partner

About Airwallex Airwallex is the AI-native financial operating system for a real-time, intelligent economy. More than 676,000 businesses, including McLaren Racing, Qantas, SHEIN, and TikTok, use us, directly or through our platform partners, to run their financial operations or build and monetize financial products of their own. We started in Melbourne in 2015 to build the infrastructure global commerce runs on. We're the regulated backbone behind global payments: not by accident, but by design. A decade plus, 85+ licenses, and a financial infrastructure spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. We're co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, with more than 2,300 people across 27 offices. We hire builders with founder-level energy, people who move fast with good judgment, dig in with real curiosity, and make calls from first principles rather than waiting to be told what to do. Read our operating principles to see it in full. About the Team The People & Talent team at Airwallex is dedicated to attracting and developing the brightest and most ambitious minds to drive our company forward. We are a global, vibrant, and dynamic team with a focus on creating a positive and inclusive work environment that fosters growth and innovation. Through innovative programs, strategic People & Talent initiatives, and a deep understanding of our organization's needs, we cultivate a collaborative and engaging environment that fuels Airwallex's continued growth and success. What You'll Do You'll be the first Total Rewards lead based in the Americas, owning our Compensation, Benefits and Equity programs end to end across the US and Canada, Brazil and Mexico. You'll set the regional rewards agenda and lead its execution, while partnering with the global Total Rewards team to shape how our programs are designed and evolve worldwide. Airwallex is actively rebuilding and scaling its rewards programs, so this is a build role. You'll own the Americas compensation and benefits programs and cycles, ensuring our pay ranges and benefits offerings remain market-aligned, and serve as the senior Total Rewards voice for recruiters, managers, People Partners, and business leaders across the region. You'll work as part of a small, global team, partnering closely with colleagues in Singapore and China, with the opportunity to grow a team in the Americas as we scale. This role is based in San Francisco. Responsibilities: Own Americas compensation strategy and execution: salary structures, pay differentials, market positioning, merit and bonus cycles, and offer decisions on our most senior and complex hires. Own the benefits lifecycle: plan design and strategy, partnering with the local People Ops team on annual renewals, broker and carrier negotiations. Partner with the global rewards team to manage company equity plan mechanics and plan governance. Lead Total Rewards initiatives end to end across the Americas and globally: scope the work, build the plan, align stakeholders, and communicate decisions clearly to leadership and employees. Lead the Americas workstreams of our IPO readiness program, in partnership with the global team. Own regional governance and compliance, including pay equity and pay transparency requirements across US states and Canada, and statutory rewards obligations in Brazil and Mexico. Use market data and benchmarking to ground decisions, influence senior stakeholders when decisions misalign with strategy, and translate complex analysis into clear recommendations for executives and employees. Build rewards capability across the region: coach People Partners, recruiters and managers to make confident pay decisions, and hire and develop team members as the region grows. Partner cross-functionally with TA, People Partners, Payroll, Finance, Legal, and exec leadership on compensation, org design, systems, equity budgets, compliance, and strategy. Who You Are We're looking for people who meet the minimum requirement