Director, Total Rewards
Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE : ESRT) is a NYC-focused REIT that owns and operates a portfolio of well-leased, top of tier, modernized, amenitized, and well-located office, retail, and multifamily assets. ESRT's flagship Empire State Building, the "World's Most Famous Building," features its iconic Observatory, ranked the #1 Top Attraction in New York City for the fourth consecutive year in Tripadvisor's 2025 Travelers' Choice Awards : Best of the Best Things to Do. The Company is a recognized leader in energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality. As of June 30, 2025, ESRT's portfolio is comprised of approximately 7.8 million rentable square feet of office space, 0.8 million rentable square feet of retail space and 743 residential units.
The dedicated team at ESRT is a collection of diverse individuals with a shared passion for excellence and a keen eye toward future growth. Headquartered in New York City, we harness the energy of the city in everything we do. We care for one another, work hard, and have a lot of fun doing it! We are Certified as a Great Place to Work by the global authority, Great Place to Work, on workplace culture, employee experience, and leadership behaviors. We prioritize and invest in the health and wellness of employees to attract, develop, and retain top-tier talent. ESRT values continuous employee development and encourages colleagues to excel in their roles and adapt to emerging business needs. From our crown jewel, The Empire State Building, to incredible buildings modernized for the 21st century, to outstanding customer service, and our decade-long leadership position in sustainability and energy efficient portfolio that is 100% fully powered by renewable wind electricity, we take pride in our work. ESRT seeks an equally passionate colleague to join the team, understand the vision and help achieve that vision.
Responsibilities
- Lead payroll operations and administration to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and compliance
- Maintain oversight of the Company's 401K plan including vendor assessment, negotiations, and regulatory matters
- Ensure accurate budgeting and recording of compensation related costs and review the recurring monthly compensation accounting entries posted by Corporate Accounting
- Maintain organized database of all aspects of compensation (history of salary, bonus, equity grants) and ensure accurate record-keeping (including all offer letters, grant documents)
- Execute annual and mid-year compensation processes in partnership with SVP, HR Strategy & Operations
- Ability to lead successful transition to new Total Rewards / HRIS system
- Direct all aspects of benefits strategy and administration, including health and wellness programs and retirement plans
- Manage the process to obtain, process, and communicate annual compensation (Cash / Equity) updates including valuation of equity awards
- Develop compensation budgets, forecast spend and build a process to ensure our annual and mid-year changes fall within budget and are aligned to business goals; Prepare and document thoughtful analysis to summarize variances against budgets and forecasts to aid in decision making
- Work closely with the HR department to ensure accurate budgeting and recording of compensation related costs and prepare the recurring monthly compensation accounting entries
- Oversee and execute pay equity analysis with outside vendors as needed
- Ensure compliance with global regulatory requirements (e.g., ERISA, GDPR, WARN, TUPE)
- Partner with IT and cross-functional stakeholders to maximize the use of HRIS, analytics tools, and automation technologies
- Drive continuous improvement and transformation initiatives across HR, enabling greater transparency, consistency, and efficiency
What Success Looks Like
Seamlessly integrate into our existing payroll and benefits processes, with an intent to enhance efficiency and ensure complianceEmployee engagement and customer service is at the forefront of our culture and must be modeled in this departmentAnticipate future trends and align programs with long-term organizational goalsCollaboration is needed to build trust and alignment across teams and with employeesDeliver scalable, compliant, and efficient HR solutionsRequired Skills / Abilities
Experience with Union employee payroll is required; Experience with SEIU Local 32BJ, IUOE Local 94, and IUOE Local 30 preferredExtensive experience with HRIS / Payroll systems; ADP Workforce Now preferredPractical experience with financial analysisStrong communication, leadership, and collaboration skillsProficient in accounting systems (preferably Yardi Voyager)Strong skills in Excel and Microsoft OfficeExecutive compensation experience preferredCCP (Certified Compensation Professional) certification a strong assetExperience with process automation software such as Alteryx and / or Power BI highly preferredEducation & Experience
Minimum of 10 years of professional experience working in an organization with exposure to multiple departments, service line leaders and teamsMinimum of 6 years of experience with payroll management and compensationMinimum of 6 years in a supervisory roleBachelors degree required; MBA is a plusPhysical Requirements
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computerMust be able to lift up to 15 pounds at timesWhat You Can Expect
At ESRT, like our tenants, our employees come from everywhere. We foster a collaborative work environment that captures top talent and cultivates the best ideas. As a Great Place to Work Certified employer, we are committed to maintaining our positive work culture where employees are engaged and can grow and develop. In addition, ESRT employees embody our Company Culture & Success Factors :Adaptable you are a self-starter who's able to quickly digest and execute new processes to work both collaboratively and independentlyDynamic you are solutions-oriented, aim to improve processes and implement efficiency, and offer insightful feedback to improve ESRTDependable you take a strong sense of ownership and accountability over your workPassionate you keep up with industry trends and are excited about the potential to propel the industry forward with a "roll-up-your-sleeves" attitudeCurious you consistently look for new ways to work smarter, not just harderEthical you treat others with respect, act with integrity in how you perform your work, and embrace our collaborative culturePositive you possess a service-oriented attitude with excellent follow throughBenefits
Competitive base salary and bonusHealth / Dental / Vision insuranceCompany sponsored Life, AD&D, STD (with Salary Continuation), and LTD InsuranceVoluntary Enhanced LTD ProgramVoluntary Hospital, Accident, and Cancer Programs401(k) with 100% match up to 5%Paid parental leavePre-tax transit accountsEmployee Assistance Program for emotional, financial, and legal supportWell-Being
Generous paid time offFlex remote work timeFlex Summer FridaysEmployee engagement programsVolunteer time offContinuing educationComplimentary Empire State Building Observatory accessComplimentary gym membership and other wellness benefitsEmployee Discount Programs$175,000 - $190,000 a year
Salary is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, job location, size of property where applicable, and / or certifications. In addition to your base salary, ESRT provides discretionary annual bonuses.
ESRT is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We celebrate the unique