Director, Compensation

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

Job summary

Leidos Inc in Reston, VA is seeking a Director of Compensation to lead strategy, governance, and end-to-end compensation programs across a large, matrixed enterprise. You will oversee annual pay planning, incentives, market benchmarking, and Workday optimization, partnering with HR and business leadership to drive alignment with talent strategy and compliance.

The role requires strong leadership, analytical rigor, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across functions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, finance or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 12+ years of progressive compensation experience in large, matrixed orgs.
• Deep expertise in compensation operations, annual planning, and incentive programs.
• Experience with Workday compensation modules and executive compensation.
• Strong communication and influence with senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise compensation strategy, governance, and programs.
• Oversee annual merit planning, market pricing, salary structures, and incentives.
• Own compensation systems strategy and Workday optimization.
• Develop dashboards, analytics, and reporting for governance.
• Ensure compliance with pay regulations and audit standards.
• Partner with executives to support compensation decisions and reporting.

Skills

Compensation strategy

Workday expert

Leadership

Data analysis

Communication skills

Education

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

Advanced degree preferred

CCP designation (preferred)

Tools

Workday

Analytics tools

Job description

Description

Leads the strategy, design, governance, and execution of enterprise-wide compensation programs in a highly matrixed, complex organization. This roleis responsible forend-to-end compensation operations, including annual pay planning, incentive programs, job architecture, market benchmarking, and compensation systems administration with a strong emphasis on Workday optimization and operational excellence. The Director, Compensation serves as a strategic advisor to HR and business leadership, ensuring compensation programs support business growth, talent strategy, compliance requirements, and organizational effectiveness across a large-scale enterprise environment.

Responsibilities

GlobalCompensation Strategy

• Lead the development and execution of enterprise compensation strategies aligned with businessobjectives, 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&Adue-diligenceandharmonization
• 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 Enablementand business leaders to support competitive andequitablehiring and internal mobility practices

Compensation Operations & Systems

• Own compensation systems strategy and administration with deep operationalexpertisein 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, andHR Systemteams to ensure data integrity, process efficiency, and scalable compensation operations
• Develop andmaintaindashboards, 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 preferredcombined with 12+ years of related experience.
• Extensive progressive compensation experience, including leadership responsibility within large, complex, highly matrixed organizations
• Deepexpertisein 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 andoptimizingcompensation 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 tooperateeffectively 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
• Advancedproficiencyin compensation analytics, reporting tools(MicrosoftExceland 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

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Pay Range $139,100.00 - $251,450.00

About Leidos

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 $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

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.