Director, Compensation

About the Role

We are seeking a hands‑on, strategic, and analytics‑driven Director of Compensation to lead enterprise‑wide compensation strategy, including base pay, equity, variable pay, bonuses, and ensuring programs support our diverse workforce.

In this leadership role you will own the end‑to‑end strategy across compensation elements, partnering with HR, Finance, Sales, Retail, Operations, Tech, and Executive Leadership to translate business objectives into measurable behaviors and outcomes. You will build differentiated reward frameworks that drive performance and retention across Tech, Sales, Retail, and Operations. You should bring deep experience in building and scaling compensation programs in complex organizations, with a track record of modernising reward structures to improve performance and retention. Experience with executive compensation design, public company environments, and governance frameworks is highly desirable. Familiarity with AI‑enabled tools to enhance compensation analytics is strongly preferred. You bring strong leadership, executive communication, and project management skills and thrive in a fast‑paced environment.

What You Get To Do Every Day

• Evaluate current‑state compensation programs, structures, and policies in a fast‑moving environment and evolving macro‑environment.
• Assess future‑state needs and recommend data‑driven enhancements enterprise‑wide.
• Partner with the VP of Total Rewards to own and evolve compensation strategy aligned with business priorities.
• Innovate and introduce AI tools and process approaches into the compensation department to increase productivity and outcomes.
• Lead compensation market analyses across the organization to ensure competitive pricing and internal equity.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to benchmark roles and design competitive total rewards packages.
• Lead the annual rewards cycle, including merit and promotion reviews, in close partnership with FP&A on budget modeling.
• Serve as a subject‑matter expert and consultant to business leaders on the company’s total rewards philosophy.

Minimum Requirements

• 7+ years of progressive compensation experience with increasing scope and responsibility, including leadership of enterprise compensation strategy and execution.
• Proven track record of designing, implementing, and scaling impactful compensation, incentive, and retention programs in high‑growth environments, particularly sales‑operations and retail organizations.
• Deep expertise in sales compensation design, incentive plan architecture, and performance‑based reward structures.
• Experience in executive compensation design and administration.
• Experience in public company environments, including compensation committee processes, governance frameworks, and regulatory considerations.
• Experience in high‑growth environments such as B2C, retail, or sales‑led B2B organizations.
• Strong project management skills to lead multiple complex, cross‑functional workstreams simultaneously.
• Strong analytical skills with expertise in data modeling, forecasting, and compensation metrics.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with ability to influence and align cross‑functional partners and executive leadership.
• Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment while managing multiple competing priorities.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and adapting quickly to changing business needs.
• Highly motivated self‑starter with a strong sense of urgency.
• Strong ability to develop and mentor talent.
• Ability to travel up to 10%.

Preferred Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
• Deep experience in sales compensation design, including incentive plan architecture and quota setting.
• Experience in executive compensation design and administration.
• Experience in public company environments, including governance and compensation committee processes.
• Experience in high‑growth environments such as B2C, retail, or sales‑led B2B organizations.

Compensation, Benefits, & Perks

The expected salary range for this role is $195,000.00–$235,000.00. Salary is one component of the total rewards package. Depending on the role, employees may also be eligible for a bonus program, incentive pay, and benefits.

The RealReal is committed to providing an equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or expression, or Veteran status. We will consider qualified applicants for a position regardless of arrest or conviction records. At TRR, People Come First. That is why diversity and inclusion are vital to our priorities as an equal‑opportunity employer.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job. The employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision. The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.