Interim HR Manager & Compensation Specialist

WatchGuard Technologies, Inc.; Seattle, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

WatchGuard Technologies is seeking an experienced HR leader to cover maternity leave for our Director, Human Resources – Americas. The role focuses on compensation strategy, merit review planning, bonus administration, and HR business partnership across the Americas.

The ideal candidate is highly analytical, excels in Excel, and partners with senior leaders to drive data-driven compensation decisions while delivering accurate reporting and dashboards for executive leadership.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of progressive HR experience.
• Strong compensation analysis experience.
• Advanced Excel skills and data handling required.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end merit review process for ~1,100 employees globally, including budget, timeline, and manager enablement.
• Own calculation of annual bonus payments based on MBO attainment and payout data to Payroll.
• Analyze internal equity, market competitiveness, and pay recommendations.
• Partner with Finance and senior Executives to finalize merit and bonus decisions on tight timelines.
• Prepare executive dashboards, reports, and presentations.
• Maintain compensation data integrity and reporting.

Skills

8+ years HR experience

Compensation analysis

Advanced Excel

Project management

HR business partnership

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or related field

Tools

Excel

Job description

About the Role

WatchGuard Technologies is seeking an experienced HR leader to provide maternity leave coverage for our Director, Human Resources – Americas. This role is heavily focused on compensation strategy, annual merit planning, bonus administration, and HR business partnership. The successful candidate will be highly analytical, exceptionally strong in Excel and project management, detail oriented, and comfortable partnering with senior leaders using data to drive compensation decisions.

Key Responsibilities

Compensation & Rewards (Primary Focus)

• Own end-to-end project management of the annual merit review process for ~1,100 employees globally, including budget & timeline development, manager enablement, data accuracy, and on‑time delivery of final increases.
• Own calculation of the full company annual bonus payments based on MBO attainment, tracking exceptions (e.g. leaves, transfers, new hires, terminations), and ensuring accurate, timely delivery of final payout data to Payroll.
• Analyze internal equity, market competitiveness, and pay recommendations.
• In partnership with the VP Human Resources, partner cross‑functionally with Finance and senior Executives to finalize merit and bonus decisions on a tight timeline.
• Prepare executive‑level dashboards, reports, and presentations.
• Ensure compensation decisions are equitable, competitive, and data‑driven.
• Own compensation data integrity and reporting.

HR Operations & Analytics

• Interpret HR metrics and provide actionable insights.
• Ensure compliance with employment laws across the Americas.
• Support strategic HR initiatives during the maternity leave period.
• Deliver accurate, clean HR reporting on‑demand based on the needs of the business.

HR Business Partnership

• Partner with HR Business Partners, Directors, Vice Presidents, and business leaders on employee relations, performance management, organizational design, and workforce planning.
• Coach leaders through complex people issues and organizational changes.
• Partner with Legal on employment matters as needed.
• Support employee engagement and organizational effectiveness initiatives.

Performance Management

• Oversee the 2026 MBO attainment and scoring process, including calibration activities, in preparation for bonus calculation.
• Support the 2027 MBO goal‑setting process, ensuring employees and managers have the tools they need to set impactful goals.
• Provide HR guidance to leaders throughout the performance review cycle.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive HR experience.
• Significant experience leading annual merit cycles, MBO based bonus calculation, and performance management/goal‑setting processes.
• Strong compensation analysis experience required.
• Strong project management skills, with proven ability to manage multiple concurrent, detail‑intensive work steams on tight deadlines.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (e.g. pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, nested formulas); experience working with large datasets is essential.
• Experience partnering with Finance and senior executives.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and presentation skills.
• Technology industry experience preferred.

Success Measures

• Merit review process for ~1,100 global employees completed accurately and on schedule.
• MBO-based annual bonus payments calculated correctly, with exceptions tracked and payout delivered on schedule.
• 2026 MBO attainment closed out and 2027 MBOs set, with the performance management cycle running smoothly and managers well‑supported.
• Ensure seamless, trusted HR partnership to business leaders & coverage during the maternity leave period.