Director, Global Compensation

Bentley Systems; False Pass (AK); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Bentley Systems seeks a Director of Global Compensation to shape and govern our compensation strategy across regions. You will lead base salary, incentives, and equity programs, partnering with executive leadership to align pay with business goals and market competitiveness.

Reporting to the Vice President of Total Rewards, you will drive governance, analytics, and AI-enabled decision support while guiding a high-performing team in a fast-paced global software environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, finance, economics, or related field.
• 10+ years HR experience with 6+ years leading global compensation programs.
• Experience designing compensation structures across multiple countries and regions.
• Strong knowledge of compensation principles, market pricing, job architecture, salary administration, incentive design, and pay equity.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership teams and advising senior stakeholders on compensation strategy.
• Strong financial acumen with budgeting and forecasting.
• Ability to analyze complex data and translate insights into business recommendations.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the VP, Total Rewards to develop and evolve Bentley's global compensation philosophy, programs, and policies.
• Advise business leaders, HRBP's, and Talent Acquisition on complex compensation matters.
• Lead the design, administration, and governance of global base salary, annual incentive, and long-term incentive programs.
• Drive the evolution of pay-for-performance by strengthening the connection between performance outcomes and compensation decisions.
• Oversee global job architecture, job evaluation methodologies, salary structures, and market pricing processes.
• Monitor compensation market trends to ensure effective attraction and retention strategies.
• Ensure compliance with global pay transparency requirements and labor regulations.
• Lead the annual compensation planning cycle, including merit increases, bonus planning, and equity allocation.
• Partner with Finance to model compensation budgets, forecast spend, and evaluate program effectiveness.
• Support executive compensation activities, including Board materials and benchmarking.
• Optimize Workday compensation functionality and leverage analytics, automation, and AI-enabled tools.
• Lead and develop compensation team members and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Global compensation

Financial modeling

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business/Finance

Master's degree or MBA

Tools

Workday Compensation

Excel

Job description

Location

Preference for hybrid or office-based in Exton, PA. Open to home-based candidates within the Eastern time zone.

Position Summary

Are you ready to help shape the future of compensation at a global software company advancing the world's infrastructure? Bentley Systems is seeking a Director, Global Compensation to lead the design, governance, and execution of our global compensation strategy. Reporting directly to the Vice President, Total Rewards, this role will ensure our compensation philosophy supports business objectives, promotes internal equity, and maintains market competitiveness across diverse regions. The ideal candidate combines strategic leadership, analytical expertise, and operational excellence to deliver innovative compensation programs that attract, motivate, and retain top talent worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the VP, Total Rewards to develop and evolve Bentley's global compensation philosophy, programs, and policies.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders, HR Business Partners, and Talent Acquisition on complex compensation matters.
• Lead the design, administration, and governance of global base salary, annual incentive, and long-term incentive programs.
• Drive the evolution of Bentley's pay-for-performance approach by strengthening the connection between performance outcomes and compensation decisions.
• Oversee global job architecture, job evaluation methodologies, salary structures, and market pricing processes.
• Monitor compensation market trends and competitive practices to ensure effective attraction and retention strategies.
• Ensure compliance with global pay transparency requirements, labor regulations, and compensation reporting obligations.
• Lead the annual compensation planning cycle, including merit increases, bonus planning, and equity allocation processes.
• Partner closely with Finance to model compensation budgets, forecast spend, and evaluate program effectiveness.
• Support executive compensation activities, including Board committee materials, peer group analyses, proxy preparation support, and executive benchmarking.
• Optimize Workday compensation functionality and leverage analytics, automation, and AI-enabled tools to improve decision-making and reporting.
• Lead and develop compensation team members while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Minimal travel may be required.
• Requires sitting or standing at will while performing work on a computer (or any other physical requirements (https://www.bls.gov/ors/factsheet/visual-overview-of-physical-demands.htm) ).

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, including 6+ years leading global compensation programs.
• Experience designing and administering compensation structures across multiple countries and regions.
• Strong knowledge of compensation principles, market pricing, job architecture, salary administration, incentive design, and pay equity practices.
• Experience partnering with executive leadership teams and advising senior stakeholders on compensation strategy.
• Strong financial acumen with experience in compensation modeling, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex data and convert insights into business recommendations.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to explain compensation concepts to diverse audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or MBA.
• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) and/or Global Remuneration Professional (GRP) certification.
• Experience supporting public company executive compensation programs and related governance requirements.
• Advanced knowledge of Workday Compensation and compensation analytics tools.
• Experience leveraging AI and automation to improve compensation processes and decision support.

Personal Characteristics

• Strategic thinker with a strong business mindset.
• Collaborative and influential leader.
• Highly analytical and detail-oriented.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, global environment.
• Committed to transparency, fairness, and continuous improvement.

What We Offer

• A great Team and culture - please see our colleague video .
• An exciting career as an integral part of a world-leading software company providing solutions for architecture, engineering, and construction - watch this short documentary about how we got our start.
• An attractive salary and benefits package.
• A commitment to inclusion, belonging and colleague wellbeing through global initiatives and resource groups.
• A company committed to making a real difference by advancing the world's infrastructure for better quality of life, where your contributions help build a more sustainable, connected, and re