Director, Compensation

Leads the strategy, design, governance, and execution of enterprise-wide compensation programs in a highly matrixed, complex organization. This role is responsible for end-to-end compensation operations, including annual pay planning, incentive programs, job architecture, market benchmarking, and compensation systems administration with a strong emphasis on Workday optimization and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Global Compensation Strategy
  • Lead the development and execution of enterprise compensation strategies aligned with business objectives, workforce planning, and talent priorities.
  • Direct all compensation operations and core programs, including annual merit planning, promotions, bonus administration, market pricing, salary structures, off-cycle compensation actions, M&A due-diligence, and harmonization.
  • Oversee enterprise-wide compensation governance to ensure consistency, scalability, competitiveness, and compliance across business units and functions.
  • Serve as the organization’s subject matter expert on compensation programs, including short-term incentive plans, recognition programs, and specialized compensation structures.
  • Partner with executive leadership and HR stakeholders to support compensation decision-making for key talent, critical roles, and organizational changes.
  • Support executive compensation processes and collaborate with senior leadership on compensation committee materials, analyses, and reporting as needed.
• Job Architecture & Organizational Effectiveness
  • Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing evolution of the company’s job architecture, leveling framework, and career progression models.
  • Ensure alignment between compensation structures, job families, career paths, and workforce planning initiatives.
  • Drive consistency and governance across job evaluations, leveling decisions, and organizational design changes in a highly matrixed environment.
  • Partner with Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partners, Total Rewards Partners, and business leaders to support competitive and equitable hiring and internal mobility practices.
• Compensation Operations & Systems
  • Own compensation systems strategy and administration with deep operational expertise in Workday compensation modules and related HR technologies.
  • Lead system configuration, process optimization, testing, reporting, and enhancements related to compensation programs and annual pay cycles.
  • Partner with HRIS, Finance, Payroll, and HR Systems teams to ensure data integrity, process efficiency, and scalable compensation operations.
  • Develop and maintain dashboards, analytics, and reporting capabilities to support business insights and compensation governance.
  • Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local pay regulations, pay transparency requirements, and audit standards.
• Market Intelligence & Analytics
  • Analyze market trends, industry benchmarks, and competitive pay practices to provide strategic recommendations to leadership.
  • Conduct complex compensation analyses to support workforce planning, retention strategies, pay equity initiatives, and business transformation efforts.
  • Translate data and insights into clear, actionable recommendations for senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
  • Lead compensation-related due diligence and integration support for mergers, acquisitions, and organizational restructuring initiatives.
• Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership
  • Build strong partnerships across HR, Finance, Legal, Talent Acquisition, and business leadership teams to drive effective compensation outcomes.
  • Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing compensation team, fostering operational excellence, strategic thinking, and strong internal client support.
  • Influence and drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups within a highly collaborative and matrixed enterprise environment.
  • Develop communication strategies and materials that help employees and leaders understand compensation programs and pay decisions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of related experience with extensive progressive compensation experience, including leadership responsibility within large, complex, highly matrixed organizations.
• Deep expertise in compensation operations, annual pay planning, job architecture, salary administration, and incentive programs.
• Strong experience leading compensation programs in enterprise environments with complex organizational structures and multiple business units.
• Hands-on experience administering and optimizing compensation processes within Workday.
• Demonstrated success leading compensation transformations, process improvements, and scalable program implementations.
• Experience supporting executive compensation processes and senior leadership decision-making.

Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with the ability to synthesize large data sets into strategic recommendations.
• Deep understanding of compensation regulations, market practices, and pay equity principles.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Proven ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, dynamic environments while managing competing priorities.
• Strong business acumen and ability to align compensation strategy with organizational objectives.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Advanced proficiency in compensation analytics, reporting tools (Microsoft Excel and Power BI).

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation.
• Experience within government contracting, defense, aerospace, engineering, or similarly complex regulated industries.
• Experience supporting geographically dispersed and hybrid workforces.
• Familiarity with compensation practices related to cleared talent populations and technical labor markets.

Pay

Pay Range $139,100.00 - $251,450.00. The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025.

Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave, and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.