Head of Total Rewards

Job Description:

The Head of Total Rewards reports to the SVP, Head of Global HR and will build and lead the Total Rewards function during a period of rapid growth and operational scale. This is an opportunity to modernize TransMedics’ total rewards programs across compensation, executive compensation, and benefits, while partnering closely with the other parts of HR and the business to ensure scalable processes and strong Workday enablement.

This leader will serve as a critical advisor to the head of HR and executive leadership, owning enterprise-wide rewards strategy and governance and acting as a behind-the-scenes partner on compensation committee preparation, including executive compensation, equity guidelines, and proxy-related considerations. The role requires strong compensation fundamentals, comfort operating in ambiguity, and the ability to design fit-for-purpose solutions for a complex, fast-moving, and highly operational organization.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement clear, enterprise-wide total rewards programs aligned to TransMedics’ mission, growth trajectory, and operating model, balancing market competitiveness with strong cost and governance discipline
• Build and modernize foundational compensation architecture, including job leveling, salary structures, compensation grades, and market benchmarking, simplifying legacy complexity and creating scalable frameworks
• Establish clear compensation governance, decision rights, and approval processes for offers, promotions, equity grants, and adjustments across the organization
• Partner with the SVP, HR on executive compensation strategy and execution, including equity programs, executive pay design, benchmarking, burn-rate awareness, and preparation of compensation committee and proxy-related materials.
• Serve as a trusted behind-the-scenes advisor to the head of HR on board- and committee-facing compensation topics, ensuring accuracy, rigor, and readiness while operating with discretion
• Assess, design, and evolve incentive compensation programs, including sales incentives and role-specific plans, ensuring alignment with business outcomes and operational realities
• Develop fit-for-purpose compensation solutions for a highly complex workforce, including clinical teams, 24/7 operations and command center roles, pilots, and other specialized or regulated populations
• Provide oversight of benefits programs, ensuring competitiveness, compliance, scalability, and a strong employee experience, while managing vendor and broker relationships
• Partner closely with HR Operations and HRIS to ensure total rewards programs are effectively enabled in Workday, including clean job architecture, pay structures, and data integrity
• Build reporting and analytics capabilities to support compensation decisions, budgeting, workforce planning, and leadership transparency
• Evaluate existing total rewards talent, operating model, and vendors, upgrading capability as needed and building a high-performing team over time
• Support U.S.-centric programs while ensuring readiness for international expansion by rapidly adapting compensation and benefits practices to new geographies as the business evolves
• Operate with high ownership and pace in an ambiguous environment, anticipating issues, solving problems proactively, and delivering practical solutions that do not slow the business

Qualifications & Experience

• 12+ years of progressive experience in Total Rewards, Compensation, or related leadership roles, with a track record of operating at enterprise scale in high-growth, founder-led, or operationally complex organizations
• Deep expertise in compensation design, including job leveling, salary structures, market benchmarking, equity frameworks, and offer governance, with the ability to design systems from first principles rather than replicate prior-company models
• Hands-on experience supporting executive compensation in public or pre-public environments, including equity planning, burn-rate modeling, benchmarking, proxy-related processes, and preparation of compensation committee materials
• Proven ability to establish and enforce compensation governance, approval frameworks, and decision rights, particularly in environments where business leaders have historically driven pay decisions without centralized oversight
• Working knowledge of benefits strategy and administration, with experience setting direction, managing brokers and vendors, and ensuring programs are competitive, compliant, and scalable
• Ideally, has experience designing rewards for diverse populations such as field-based teams, hub-and-spoke models, 24/7 operations, regulated roles, or highly specialized workforces
• Strong analytical capability and executive presence, with the ability to influence senior leaders, challenge assumptions, and clearly articulate tradeoffs and risk
• Experience working with HRIS platforms, with the ability to partner with HR Operations to ensure clean enablement and data integrity

Leadership Attributes

• Builder mentality: energized by complex, high-impact environments and “white sheet of paper” opportunities.
• Practical, not theoretical: uses best practices but adapts them to the business reality.
• High ownership and pace: anticipates issues, solves problems, and doesn’t require heavy oversight.
• Credible partner: can coach leaders, establish decision rights, and raise the bar while maintaining trust.

As part of our long-term growth plans, TransMedics is excited to announce our plan to relocate our headquarters (HQ) to Somerville, MA by 2028. We chose this location because we believe it is a place where innovation will thrive. Our new state-of-the-art headquarters is designed to support collaboration, creativity, and discovery. We believe this will be a place where we can continue to do things few thought possible in organ transplantation to help patients. Specific timing and role impact may vary.

TransMedics, Inc. is a commercial-stage medical technology company transforming organ transplant therapy for patients worldwide. Our mission is to help save more patients’ lives by increasing access to viable donor organs for those who are awaiting an organ transplant. To accomplish this mission, we partner closely with transplant stakeholders worldwide and help expand their access to healthy donor organs, while delivering the highest quality technology, service, clinical care and outcomes. 

Driven by a passion for improving patient care, we make the impossible possible and keep our employees at the center of everything we do. Together, we strive to enhance the quality of life for transplant recipients and their families, fostering hope and healing in the journey toward better health. 

Maximize your potential at TransMedics, Inc. 

www.TransMedics.com 

TransMedics is committed to equitable and transparent compensation. The expected base salary range for this role is $198,100-$282,100, which represents the company’s current good-faith estimate of compensation for this position. Actual salary will depend on factors such as, but not limited to, candidate experience, qualifications, skills, and the specific work location. This role may also be eligible for bonuses, equity, and a comprehensive benefits package (medical, dental, vision, retirement savings, paid time off, and wellness resources). We comply with all U.S. pay transparency laws and do not request or consider salary history.

TransMedics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, marital status, age, disability or protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.