Senior Compensation Partner - Corporate Functions & M&A

Rocket Lab; Long Beach (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Employee Stock Purchase Program

401(k) with company match

Medical, dental, vision plans

Paid vacation and holidays

Job summary

Rocket Lab in Long Beach, CA is seeking a Senior Compensation Partner to lead strategic compensation decisions across the organization. You will partner with the People & Culture team and senior leadership to shape policy, design new roles, and manage salary structures in a fast‑growing space company.

You will drive data-driven analyses, manage surveys, and implement innovative compensation tools, including AI-enabled resources, to attract and retain top talent.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of compensation analysis experience; 12+ years total work experience preferred.
• Experience leading internal and external market analyses.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, including model-building and data analyses.

Responsibilities

• Act as a business partner to the People & Culture team and leadership to support hiring, promotions, initiatives, and annual compensation programs.
• Manage global compensation architecture, including design of new jobs and salary structures.
• Conduct research, quantitative analysis, data modeling, data mining, and present data to inform strategic decisions on people.
• Aggregate data and participate in compensation surveys as needed.
• Develop and deliver training on compensation programs to recruiters and HR professionals.
• Provide recommendations for innovative compensation tools and AI-enabled resources.
• Contribute to the development of a comprehensive total rewards strategy and roadmap.
• Collaborate with IT on processes and systems improvements.
• Support compliance requirements for total rewards with analytical rigor.
• Review and approve compensation requests for hires and internal transfers.
• Prepare presentations and advise leadership with actionable recommendations.

Skills

Compensation analysis

Market analysis

Excel modelling

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Compa

Pave

Open Code

Radford

Job description

About Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more - all with the goal of opening access to space. The rockets and satellites we build and launch enable some of the most ambitious and vital space missions globally, supporting scientific exploration, Earth observation and missions to combat climate change, national security, and exciting new technology demonstrations.

About Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space company delivering responsive launch services, complete spacecraft design and manufacturing, payloads, satellite components, and more - all with the goal of opening access to space. The rockets and satellites we build and launch enable some of the most ambitious and vital space missions globally, supporting scientific exploration, Earth observation and missions to combat climate change, national security, and exciting new technology demonstrations. Our Electron rocket has become the second most frequently launched U.S. rocket annually and has delivered more than 230 satellites to orbit, all while we work to develop Neutron, our upcoming medium-lift, reusable launch vehicle for larger constellation deployment. Our Space Systems business designs and builds our extensive line of satellites, payloads, and their components, including spacecraft that have been selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars and components used on the James Webb Space Telescope.

PEOPLE & CULTURE

Rocket Lab’s People & Culture team is responsible for looking after our most valuable asset: our people. Across our global teams, the People & Culture team supports our people and departments across recruitment, new staff orientation, compensation, learning and development. They make sure our growing and diverse global team is supported and capable of delivering our projects and customer’s missions, and they’re responsible for supporting their development, nurturing their skills and talent, and retaining the world-class people already on our team.

Senior Compensation Partner - Corporate Functions & M&a

Based out of Rocket Lab's global headquarters in Long Beach, CA, the Senior Compensation Partner is responsible for providing strategic analysis and assisting with the design, implementation, and administration of executive and broad-based compensation decisions for new hires and internal employees. You will report directly to the Director, Total Rewards and support the global People & Culture organization with deliverables required for internal leadership, board of directors, and investors. This role will support creating and driving the strategy, policy, and programs spanning all areas of compensation, benefits, and equity to ensure pay practices are designed to drive high performance and attract and retain top talent. The candidate will have the opportunity to work directly with business leaders to deliver on Rocket Lab’s compensation practices and programs.

What You’ll Get To Do

• Act as business partner to the People & Culture (P&C) team along with business leadership to support their decision making for hiring, promotions, specific organizational initiatives, and annual compensation programs
• Manage the global compensation architecture including the design and creation of new jobs and salary structures.
• Conduct research, quantitative analysis, data modeling, data mining, and the presentation of data to see beyond the numbers and understand trends to drive strategic decisions around people.
• Aggregate data and participate in compensation surveys as needed
• Develop and implement communication and training on compensation programs for recruiters, human resources professionals, and managers to promote understanding and transparency of Rocket Lab’s compensation practices.
• Research and provide recommendations for innovative compensation tools and resources with an emphasis on artificial intelligence (AI).
• Assist with the development of a comprehensive total rewards strategy and roadmap
• Collaborate with IT on process improvements and systems enhancements
• Provide analytical support for total rewards compliance requirements
• Review and approve compensation requests for new hires and internal transfers
• Develop presentations and provide recommendations to leadership

You’ll Bring These Qualifications

• 8+ years of professional experience in compensation analysis and administration and a bachelor's degree or equivalent years of work experience (12+ years of total work experience).
• Experience leading internal and external market analysis
• Advanced proficiency in excel, including experience building models and analyses

These Qualifications Would Be Nice To Have

• Master’s Degree
• Ability to receive & implement constructive feedback into future work products
• Experience managing compensation decisions as part of a corporate function or in management consulting
• Prior experience supporting and employees base of corporate functions (Finance, IT, P&C, etc.) professionals along with mergers and acquisitions
• Strong analytical, project management, and quantitative skills with the ability to present to a variety of team members
• Knowledge of laws and regulations as they apply to base compensation, incentive compensation programs, company policies, and operations
• In-depth understanding of compensation best practices
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written communication skills
• Strong consultative skills and highly effective in communicating clearly and constructively to a variety of audiences
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems using best practices, knowledge of internal and external business issues to provide a new perspective on existing solutions or create new solutions
• Experience developing stock-based compensation packages
• Highly organized with ability to manage multiple high-priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP)
• Experience using artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as Compa, Pave, Open Code
• Experience using Radford compensation survey

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, computer work, and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise, dust, and fumes in production areas.

Level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. Join one of the world's fastest-growing space companies and own a piece of it. In addition to competitive pay, you'll receive company stock as part of your total compensation package, giving you a direct stake in our success. As we expand to new launch sites, groundbreaking missions, and global markets, your ownership has the opportunity to grow alongside the company. Our comprehensive benefits package includes our industry-leading Employee Stock Purchase Program (with a 15% discount on company stock), top-tier medical plans (HMO, PPO, and a zero cost HDHP option with a significant HSA company contribution), dental and vision coverage, paid vacation and sick time, 11 paid holidays, flexible spending and dependent care accounts, paid parental leave, disability and life insurance, and a 401(k) retirement plan with company match. Additional perks include subsidized EV charging, onsite fitness centers (where available), discounted gym memberships, complimentary snacks and beverages, 50% employee discount on our popular merch store, and a variety of other employee discounts.

What To Expect

We’re on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth, but that’s not an easy task. It takes hard work, determination, relentless innovation, teamwork, grit, and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think, out-work, and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each other’s backs, checking our egos at the door, and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure, work to tight deadlines, and our focus is always on how we can deliver, rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.

Important Information

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen, lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce, as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.

Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at [e-mail]. This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:

For security reasons, background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States' International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Under these Regulations, you may be ineligible for this role if you hold citizenship of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, the European Union, or a country that is part of NATO, or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations, click here ITAR Regulations.