Compensation & Benefits Specialist

Polestar; Göteborgs kommun; Hybrid; SEK 450,000 - 650,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Polestar is seeking a Compensation & Benefits Specialist for a 14-month fixed-term contract at our Gothenburg Global Headquarters. The role combines strategic design with hands-on delivery, covering Pay Transparency, Pay Equity, Job Architecture, and incentives across markets.

You will partner with HR and leaders to attract, retain and motivate talent in a global, fast-paced environment. The position supports both Sweden-specific topics and global projects, including mobility, policy

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, Finance, or related field.
• At least three years of experience in Compensation & Benefits, preferably in a specialist role.
• Strong knowledge of compensation frameworks, benefits programs, market benchmarking, and reward processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead Pay Transparency and Pay Equity initiatives.
• Develop and maintain Job Architecture, including salary ranges and role calibration.
• Provide guidance in Compensation & Benefits for managers and employees.
• Drive local and global C&B projects, including international assignments and policy updates.
• Support Global Mobility processes and payroll coordination.
• Analyze gender pay gap and ensure compliant practices.
• Participate in merit review activities and data preparation.

Skills

Analytical mindset

Strong communication

Cross-cultural collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business/Finance or related field

Tools

Workday

Advanced Excel

Compensation analytics tools

Job description

The opportunity

We're currently looking for a Compensation & Benefits Specialist for a 14-month fixed-term contract, covering parental leave. If you're driven by making a real impact, take pride in providing high-quality support, and thrive on creating value for the business, this could be your next step. You’ll be part of a small, agile team and report to the Global Head of Compensation & Benefits. The team plays an important role in shaping fair, competitive, and compliant reward practices across Polestar. From merit review and bonus processes to pay transparency and pay equity, job architecture, job evaluation, incentive programs, international assignments, and benefits governance, the team partners closely with HR and both internal and external stakeholders.

This position is located at our Global Headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden. We embrace a hybrid working model, recognizing the value of both in-person collaboration and focused remote work. What matters most is having the time, tools, trust, and support to get things done, and to enjoy doing them.

The responsibilities

In this role, you'll be a part of driving important Compensation & Benefits initiatives, including Pay Transparency, Pay Equity, Job Architecture, and the global Merit Review process. You'll be a trusted partner to HR and business leaders on all Compensation & Benefits matters, helping us design and deliver practices that support the attraction, retention, and motivation of talent across markets. You'll work on both Sweden-specific topics and global projects, combining strategic initiatives with hands‑on operational delivery. See below for a more thorough breakdown of the various tasks and areas you'll be responsible for:

• Lead initiatives related to Pay Transparency and Pay Equity.
• Be a part of developing and maintaining our Job Architecture, including position evaluations, market benchmarking, salary range development, and role calibration.
• Provide subject matter expertise and guidance in Compensation & Benefits, including communication and training for managers and employees.
• Drive and contribute to local and global C&B projects, including share‑based incentive programs, international assignments, policy updates, vendor relationships, and regulatory compliance.
• Support Global Mobility processes, including international local hires and expat assignments, work permits, tax‑related coordination, payroll input, and collaboration with external vendors.
• Develop and maintain compensation structures and benchmarks to ensure competitive, fair, and business‑relevant reward practices across markets.
• Perform gender pay gap and pay equity analysis, identifying trends, risks, and actions to support transparent and compliant compensation practices.
• Participate in merit review activities, including planning, data preparation, stakeholder support, process coordination, and follow‑up to ensure a fair and well‑executed annual review.

The ideal candidate

In order to succeed in this role, and at Polestar in general, you'll need to be proactive, adaptable, and detail‑oriented. You take ownership, meet deadlines, and are not afraid to pivot when needed. You are equally comfortable contributing to strategic initiatives and handling hands‑on operational tasks.

You have a structured and analytical way of working, with the ability to turn data into clear recommendations and practical solutions. Since this role involves close collaboration with HR, managers, employees, unions, external vendors, and authorities, strong communication skills and the ability to explain complex topics in a clear and professional way will be important. You can work independently with sensitive information, while also thriving in a team setting and in an international environment where priorities can shift and collaboration across countries and cultures is part of everyday work.

In addition, you'll need the following qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• At least three years of experience within Compensation & Benefits, preferably in a specialist role.
• Strong knowledge of compensation frameworks, benefits programs, job evaluation methodologies, market benchmarking, and reward processes.
• Experience working with HRIS systems, preferably Workday, compensation analytics tools, and advanced Excel.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, written and verbal communication skills, with discretion when handling confidential information and experience working across multiple countries and cultures.

Polestar is an international company, with various backgrounds represented. English, therefore, is the language of written and spoken communication. And though we have a global presence, we maintain the growth‑mindset. Change happens often at Polestar. But so does progress. Expect an accelerating, exciting environment.

The process

Our selection process is ongoing, and the job advert will remain open until it’s filled.

The Polestar journey is an electric one.