Director, Compensation & Talent Analytics

Panera Bread; Newton (MA); On-site; USD 208,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Panera Bread seeks a Director of Compensation & Talent Analytics to lead the design, governance and execution of compensation and people analytics across the organization. This role oversees base pay, incentives, equity programs, pay equity, and workforce analytics to ensure data-driven, compliant programs aligned with business goals.

The leader will partner with HR, Finance, Talent Acquisition and Legal to drive analytics, executive dashboards, and scalable reporting using Workday, Power BI and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; master’s preferred or equivalent experience.
• 10+ years in compensation/total rewards or related analytics.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing teams.
• Deep expertise in compensation strategy, incentive design, market analysis, and pay governance.
• Experience translating data into business insights; executive reporting with Workday.

Responsibilities

• Partner with VP to develop and execute compensation philosophy and strategy.
• Lead design and administration of base pay, incentives, and equity programs.
• Oversee market pricing, benchmarking, and pay governance.
• Drive job architecture, career frameworks, and governance practices.
• Provide executive reporting and board/compensation committee support.

Skills

Strategic Thinking

Business Acumen

Data-Driven Decision Making

Executive Influence

Analytical Excellence

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Team Development & Coaching

Led Analytics Initiatives

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Workday

Excel

Power BI

Job description

The Director, Compensation & Talent Analytics is a strategic leadership role responsible for the design, governance, and execution of the organization's compensation strategy and people analytics capability. This leader will oversee base pay, incentive plans, executive compensation support, pay equity, compensation operations, workforce analytics, and talent insights, ensuring programs are competitive, compliant, data-driven, and aligned with business objectives.

The role combines deep compensation expertise with advanced analytical leadership to enable better workforce decisions across attraction, retention, engagement, performance, and organizational effectiveness. Working closely with HR leaders, Finance, Talent Acquisition, HR Technology, Legal, and executive leadership, this position will leverage data, technology, and market intelligence to shape the company's people strategy and support business growth.

Location: Newton, MA moving to Weston, MA in 2027

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with the VP, Total Rewards & HR Technology to develop and execute a comprehensive compensation philosophy and strategy that supports organizational objectives and talent needs.
• Lead the design, implementation, and administration of compensation programs, including:
• Base pay structures
• Short-term incentive plans
• Long-term incentive and equity programs
• Executive compensation support
• Oversee market pricing, survey participation, benchmarking, and competitive compensation analysis.
• Drive the implementation and continuous improvement of job architecture, career frameworks, salary structures, and pay governance practices.
• Ensure compensation programs support a pay-for-performance culture while balancing financial stewardship and employee experience.
• Partner with Legal and HR leadership to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including pay transparency requirements.

Incentive Design & Performance Alignment

• Lead the strategic design, modeling, and administration of annual and long-term incentive programs.
• Partner with Finance and business leaders to ensure incentive plans align with organizational goals, financial targets, and operational performance.
• Conduct financial modeling and scenario analyses to evaluate plan effectiveness and payout outcomes.
• Assess incentive program effectiveness and recommend ongoing enhancements.

Talent Analytics & Workforce Insights

• Partnering closely with the Director, HR Technology and Operations, establish and lead the enterprise talent analytics strategy and roadmap.
• Design executive dashboards and reporting frameworks that translate workforce data into actionable business insights.
• Build a roadmap to create and maintain talent and workforce planning analytics to support growth, restructuring, and strategic talent investments.

Executive Reporting & Strategic Decision Support

• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on compensation and workforce trends.
• Deliver executive-level analyses, presentations, and business cases to support strategic decision-making.
• Provide Board and Compensation Committee support through data preparation, market analyses, and reporting.
• Translate complex analytical findings into concise recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Partner closely with HR Technology and IT teams to optimize compensation and talent analytics capabilities within Workday and related platforms.
• Establish scalable analytics and reporting solutions utilizing Power BI, Workday, AI-enabled technologies, and other visualization tools.
• Improve data governance, quality, automation, and self-service reporting capabilities.
• Lead the development of modern people analytics tools that enhance decision-making across the organization.

Pay Equity & Workforce Effectiveness

• Lead pay equity analyses, modeling, and remediation efforts.
• Monitor internal equity, compression risks, and compensation trends.
• Develop frameworks and metrics to measure organizational efficiency, workforce health, and talent effectiveness.
• Ensure analytical methodologies are robust, accurate, and aligned with organizational standards.

Leadership & Team Development

• Build and lead a high-performing team of compensation and analytics professionals.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, collaboration, and analytical excellence.
• Mentor team members in compensation strategy, data analytics, consulting skills, and stakeholder management.
• Establish team priorities, performance expectations, and development plans.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Human Resources, Finance, Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, Business Administration, Data Analytics, or a related field. Relevant professional experience may be considered in lieu of a related degree.
• 10+ years of progressive experience in compensation, total rewards, workforce analytics, or related disciplines.
• 5+ years of leadership experience managing teams and developing talent.
• Deep expertise in compensation strategy, incentive design, market analysis, and pay governance.
• Experience translating data into business insights.
• Experience with people analytics capabilities and executive reporting.
• Strong knowledge of compensation regulations, pay equity, and compliance requirements.
• Experience utilizing Workday, Excel, and workforce analytics tools.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and drive enterprise-wide initiatives.

Preferred

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Economics, Data Analytics, Statistics, or related field.
• Experience supporting executive compensation and board-level reporting.
• Experience implementing AI-enabled workforce analytics solutions.
• Background in multi-unit retail, restaurant, hospitality, consumer services, or other large distributed workforces.
• Strategic Thinking
• Business Acumen
• Data-Driven Decision Making
• Executive Influence
• Analytical Excellence
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Team Development & Coaching

Competitive Pay $207,723 - $236,804 annually

The actual pay offered will be determined by multiple factors, including but not limited to the candidate's relevant experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and geographical location. Individual compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

Equal Opportunity Employer: Disabled/Veterans