Director, Compensation

About The Role

Director, Compensation (Total Rewards) — strategic partner and subject matter expert providing guidance on compensation strategy, program design, and execution; collaborate with HR Business Partners, Finance, Legal, and senior leadership to ensure compensation programs are competitive, equitable, understood, compliant, and aligned to business priorities.

Responsibilities

• Analyze compensation trends, internal equity, and pay positioning; provide actionable recommendations to senior leadership.
• Create executive-ready analyses, dashboards, and presentations for compensation and workforce strategy insights.
• Advise on job architecture, career progression frameworks, and organizational design.
• Plan and execute annual compensation cycles (merit increases, bonus planning, equity grant administration) with Finance and HR Operations.
• Ensure compliance with pay transparency, pay equity, and global compensation requirements; maintain policies/governance with Legal and Finance.
• Develop and deliver manager/HRBP training and communications on compensation philosophy and program design.
• Improve compensation processes via automation, analytics, and AI-enabled tools with People Operations and IT.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or related field.
• 10+ years progressive compensation experience designing/administering broad-based compensation programs and advising business leaders/HRBPs.

Additional / Preferred

• Experience with global compensation cycles (merit, bonus, promotion, equity).
• Strong analytical skills; can synthesize market/internal data into executive recommendations.
• Excellent communication/facilitation/influencing skills.
• Preferred: regulated industry (biotech/pharma/life sciences); global experience across North America, Europe, and APAC; pay transparency/pay equity governance knowledge; experience developing training for managers; proven coaching/development of compensation professionals.

Travel: 5–10% domestic.

Work mode: Hybrid; Bridgewater, NJ office; remote most of the time.