Global Director of Compensation & Equity Strategy

WD; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

STI Plan

SIP (Sales Incentive Plan)

LTI (RSUs / cash)

401(k) plan

Health insurance

Paid vacation

Job summary

WD is seeking a Director of Compensation to lead strategic design and operational execution of the company’s compensation programs, including base pay, variable pay, equity, and market analysis. You will partner with senior HR leaders and executives to attract, retain, and motivate top talent.

You will oversee compensation operations, job architecture, annual cycles, and global benchmarking, and ensure governance, compliance, and scalable processes across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Finance, Business, or related field; Master’s or MBA preferred.
• CCP (Certified Compensation Professional) certification highly preferred.
• Progressive compensation experience, with experience in a leadership role.
• Experience managing compensation operations.
• Strong analytical, project management, and strategic thinking skills.
• Proficiency with compensation tools and platforms (e.g., Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, MarketPay).
• Excellent communication and influencing skills; proven ability to work with senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Develop and drive a holistic compensation strategy that supports business objectives and employee experience.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and HR Business Partners on compensation philosophy, pay decisions, and organizational design.
• Provide executive-level consultation on compensation-related issues including workforce structure, retention risks, and leadership transitions.
• Lead the design and execution of compensation operations, including: Job architecture and leveling frameworks; Annual compensation cycles (merit, bonus, equity); Global market benchmarking and survey participation; Compensation tools and systems (e.g., HRIS, comp planning platforms).
• Ensure operational excellence, accuracy, and scalability in all compensation processes.
• Own compensation governance, including policies, process documentation, and approval workflows.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations (FLSA, pay equity, transparency laws, etc.).
• Partner with Legal, HR, and Finance on audit support, reporting, and risk mitigation related to compensation practices.
• In partnership with systems & analytics leader, oversee compensation analytics and reporting to inform decision-making across the organization.
• Monitor compensation trends and market intelligence; provide recommendations to maintain competitive positioning.
• Use data to identify pay equity issues, workforce cost trends, and reward optimization opportunities.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Project management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree (HR/Finance/Business)

Master’s or MBA preferred

Tools

Workday

SAP SuccessFactors

MarketPay

Job description

WD is seeking a Director of Compensation to lead strategic design and operational execution of the company’s compensation programs, including base pay, variable pay, equity, and market analysis. You will partner with senior HR leaders and executives to attract, retain, and motivate top talent.

You will oversee compensation operations, job architecture, annual cycles, and global benchmarking, and ensure governance, compliance, and scalable processes across the organization.