Executive Compensation Director

Wolters Kluwer; Alphen aan den Rijn; On-site; EUR 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Wolters Kluwer in the Netherlands seeks a Director of Executive Compensation to lead enterprise-wide compensation strategy, governance, and execution for executive roles across the organization. You will advise senior leadership and ensure programs align with business strategy and market dynamics.

You will design and govern global executive compensation, drive consistency, mentor the COE team, and represent compensation in enterprise initiatives and executive forums, using analytics to inform

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR management or related field.
• 12–15+ years of progressive compensation experience.
• Experience leading enterprise/global compensation programs.
• Ability to influence executive-level stakeholders in ambiguous environments.
• Strong knowledge of long-term incentive plans and base pay programs.

Responsibilities

• Owns and governs executive compensation philosophy, frameworks, and decision guidelines.
• Establishes governance models for base pay, incentives, and decisions.
• Partners with HR and Finance to ensure sustainability, competitiveness, and compliance.
• Leads compensation team and develops talent within COE.
• Serves as strategic partner to executives on compensation strategy and decisions.
• Oversees development of base pay programs and incentive harmonization.

Skills

Executive leadership

Compensation strategy

Data analytics

Stakeholder management

Change management

Executive communication

Policy implementation

Market benchmarking

Consulting skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR Management or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Workday

Job description

The Director of Executive Compensation provides enterprise-level leadership for compensation strategy, governance, and execution across assigned business units and global functions, focused on executive roles across the organization. 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 COE in enterprise initiatives and executive forums. They will proactively identify areas of opportunity and recommend creative solutions. They will have significant specialized in-depth expertise and knowledge of technical compensation programs at all levels of the organization, while using a consultative approach to provide counsel to leaders both within the division and across the company. Works within the Compensation COE to standardize deliverables and analysis.

Essential Duties and 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 as appropriate.
• Oversees development of base pay programs and incentive harmonization in a global environment related to 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 creative 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 best 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, key HR stakeholders, and the broader compensation COE globally to achieve compensation outcomes that both attract and retain critical talent.

Job Qualifications

Education

Minimum: Bachelor's Degree in Human Resource Management or related field, or equivalent.

Experience

• Minimum Experience: 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.
• Base pay and incentive compensation design and program management.
• Market analysis and benchmarking.
• Compensation program communications and implementation.
• Experience administering and providing guidance for executive and non-executive compensation programs.
• Knowledgeable around global compensation policies and programs.
• Compensation design for technology organizations.
• Strong technical and data analytics capability.
• Change management and policy implementation.
• Advanced compensation program comprehension, including technical knowledge of long-term incentive plans.
• Consulting skills.
• Communication skills; negotiation, presentation, and education with most senior leaders; ability to explain difficult or sensitive topics; works to build consensus and influences outcomes.
• Compensation process improvement.
• 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.

Tools

• Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Human Resource Management System (Workday experience preferred).

Other Knowledge, Skills, Abilities or Certifications

Preferred:

• Demonstrates a compensation consultative approach with a focus on strong analytical, creative thinking, and interpretation skills.
• Develops complex analytics needed to best ensure compensation programs are supporting overall goals and initiatives.
• Leads compensation functional teams and projects.
• Has knowledge of best practices and is aware of the competition and 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 only in the most complex situations.