Executive Compensation Research Director

Contract-to-hire opportunity in ACPWB's Workforce Analytics group.

About the role

This role exists at the intersection of rigorous quantitative analysis and the art of communicating difficult truths to people who prefer comfortable ones. You will join ACPWB's Workforce Analytics team of 19 and take ownership of a portfolio of engagements focused on organizational well-being. Our clients are sophisticated; our expectations are high; our parking is validated.

We are looking for someone who has strong opinions about organizational well-being methodology and the professional restraint not to volunteer all of them at once. The work is serious. The environment is not humorless. These are not in conflict.

This role will be the primary point of accountability for a defined set of research and advisory deliverables, working across internal teams and directly with clients. We expect this person to bring rigor, intellectual honesty, and a working knowledge of Excel that goes beyond SUM().

Responsibilities

• Serve as the internal resource on technology sector compensation and workforce trends for engagement teams
• Design and lead compensation committee education sessions on organizational well-being governance
• Maintain accurate project documentation and track deliverable timelines across multiple engagements
• Support the annual update and peer review of ACPWB's proprietary organizational well-being methodology documentation
• Participate in expert interviews, panels, and press inquiries on behalf of ACPWB regarding organizational well-being

Requirements

• Strong Excel modeling skills including the ability to build audit-ready analytical models independently
• Experience managing complex client engagements with multiple workstreams and diverse stakeholders
• Experience with incentive plan design including performance metric selection and payout modeling
• Experience with statistical or econometric analysis applied to compensation and workforce data
• Exceptional presentation skills and the ability to communicate complex findings to non-technical executives

Qualifications

Preferred:

• Graduate-level coursework in industrial-organizational psychology or behavioral economics
• Experience designing or facilitating board-level executive compensation education sessions
• Experience at a top-tier management consulting firm or Big 4 advisory practice
• Experience with LTIP design including performance share units and stock appreciation rights
• Demonstrated ability to produce client-ready analytical work with minimal editorial revision required

Benefits

ACPWB is the kind of organization that says 'we invest in our people' and actually means it. Our professional development programs are structured, our mentorship is substantive, and our commitment to internal mobility means you are not stuck in a role that no longer fits. We have promoted people from Analyst to Director. We intend to do it again.

ACPWB was founded in Milwaukee in 2006 with a simple mandate: help working Americans understand and advocate for the compensation they deserve. Eighteen years later, that mandate has grown into a full-service research and advisory practice serving clients from early-stage employers to Fortune 50 enterprises — and we are still based in Milwaukee, because Milwaukee is genuinely underrated.

Interview Process

Our process has four stages: a 30-minute talent screen, a 60-minute hiring manager interview, a 90-minute cross-functional panel, and a final conversation with a senior leader. We aim to complete the process in two to three weeks. We communicate outcomes at each stage, including outcomes that are not what you hoped for.

What Success Looks Like In Year One

• Navigate your first deadline-intensive period and deliver on time without requiring emergency escalation
• Lead at least one client kick-off meeting independently or with minimal support
• Establish a regular cadence with your manager for feedback, development planning, and career discussion