Director, Compensation

EngineersOfAI; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Instacart is hiring a Director of Compensation to own our broad-based comp strategy end-to-end. This senior role partners with HR, Finance and Legal to attract, retain, and motivate talent as we expand into new markets. You will lead equity compensation and drive scalable programs across regions.

You will manage a high-performing team, mentor partners, and set high standards for pay fairness and alignment with business goals.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive compensation experience with at least 3 years in people management.
• Directly advised VP/SVP-level leaders on complex compensation decisions.
• Deep equity compensation design and strategy in a tech company.
• Experience building compensation programs at scale: job architecture, market pricing, cycles.
• Strong data storytelling and proficiency in spreadsheets (Excel/GS).

Responsibilities

• Own annual and mid-year compensation design and delivery end-to-end.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, Legal, and senior leaders to recommend actions.
• Lead international expansion compensation work with market data guidance.
• Develop frameworks for competitive pay and ensure governance across regions.
• Lead a high-performing team of compensation professionals.

Skills

Compensation leadership

Equity compensation design

R&D/Engineering compensation

Data analysis and storytelling

Executive advisory

Tools

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

We're transforming the grocery industry

At Instacart, we invite the world to share love through food because we believe everyone should have access to the food they love and more time to enjoy it together. Where others see a simple need for grocery delivery, we see exciting complexity and endless opportunity to serve the varied needs of our community. We work to deliver an essential service that customers rely on to get their groceries and household goods, while also offering safe and flexible earnings opportunities to Instacart Personal Shoppers.

Instacart has become a lifeline for millions of people, and we’re building the team to help push our shopping cart forward. If you’re ready to do the best work of your life, come join our table.

Instacart is a Flex First team

There’s no one-size fits all approach to how we do our best work. Our employees have the flexibility to choose where they do their best work—whether it’s from home, an office, or your favorite coffee shop—while staying connected and building community through regular in-person events. Learn more about our flexible approach to where we work.

Why this role is on the menu

We're hiring a Director of Compensation to own our broad-based comp strategy end-to-end. This is a senior people leadership role reporting to the Head of Total Rewards. You’ll drive the programs, frameworks, and cross-functional partnerships that keep our pay competitive and fair as we grow into new markets. This role sits at the intersection of people strategy and business partnership, and the person who fills it will have a direct line of sight to how we attract, retain, and motivate the talent that powers Instacart's growth.

What you'll cook up in your first year

Our annual and mid-year comp cycles run with greater precision and speed. You own the design and delivery end-to-end and have raised the quality bar even as scope and complexity have grown.

Work closely with HR Business Partners, Finance, Legal, and senior business leaders to solve hard problems and give them recommendations they can act on. You'll weigh in on executive offers, retention decisions, org changes, pay equity question, and stand behind difficult calls in gray areas.

Instacart's equity compensation approach is competitive and forward-looking. You deeply understand the market landscape and drive meaningful changes to how we design and communicate equity.

You lead a high-performing team of compensation business partners. You set clear direction, high standards, and cultivate an environment where people do their best work.

You carry individual contributor responsibilities as a compensation business partner to help you stay close to evolving business needs. Scale your experience to coach your team.

Lead our international expansion compensation work. Build the frameworks, market data, and guidance needed to pay people competitively and compliantly as we expand into new countries.

The secret ingredients we're looking for

Must-have pantry staples (Minimum Qualifications)

• 10+ years of progressive compensation experience, with at least 3 years leading a people management role.
• Proven track record directly supporting large R&D or Engineering functions, with experience advising VP/SVP-level leaders on complex compensation decisions and earning their trust.
• Deep expertise in equity compensation design and strategy. You've worked at a tech company where equity is central to the comp philosophy, and you know how to shape it, not just administer it.
• Experience building compensation programs at scale, not just operating within inherited ones: job architecture, market pricing, performance cycles, and pay-for-performance frameworks.
• You can transform disparate data into a clear recommendation for executives. Expertise in spreadsheet work (gSheets and Excel).