Director, Compensation

Leidos LLC; Reston (VA); On-site; USD 139,100 - 251,450; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Health and wellness programs

Income protection

Paid leave and retirement

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Global Compensation Strategy Lead to develop and execute enterprise compensation strategies aligned with business objectives and talent priorities. You will lead compensation operations, governance, and complex analyses within a highly matrixed environment.

You will partner with executive leadership and HR stakeholders to support decision-making for key talent, design job architecture, and drive workforce planning alignment across business units.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Finance, or related field; 12+ years experience.
• Extensive compensation leadership in large, matrixed orgs.
• Expertise in compensation operations, annual pay planning, salary administration.
• Experience with Workday and compensation transformations.
• CCP designation preferred; experience in government/defense sectors.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of enterprise compensation strategies.
• Direct all compensation operations including merit, promotions, and bonuses.
• Oversee governance for consistency, scalability, and compliance.
• Partner with executives to support compensation decision-making.
• Lead design and evolution of job architecture and leveling.
• Drive alignment between compensation structures and workforce planning.
• Develop dashboards and analytics for compensation governance.

Skills

Compensation strategy

Workday

Power BI

Excel

Data analysis

Stakeholder communication

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Merit planning

Market pricing

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or related

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Workday module

Job description

Responsibilities

• Global Compensation Strategy Lead the development and execution of enterprise compensation strategies aligned with business objectives, workforce planning, and talent priorities
• Direct all compensation operations and core programs, including annual merit planning, promotions, bonus administration, market pricing, salary structures, off-cycle compensation actions, M&A due-diligence and harmonization
• Oversee enterprise-wide compensation governance to ensure consistency, scalability, competitiveness, and compliance across business units and functions
• Serve as the organization’s subject matter expert on compensation programs, including short-term incentive plans, recognition programs, and specialized compensation structures
• Partner with executive leadership and HR stakeholders to support compensation decision-making for key talent, critical roles, and organizational changes
• Support executive compensation processes and collaborate with senior leadership on compensation committee materials, analyses, and reporting as needed
• Job Architecture & Organizational Effectiveness Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing evolution of the company’s job architecture, leveling framework, and career progression models
• Ensure alignment between compensation structures, job families, career paths, and workforce planning initiatives
• Drive consistency and governance across job evaluations, leveling decisions, and organizational design changes in a highly matrixed environment
• Partner with Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partners, Total Rewards Partners and Enablement and business leaders to support competitive and equitable hiring and internal mobility practices
• Compensation Operations & Systems Own compensation systems strategy and administration with deep operational expertise in Workday compensation modules and related HR technologies
• Lead system configuration, process optimization, testing, reporting, and enhancements related to compensation programs and annual pay cycles
• Partner with HRIS, Finance, Payroll, and HR System teams to ensure data integrity, process efficiency, and scalable compensation operations
• Develop and maintain dashboards, analytics, and reporting capabilities to support business insights and compensation governance
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local pay regulations, pay transparency requirements, and audit standards
• Market Intelligence & Analytics Analyze market trends, industry benchmarks, and competitive pay practices to provide strategic recommendations to leadership
• Conduct complex compensation analyses to support workforce planning, retention strategies, pay equity initiatives, and business transformation efforts
• Translate data and insights into clear, actionable recommendations for senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders
• Lead compensation-related due diligence and integration support for mergers, acquisitions, and organizational restructuring initiatives
• Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership Build strong partnerships across HR, Finance, Legal, Talent Acquisition, and business leadership teams to drive effective compensation outcomes
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing compensation team, fostering operational excellence, strategic thinking, and strong internal client support
• Influence and drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups within a highly collaborative and matrixed enterprise environment
• Develop communication strategies and materials that help employees and leaders understand compensation programs and pay decisions

Qualifications

• Required Experience Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or related field; advanced degree preferred combined with 12+ years of related experience.
• Extensive progressive compensation experience, including leadership responsibility within large, complex, highly matrixed organizations
• Deep expertise in compensation operations, annual pay planning, job architecture, salary administration, and incentive programs
• Strong experience leading compensation programs in enterprise environments with complex organizational structures and multiple business units
• Hands‑on experience administering and optimizing compensation processes within Workday
• Demonstrated success leading compensation transformations, process improvements, and scalable program implementations
• Experience supporting executive compensation processes and senior leadership decision‑making
• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Strong analytical and problem‑solving capabilities with the ability to synthesize large data sets into strategic recommendations
• Deep understanding of compensation regulations, market practices, and pay equity principles
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence senior leaders and cross‑functional stakeholders
• Proven ability to operate effectively in fast‑paced, dynamic environments while managing competing priorities
• Strong business acumen and ability to align compensation strategy with organizational objectives
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing and developing high‑performing teams
• Advanced proficiency in compensation analytics, reporting tools (Microsoft Excel and Power BI)
• Preferred Qualifications Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation
• Experience within government contracting, defense, aerospace, engineering, or similarly complex regulated industries
• Experience supporting geographically dispersed and hybrid workforces
• Familiarity with compensation practices related to cleared talent populations and technical labor markets

Pay and Benefits

• Pay Range $139,100.00 - $251,450.00 The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary.
• Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.
• Competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement
• Lucrative benefits associated with a long‑term career at a technology company like Leidos

Company Overview

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $17.2 billion for the fiscal year ended January 2, 2026.

Original Posting: July 23, 2026 For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Commitment and Diversity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.