Director, Executive Compensation

About the role

The Director of Executive Compensation provides enterprise-level leadership for compensation strategy, governance, and execution across assigned business units and/or global functions, focused on executive roles. This role serves as a senior advisor to executive leadership, ensuring compensation programs align with business strategy, talent priorities, and external market dynamics. The Director leads the design, governance, and continuous evolution of global executive compensation programs, drives consistency and scalability across regions, and establishes decision frameworks for complex compensation matters.

Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the Director sets strategic direction, mentors and develops compensation talent, and represents the Compensation Center of Excellence (COE) in enterprise initiatives and executive forums. They proactively identify areas of opportunity and recommend creative solutions, leveraging specialized expertise in technical compensation programs at all organizational levels while using a consultative approach to counsel leaders.

Responsibilities

• Owns and governs enterprise executive compensation philosophy, frameworks, and decision guidelines, ensuring alignment with business strategy and talent objectives.
• Establishes governance models for base pay, incentive plans, and executive compensation decisions, including escalation and approval protocols.
• Partners with senior HR and Finance leaders to ensure compensation programs are financially sustainable, competitive, and compliant globally.
• Leads, coaches, and develops compensation team members; sets performance expectations and builds bench strength within the Compensation COE.
• Provides functional leadership across matrixed teams and regional/divisional partners to ensure consistent application of compensation practices globally.
• Provides counsel regarding the administration of executive reward programs aligned with global policies and practices.
• Oversees development of base pay programs and incentive harmonization in a global environment for executive roles.
• Serves as a strategic partner to HR and Divisional leaders on compensation strategy, executive pay decisions, and complex talent scenarios.
• Leads compensation support for senior leadership populations, including executive offers, retention strategies, and succession-related pay decisions.
• Leads the design, evaluation, and evolution of global base pay and incentive programs, including short-term and long-term incentive plans, ensuring continuous market competitiveness.
• Interprets complex market data and internal analytics to inform executive decision-making and enterprise trade-offs.
• Anticipates market and regulatory trends and proactively evolves executive compensation programs accordingly.
• Owns enterprise-level communication strategy for executive compensation programs, including executive messaging and change leadership.
• Influences outcomes through data-driven storytelling and strong executive presence.
• Proactively identifies compensation roadblocks or areas of opportunity and independently recommends solutions to complex problems using sophisticated analytics and judgment.
• Uses technical compensation professional knowledge to develop models, evaluate processes, and monitor trends.
• Assesses strategies needed to ensure executive compensation programs and tools are used effectively by client groups.
• Maintains rigor around the global career framework, evaluating and determining salary grades or market rates for executive job levels.
• Analyzes market data and uses it to make recommendations regarding compensation packages, policies, and programs.
• Partners with key divisional stakeholders, HR stakeholders, and the broader compensation COE globally to achieve compensation outcomes that attract and retain critical talent.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resource Management or related field, or equivalent.
• 12-15+ years of progressive compensation experience, including leadership of enterprise or global compensation programs, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience leading compensation teams or large-scale enterprise initiatives.
• Proven ability to influence executive-level stakeholders and drive decisions in ambiguous environments.
• Expertise in base pay and incentive compensation design and program management.
• Experience with market analysis and benchmarking.
• Compensation program communications and implementation.
• Ability to administer and provide guidance for executive and non-executive compensation programs.
• Knowledge of global compensation policies and programs.
• Compensation design experience for technology organizations.
• Strong technical and data analytics capability.
• Change management and policy implementation experience.
• Advanced compensation program comprehension, including technical knowledge of long-term incentive plans.
• Consulting skills, including negotiation, presentation, and education with senior leaders; ability to explain difficult or sensitive topics and build consensus.
• Compensation process improvement experience.
• Experience working in a shared services organization.
• Demonstrated ability to turn data and analytics into insights.
• Solves complex problems using sophisticated analytical thought to exercise judgment and identify innovative solutions.

Skills

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Experience with Human Resource Management Systems (Workday preferred).
• Demonstrates a compensation consultative approach with a focus on strong analytical, creative thinking, and interpretation skills.
• Develops complex analytics to ensure compensation programs support overall goals and initiatives.
• Leads compensation functional teams and projects.
• Knowledge of best practices and awareness of market differentiators.
• Compensation professional certification desirable.
• Strong knowledge of human resources regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Excellent mathematical and analytical skills.
• Team-oriented, cooperative, and flexible; demonstrated ability to collaboratively work with a wide range of people at all levels of a global organization.
• Works independently, with guidance in only the most complex situations.

Travel

5-10% travel required.

Pay

Compensation range: $165,400.00 - $295,600.00 USD. This role is eligible for a bonus. The range listed is based on the primary location of the position; actual base salary offers are influenced by factors including skills, experience, and hiring location.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) / Health Savings Accounts (HSA).
• Commuter Benefits.
• Tuition Assistance Plan.
• Vacation and Sick Time.
• Paid Parental Leave.