Senior Manager, Compensation – Tech

Position Summary

The Senior Manager, Compensation – Tech is a strategic people leader responsible for designing, executing, and governing compensation programs that support GM’s technology-focused businesses (e.g., Software & Services, Autonomous/AV, Cybersecurity, Data & AI). This role combines deep compensation expertise with strong business partnership and analytics to drive competitive, equitable, and scalable pay practices in a rapidly evolving tech talent market. This leader will manage and develop a small team (2–4) of compensation professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. They will be a key advisor to senior HR and business leaders on tech talent market dynamics, pay positioning, and program design.

Key Responsibilities

• Tech Compensation Strategy & Design
  • Lead and/or support the design and ongoing refinement of compensation structures and programs that support GM’s technology organizations, including base salary, cash incentives, and equity programs.
  • Translate business and talent strategies for Software & Services, AV/Autonomous, Cybersecurity, and related tech domains into clear compensation frameworks and guidelines.
  • Partner with HRBPs, Talent Acquisition, and business leaders to define proactive compensation strategies for critical tech roles and premium job families (e.g., AI/ML, software engineering, cybersecurity, data & analytics).
  • Support the evolution of job architecture and leveling for tech roles in alignment with enterprise frameworks, ensuring clarity, consistency, and scalability.
• Analytics, Insights & Market Intelligence
  • Lead in-depth compensation and workforce analytics to inform decisions on hiring, retention, promotions, market adjustments, and program design.
  • Build scenario models and cost/impact analyses for proposed changes (e.g., market adjustments, range updates, new incentive plans, retention strategies).
  • Leverage survey data and internal analytics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities in pay practices across key tech markets and geos.
  • Provide clear, executive-ready insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders, simplifying complex analyses into actionable narratives.
• Benchmarking & External Market Positioning
  • Own and/or support the benchmarking and market-pricing strategy for key tech roles, including survey participation, matching, and interpretation of results for relevant geographies.
  • Maintain a deep understanding of tech talent market dynamics (e.g., Bay Area, Austin, remote tech hubs), including pay practices, equity participation, and premium skill segments.
  • Ensure GM’s compensation programs for tech roles are competitive, equitable, and aligned with both internal peers and external market benchmarks.
• Governance, Compliance & Executive Interfaces
  • Ensure compensation recommendations and program designs comply with internal governance (e.g., DOA, ECC guidelines) and relevant legal/regulatory requirements.
  • Contribute to materials for Executive Compensation Committee, senior leadership, and Board reporting related to tech compensation topics as needed.
  • Partner closely with Legal, Finance, and HR operations to ensure audit readiness, data integrity, and disciplined execution of compensation programs.
• People Leadership & Team Development
  • Lead, coach, and develop a small team (2–4) of compensation professionals, building deep technical and consulting capability within the team.
  • Set clear priorities, manage workload, and remove obstacles so the team can deliver high-quality, timely support to stakeholders.
  • Create an inclusive, high-performance culture that emphasizes learning, experimentation, continuous improvement, and strong partnership with HR and business leaders.
  • Role-model GM Behaviors, with a strong focus on collaboration, courage, customer-centricity, and innovation.

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of progressive experience in compensation, with at least 3 years in a leadership or senior advisory role; experience supporting technology organizations (e.g., software, digital, data/AI, cybersecurity, AV) strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing compensation programs for tech talent, including base, incentives, and equity.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel and experience with HRIS and data visualization/BI tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Deep knowledge of compensation survey methodologies and market pricing tools (e.g., Radford, Mercer, WTW) and experience with tech market benchmarking across multiple geographies.
• Proven track record influencing senior leaders with data-driven insights, clear recommendations, and strong storytelling.
• Experience managing and developing a team of compensation professionals (2–4+), including workload management, coaching, and performance development.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Finance, Economics, Business, or related field.

Preferred Attributes

• Strategic, systems-level thinker with strong business acumen and the ability to connect compensation strategy to GM’s tech and enterprise priorities.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and high-change environments; able to simplify complexity and drive clarity.
• Passion for data-driven decision-making, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborative, inclusive leadership style that builds strong partnerships across HR, Finance, Legal, and technology organizations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create executive-ready materials and facilitate complex discussions with senior stakeholders.

Pay

The salary range for this role is $201,100 - 283,200.

Schedule

This role is based remotely, but if the selected candidate lives within a specific mile radius of a GM hub, they will be expected to report to the location three times a week (or other frequency dictated by your manager).