Total Rewards Specialist

Pay Range: $75,000/yr. – $100,000/yr. based on experience and qualifications

The Total Rewards Specialist plays a key role in supporting a manufacturing workforce by designing, administering, and improving compensation and benefits programs that attract and retain skilled talent in a high-performance, operation-driven environment. This role partners closely with HR, business leaders Finance, and external vendors to ensure rewards programs are competitive, compliant, and aligned with business goals.

Please note, this is a hybrid position (3 days a week onsite) based in our Norwood, MA manufacturing facility.

Key Responsibilities

Compensation

• Administer hourly and salaried compensation programs, including job architecture, pay grades, incentive plans, and shift differentials.
• Conduct wage surveys, market pricing, and benchmarking for all positions across the organization, including skilled trades, production, engineering, leadership, and corporate roles.
• Support annual merit cycles, bonus programs, and plant incentive plans.
• Partner with HR and operations leaders on job evaluations, job leveling, and pay actions.
• Assist with wage and equity analysis across multiple sites or shifts.
• Ensure compliance with wage and hour laws, union contracts (as applicable), and internal pay policies.
• Prepare compensation dashboards and reports for leadership and operations review.

Benefits Administration

• Administer health, welfare, retirement, and leave programs for both hourly and salaried populations.
• Support open enrollment and ongoing employee education for benefits programs.
• Serve as the primary contact to employees and leadership for benefits questions, issue resolution, and escalations.
• Partner with benefits brokers and vendors to manage annual renewals, enrollment processes, and system updates.
• Maintain compliance with ERISA, COBRA, FMLA, ACA, AAP and applicable state and federal regulations.

Total Rewards Strategy & Operations

• Support the design and execution of plant-level reward strategies to improve retention and engagement.
• Develop clear communications explaining pay practices, benefits, and incentive programs to frontline employees.
• Support audits, data integrity, and reporting across systems (HRIS, payroll, benefits platforms).
• Recommend process improvements to enhance systems and processes accuracy, efficiency, and employee experience.
• Participate in labor cost analysis, budgeting, and forecasting for manufacturing operations.
• Collaborate with the EHS team to manage Workers’ Compensation claims, reporting, and compliance activities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in Compensation, Benefits, or Total Rewards, preferably in manufacturing or industrial settings.
• Strong understanding of wage structures, hourly compensation models, and manufacturing incentives.
• Experience supporting multi-shift or multi-site operations.
• Proficient with HRIS, workforce analytics tools, and Excel.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to effectively engage frontline employees and leadership.
• Strong ability to cultivate a collaborative team environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands and work environment described below are representative of those required to perform this job's essential functions.

• This position is primarily sedentary and requires the ability to sit for extended periods, work at a computer, and communicate effectively via phone, video conferencing, and email.
• Occasional travel to company locations.
• Must comply with all applicable workplace safety standards and regulations while working on-site or visiting company facilities.
• Ability to work remotely as assigned, including maintaining reliable high-speed internet access, a secure and productive home workspace, and availability during core business hours.
• Must be able to effectively use collaboration and communication tools (e.g., email, video conferencing platforms, HRIS) to remain connected and responsive while working remotely.