Head of Global Compensation

Klaviyo; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Klaviyo is seeking a Head of Global Compensation to design and lead our global compensation programs, equity strategy, and total rewards partnerships. Reporting to the VP of Total Rewards, you will guide policy, architecture, and governance while building a high-performing team.

This role partners with executives and talent acquisition to attract and retain top talent, uses data and AI to optimize pay decisions, and helps ensure pay equity across regions.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive compensation experience in a high-growth tech company.
• 3+ years leading and developing a compensation team.
• Experience designing, transforming, or evolving global compensation strategies in a public company.
• Strong financial and analytical capabilities including equity modeling and budget planning.
• Experience with executive compensation, Compensation Committee support, governance, and regulatory requirements.
• Understanding of pay equity and evolving pay transparency requirements.
• Experience extending compensation frameworks into new markets as a company scales.
• Hands-on experience with compensation systems, market data platforms, and analytics, with AI/automation familiarity.
• Willingness to travel up to 10% when needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead evolution of global compensation philosophy, leveling, and pay structures to support high performance.
• Own equity compensation strategy including new-hire grants and long-term incentives.
• Partner with People Leaders and Talent Acquisition on hiring decisions and compensation investments.
• Lead and develop a high-performing compensation team and foster ownership/cost.
• Leverage technology and AI to simplify processes, improve insights, and increase team impact.

Skills

Global compensation

Leadership

Equity modeling

Executive compensation

Pay equity

Market data analysis

AI & automation

Governance

Compensation systems

Tools

Compensation systems

Market data platforms

Data analytics tools

Job description

At Klaviyo, we value the unique backgrounds, experiences and perspectives each Klaviyo (we call ourselves Klaviyos) brings to our workplace each and every day. We believe everyone deserves a fair shot at success and appreciate the experiences each person brings beyond the traditional job requirements. If you’re a close but not exact match with the description, we hope you’ll still consider applying. Want to learn more about life at Klaviyo? Visit klaviyo.com/careers to see how we empower creators to own their own destiny.

We're looking for a Head of Global Compensation to build the next generation of our compensation strategy. Someone who understands how to design programs that reinforce our culture, reward exceptional performance, and support the ambitious people who choose Klaviyo for the work we're doing and the impact they can have.

Reporting directly to the VP of Total Rewards, you'll have the opportunity to challenge conventional thinking, rethink established practices, and create compensation programs that reflect the company we're becoming. You'll help shape our broader Total Rewards strategy, lead and develop a talented team, and partner directly with leaders on how we recognize, reward, and invest in our people..

We're looking for someone who loves the craft of compensation, thinks like a business leader, and gets excited about building something better.

What You’ll Do:

1. Compensation Strategy & Architecture

• Lead the evolution of our global compensation philosophy, job architecture, leveling, and pay structures to support a high-performance organization.
• Bring a strong point of view on compensation investment, balancing market dynamics, internal equity, business priorities, and long-term financial sustainability.
• Help shape our broader Total Rewards strategy, ensuring compensation works alongside benefits, recognition, and the overall employee experience.

2. Equity & Long-Term Rewards

• Own our equity compensation strategy, including new-hire grants, refresh programs, long-term incentives, and retention approaches.
• Own the multi-year equity models and budget, taking into consideration burn rate, dilution, and future investment needs.
• Shape senior leadership compensation strategy and support Compensation Committee preparation, governance, and decision‑making.

3. Strategic Business Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to People Leaders on critical hiring decisions, retention challenges, organizational changes, and compensation investments.
• Partner closely with Talent Acquisition to ensure our compensation approach supports the talent we want to attract and reinforces what makes Klaviyo a compelling place to grow a career.

4. Team Leadership & Operating Model

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing compensation team, strengthening technical capabilities, business judgment, and a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.
• Rethink how compensation work gets done, using technology, automation, and AI to simplify processes, improve insights, and increase the team's impact.

What You Bring:

• 10+ years of progressive compensation experience, including significant leadership responsibility within a high-growth technology company.
• 3+ years of proven success leading and developing a compensation team
• Demonstrated experience designing, transforming, or meaningfully evolving global compensation strategies and programs within a publicly traded company.
• Strong financial and analytical capabilities, including equity modeling, burn rate, dilution, long-term incentive design, and compensation budget planning.
• Experience with executive compensation, Compensation Committee support, public-company governance, and regulatory requirements.
• A strong understanding of pay equity and evolving pay transparency requirements.
• Experience extending compensation frameworks into new markets as a company scales, balancing global consistency with local market realities.
• Hands‑on experience with compensation systems, market data platforms, and analytics, along with demonstrated experience in using AI and automation to improve how work gets done.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Massachusetts Applicants:

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Our salary range reflects the cost of labor across various U.S. geographic markets. The range displayed below reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all our US locations. The base salary offered for this position is determined by several factors, including the applicant’s job‑related skills, relevant experience, education or training, and work location.

In addition to base salary, our total compensation package may include participation in the company’s annual cash bonus plan, variable compensation (OTE) for sales and customer success roles, equity, sign‑on payments, and a comprehensive range of health, welfare, and wellbeing benefits based on eligibility.

Your recruiter can provide more details about the specific salary/OTE range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

Base Pay Range For US Locations:

$200,000 — $300,000 USD

This role may require up to 10% travel for purposes such as new hire onboarding, client or partner work if applicable, team meetings, and industry events. Travel is coordinated in advance.

Get to Know Klaviyo

We’re Klaviyo (pronounced clay-vee-oh). We empower creators to own their destiny by making first‑party data accessible and actionable like never before. We see limitless potential for the technology we’re developing to nurture personalized experiences in ecommerce and beyond. To reach our goals, we need our own crew of remarkable creators—ambitious and collaborative teammates who stay focused on our north star: delighting our customers. If you’re ready to do the best work of your career, where you’ll be welcomed as your whole self from day one and supported with generous benefits, we hope you’ll join us.

AI fluency at Klaviyo includes responsible use of AI (including privacy, security, bias awareness, and human‑in‑the‑loop). We provide accommodations as needed.

By participating in Klaviyo’s interview process, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and will adhere to our Guidelines for using AI in the Klaviyo interview Process. For more information about how we process your personal data, see our Job Applicant Privacy Notice.

Klaviyo is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non‑discrimination. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, citizenship, national origin, color, religion or religious creed, age, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, veteran or active military status, marital status, criminal record, genetics, retaliation, sexual harassment or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.