Compensation & Equity Modeling Lead

Lightning AI; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Meaningful equity

401(k) matching

Unlimited PTO

Hybrid work model

Sabbatical program

Office meals

Job summary

Lightning AI is seeking a compensation-focused leader to own and build the company’s pay and equity models, including ranges and scenario tools. You will drive annual and off-cycle planning, and translate market data into actionable recommendations for senior leadership.

The role emphasizes cross-functional collaboration, data-driven decision making, and ownership of compensation strategy in a high-growth AI/tech environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in compensation, strategic finance, FP&A, analytics, or a comparably quantitative role with real ownership of comp planning and the models behind it.
• Proven ability to drive compensation planning in step with business and People strategy, come ready to walk through specifics.
• Strong modeling and analytical skills: you build and maintain complex comp and equity models and translate the output into clear recommendations for senior leaders.
• A track record using market data (Radford, Pave, OpenComp, Levels.fyi, Mercer, or similar) to benchmark and calibrate pay.
• Experience partnering with cross-functional stakeholders, with deep knowledge of at least one competitive talent market (AI, infrastructure, tech, or similar)

Responsibilities

• Own the model. Build and maintain the comp and equity models, ranges, and scenario tools the company runs on, including cash-versus-equity tradeoffs. You build these yourself.
• Own the cycles. Run annual and off-cycle comp planning end to end: strategy, budget, execution. Stay hands-on through the last approval.
• Turn market data into decisions. Benchmark relentlessly against the AI, infrastructure, and tech companies we compete with for talent, using Radford, Pave, OpenComp, Levels.fyi, or similar. Ship guidance, not raw data.
• Build tools people use. Develop offer decisioning, leveling guidance, and performance-cycle resources that cross-functional teams rely on to move faster and with more confidence.
• Support performance cycles. Keep comp inputs into review and calibration accurate, consistent, and tied to strategy.
• Run it like a data function. Build reporting and dashboards that surface pay equity, offer competitiveness, and retention risk, so decisions get smarter over time.

Skills

Compensation modeling

Forecasting

Data analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Radford

Pave

OpenComp

Levels.fyi

Mercer

Job description

Lightning AI is seeking a compensation-focused leader to own and build the company’s pay and equity models, including ranges and scenario tools. You will drive annual and off-cycle planning, and translate market data into actionable recommendations for senior leadership.

The role emphasizes cross-functional collaboration, data-driven decision making, and ownership of compensation strategy in a high-growth AI/tech environment.