R&D Compensation Business Partner

Databricks Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 218,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Databricks is seeking a strategic R&D Compensation Lead to partner with our R&D founders and Engineering leadership. You will design first-principles equity and cash strategies to attract, retain, and motivate top systems, platform, and AI engineers worldwide.

Reporting to the Director of Compensation, you will blend quantitative analysis with executive advisory, scaling our global compensation framework and enabling pay-for-performance across core technology teams.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of compensation for core engineering and AI talent.
• Ability to design custom equity and cash strategies from first principles.
• Strong analytics experience using Excel/Sheets; SQL, Python, Tableau or AI analytics tools a plus.

Responsibilities

• R&D Solutioning & Strategic Advisory: co-create custom incentive models and retention frameworks for hyper-competitive R&D talent.
• Lifecycle Compensation Management: manage merit, refresh equity, and promotions across global engineering cohorts with automation and AI support.
• Enterprise Framework Development: scale Databricks' global compensation structure with market pricing and pay-for-performance mechanics.

Skills

Strategic compensation leadership

First-principles thinking

Advanced analytics

Executive advisory

Tools

Excel/Google Sheets

SQL

Python

Tableau

Job description

R&D Compensation Business Partner

United States

GAQ127R143

Databricks is building the future of data and AI and world-class engineering requires world-class talent solutions. We are looking for a strategic, technical Compensation Lead to partner directly with our R&D founders, and Engineering VP leadership. In this role, you won't just execute traditional pay practices; you will design first-principles equity and cash strategies to attract, retain, and motivate the sharpest systems, platform, and AI engineers on the planet.

Reporting to the Director of Compensation, you will bridge deep quantitative analysis with high-stakes executive advisory, ensuring our compensation philosophy reinforces an owner mindset across our core technology and product teams.

The Impact you will have

Scope of the role

• R&D Solutioning & Strategic Advisory (40%): Co-create custom incentive models, specialized technical compensation structures, and high-impact retention frameworks tailored specifically to hyper-competitive R&D skill sets.
• Lifecycle Compensation Management (30%): Own the end‑to‑end execution of merit, refresh equity, and promotion cycles across global engineering cohorts, serving as the primary advisor for strategic executive hires and key retention scenarios. Build and leverage automation and AI solutions to efficiently support complex and nuanced cases.
• Enterprise Framework Development (30%): Scale Databricks’ global compensation structure, refining market pricing models, pay-for-performance mechanics, and equity strategies.

What you’ll bring

R&D Compensation Mastery

• Technical Domain Depth: Deep understanding of the competitive landscape for core engineering, infrastructure, and AI/ML talent—including aggressive startup equity structures, tech-sector refresh strategies, and specialized software compensation models.
• First-principles Thinking: Ability to look beyond standard survey data to build custom, business-aligned compensation solutions from scratch.
• Advanced Analytics: Mastery of Excel/Google Sheets required. Hands-on experience with SQL, Python, Tableau, or AI-driven analytics tools is a strong plus.

Executive Partnership & Scale

• Trusted Advisory: Confidence and credibility to partner directly with technical founders and executive leadership on high-stakes, sensitive pay decisions, M&A integrations, and critical offers.
• Scalable Operations: Experience building scalable compensation solutions and operationalizing comp programs across complex systems without sacrificing speed or precision.

Pay Range Transparency

Databricks is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The pay range(s) for this role is listed below and represents the expected base salary range for non-commissionable roles or on-target earnings for commissionable roles. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, depth of experience, relevant certifications and training, and specific work location. Based on the factors above, Databricks anticipated utilizing the full width of the range. The total compensation package for this position may also include eligibility for annual performance bonus, equity, and the benefits listed above. For more information regarding which range your location is in visit our page here .

Zone 1 Pay Range $217,800 – $299,550 USD
Zone 2 Pay Range $196,100 – $269,600 USD
Zone 3 Pay Range $185,200 – $254,650 USD
Zone 4 Pay Range $174,200 – $239,600 USD

About Databricks

Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 20,000 organizations worldwide — including adidas, AT&T, Bayer, Block, Mastercard, Rivian, Unilever, and 70% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data + AI Platform to build and scale data and AI apps, analytics and agents. Headquartered in San Francisco with 30+ offices around the globe, Databricks offers a unified platform that includes Genie, Lakebase, Agent Bricks, Lakeflow, Lakehouse, and Unity Catalog. To learn more, follow Databricks on LinkedIn , X , YouTube , and Instagram.

Benefits

At Databricks, we strive to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all of our employees. For specific details on the benefits offered in your region click here .

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We take great care to ensure that our hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals looking for employment at Databricks are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics.

Compliance

If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.