Global Compensation Director

KBR Careers; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401K match

Medical insurance

Paid time off

Flexible work options

Job summary

KBR is seeking a Global Compensation Director to lead the strategy, design, governance, and delivery of compensation programs across a multi-country environment. You will partner with HR, Finance, and business leadership to drive base pay, incentives, executive compensation, and job architecture in support of business goals.

The ideal candidate has 15+ years in compensation/Total Rewards, strong leadership, and deep expertise in benchmarking, governance, and analytics, with experience in Workday

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Finance, or related field required.
• 15+ years progressive compensation/Total Rewards experience.
• 5+ years of people leadership in global or regional roles.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead global comp strategy, base pay, incentives and executive pay.
• Develop and maintain global job architecture and salary structures.
• Oversee market benchmarking to ensure competitive positioning.
• Design and manage global incentive programs aligned with business outcomes.
• Collaborate with Finance on budget, cost analysis and forecasting.
• Oversee annual merit, salary reviews and equity programs.
• Advise senior leaders on compensation strategy and governance.
• Ensure compliance with global/local pay regulations and governance.

Skills

Global comp strategy

Base pay design

Incentive programs

Executive compensation

Job architecture

Market benchmarking

Pay equity principles

Governance & compliance

Data analytics

HRIS integrations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Finance

Tools

Workday

SAP

Job description

Title: Global Compensation Director

We are KBR When you become part of our KBR team, your opportunities are endless. Through internal collaboration, and with our partners and customers, we’re defining tomorrow’s challenges, then providing the innovative solutions to overcome those challenges, always maintaining our commitment to Zero Harm and our Sustainability Platform. In September 2025, we announced that we are spinning our Mission Technology Solutions business into a separate public company. This role would ultimately be part of that new company. Our Mission Technology Solutions business partners with governments and defense, intelligence, space, aviation, and critical infrastructure customers to deliver high-end engineering, science, technology, and mission support solutions. From national security and readiness to advanced research, cyber, logistics, and life-cycle sustainment, our teams help customers solve complex challenges in some of the world’s most demanding environments. Whether supporting operations on the ground, at sea, in the air, or in space, our clients trust us to deliver mission-critical capabilities every day. Working with us means being rewarded for your contributions. In addition to competitive benefits and professional development, our people are empowered to use all their potential, creating meaningful change for themselves and our clients. We attract the best minds in the world because our expertise thrives on creativity, resourcefulness and collaboration. That is how we supply our clients with cutting-edge solutions. As the needs of the world change, we’re ready to respond and guide the way forward with strategic, sustainable, and technological advancements grounded in more than a century of practical application and execution.

We Are the People Team

We are strategic partners to the business, shaping the talent, culture, and capabilities that enable sustainable growth and high performance. We operate across global markets, partnering with leaders and teams to design practical, scalable solutions that enhance how work gets done and how people thrive. Through strong business insight, data-driven decision making, and a commitment to continuous improvement, we build talent programs that drive impact at every stage of the organization’s evolution.

About the Role

Reporting to the Vice President, People Operations, the Director, Global Compensation leads the strategy, design, governance, and delivery of global compensation programs across a complex, multi-country environment. This role is accountable for building a globally consistent, market-competitive, and performance-driven compensation framework that supports business objectives, attracts and retains talent, and enhances employee experience. As the enterprise leader for compensation, you will partner closely with HR, Finance, Talent Acquisition, and business leadership to deliver scalable solutions across base pay, incentive programs, executive compensation, and job architecture. You will balance long-term strategy with operational excellence, ensuring strong governance, market competitiveness, and alignment with broader Total Rewards and business strategies.

About You

Accountability: You take full ownership of the global compensation strategy and delivery. You are accountable for program effectiveness, market competitiveness, internal equity, and governance across all regions. Collaboration: You build strong partnerships across HR, Finance, Talent Acquisition, and business leadership. You influence effectively across a matrixed global organization to align compensation programs with business priorities. Analytical Rigor: You use data and insights to inform decision-making. You bring strong analytical capability to compensation design, benchmarking, and program evaluation, ensuring decisions are grounded in data and aligned with market trends. Enterprise Mindset: You think globally and systemically, ensuring compensation programs are scalable, consistent, and integrated with broader Total Rewards, performance management, and workforce strategies.

Key Responsibilities

• Global Compensation Strategy & Design: Define and lead a comprehensive global compensation strategy, including base pay structures, short- and long-term incentive programs, and executive compensation. Ensure programs are competitive, aligned to business strategy, and support pay-for-performance principles.
• Job Architecture & Pay Structures: Develop and maintain global job architecture, salary structures, and grading frameworks to ensure internal equity, clarity, and scalability across regions and business units.
• Market Benchmarking & Competitive Positioning: Oversee market analysis and benchmarking activities to ensure compensation programs are competitive across global markets. Define compensation positioning strategies aligned with business and talent objectives.
• Incentive & Performance Alignment: Design and manage global incentive programs that align employee performance with business outcomes. Partner with leadership to ensure programs drive desired behaviors and results.
• Vendor & Financial Management: Manage relationships with external compensation survey providers and consultants. Partner with Finance on budget planning, cost analysis, and forecasting related to compensation programs.
• Operational Delivery & Cyclical Processes: Oversee key compensation cycles, including annual merit, bonus planning, salary reviews, and equity programs. Ensure accuracy, efficiency, and a strong employee and manager experience.
• Stakeholder Partnership & Advisory: Act as a trusted advisor to HR and business leaders on compensation strategy, job evaluations, pay decisions, and organizational design. Support mergers, acquisitions, and organizational changes.
• Governance, Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure compliance with all applicable global and local pay regulations, including pay equity, transparency, and reporting requirements. Establish strong governance and controls.
• Compensation Data, Insights & Technology: Leverage data, analytics, and compensation systems to drive insights, support decision-making, and enhance program effectiveness. Partner with HRIS and People Analytics teams.
• Leadership & Team Development: Lead and develop a global compensation team, building capabilities, accountability, and alignment within the broader Total Rewards function.

Basic Qualifications

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field required. 15+ years of progressive experience in compensation or Total Rewards.
• Minimum 5+ years of people leadership experience, including managing teams in a global or regional capacity.
• Experience in a complex, multinational organization preferred.
• Functional Expertise & Leadership: Deep expertise in global compensation strategy, design, and delivery, including base pay, incentives, and executive compensation.

Functional Expertise & Leadership

• Strong understanding of job architecture, market pricing, and pay equity principles.
• Demonstrated experience with compensation benchmarking and survey methodologies.
• Strong financial and analytical acumen, including modeling and cost analysis.
• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional programs and drive global standardization.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders.
• Experience working with HRIS and compensation management systems (e.g., Workday, SAP) and leveraging data to inform decisions.

Location

The ideal candidate will be located in the Houston, TX or greater Washington D.C.-Baltimore area. While KBR strives to maintain a global, flexible, diverse, and sustainable work environment for our people, we currently offer flexible working arrangements, including hybrid, remote working, and virtual delivery to help reinforce and strengthen our strong commitment to becoming a more socially sustainable company, allowing us to provide greater work-life balance and flexibility.

Additional Compensation

KBR may offer bonuses, commissions, or other forms of compensation to certain job titles or levels, per internal policy or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be in the form of sign on bonus, relocation benefits, short term incentives, long term incentives, or discretionary payments for exceptional performance.

Benefits

• KBR offers a selection of competitive lifestyle benefits which could include a 401K plan with company match, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, AD&D, flexible spending account, disability, paid time off, or flexible work schedule.

Belong, Connect and Grow at KBR

At KBR, we are passionate about our people and our Zero Harm culture. These inform all that we do and are at the heart of our commitment to, and ongoing journey toward being a People First company. That commitment is central to our team of team’s philosophy and foster an environment where everyone can Belong, Connect and Grow.

We Deliver – Together

We Deliver – Together.

KBR is an equal opportunity employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, union status and/or beliefs, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

KBR brings together the best and brightest to deliver science, technology and engineering solutions that help governments and companies around the world accomplish their most critical missions and objectives.

In everything we do, we are guided by our ONE KBR Values: We Value Our People – We create diverse, inclusive environments in which each person can feel safe, respected and valued, and where everyone has opportunities to grow and reach their full potential. We Deliver – We are uncompromising in our commitment to deliver innovative, high-quality, technology-led solutions for our customers and exceptional, sustainable value for all our stakeholders. We Are People of Integrity – We value honesty, trust, courage, fairness, prudence and tenacity. We believe doing what’s right for the planet, the communities where we work, and our people is good for business. We Empower – We empower our people with a shared purpose, the right tools and the supportive culture they need to be proactive decision-makers, to be adaptive to change, and to succeed. We Are a Team of Teams – We have a will to succeed, but we value the achievements of our team of teams over individual accomplishments. Our collective focus makes us a better, stronger, more effective company. We have also embedded environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles in every business operation and corporate function. Not only are we committed to operating safely, sustainably and equitably, but we are also committed to using our capabilities and expertise to help our customers accomplish their sustainability goals.

Worldwide, KBR employs a diverse workforce approximately 29,000 people strong, with customers in more than 80 countries and operations in 40 countries.

At KBR, We Deliver.