Senior Manager, Compensation - Tech

General Motors; United States; On-site; USD 201,100 - 283,200; Full time

Job summary

General Motors is seeking a Senior Manager, Compensation – Tech to design and govern compensation programs for GM's software, AI, cybersecurity, and data platforms. You will lead base, incentives, and equity design, partner with HRBPs and business leaders, and drive scalable pay practices in a fast-evolving tech talent market.

You will manage a small team (2–4) of compensation professionals, deliver data-driven insights, build market models, and advise executives on tech talent market dynamics,

Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of progressive experience in compensation, with leadership or senior advisory exposure.
• Experience designing compensation programs for tech talent (base, incentives, equity).
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency with Excel, HRIS, and data visualization tools.

Responsibilities

• Design and refine compensation structures and programs for GM's technology groups (base, incentives, equity).
• Translate tech strategies into compensation frameworks and guidelines.
• Lead analytics and market intelligence to inform hiring, retention, and promotions decisions.
• Develop benchmarking and market positioning for key tech roles across geographies.
• Ensure governance and compliance of compensation programs and prepare executive materials.

Skills

Analytical skills

Excel proficiency

HRIS experience

BI tools (Power BI, Tableau)

Data-driven storytelling

Stakeholder influence

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree in HR/Finance/Economics/Business

Tools

Radford

Mercer

WTW

Job description

Position Summary:

The Senior Manager, Compensation – Tech is a strategic people leader responsible for designing, executing, and governing compensation programs that support GM’s technology-focused businesses (e.g., Software & Services, Autonomous/AV, Cybersecurity, Data & AI). This role combines deep compensation expertise with strong business partnership and analytics to drive competitive, equitable, and scalable pay practices in a rapidly evolving tech talent market.

This leader will manage and develop a small team (2–4) of compensation professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement. They will be a key advisor to senior HR and business leaders on tech talent market dynamics, pay positioning, and program design.

Key Responsibilities:

Tech Compensation Strategy & Design

• Lead and / or support the design and ongoing refinement of compensation structures and programs that support GM’s technology organizations, including base salary, cash incentives, and equity programs.
• Translate business and talent strategies for Software & Services, AV/Autonomous, Cybersecurity, and related tech domains into clear compensation frameworks and guidelines.
• Partner with HRBPs, Talent Acquisition, and business leaders to define proactive compensation strategies for critical tech roles and premium job families (e.g., AI/ML, software engineering, cybersecurity, data & analytics).
• Support the evolution of job architecture and leveling for tech roles in alignment with enterprise frameworks, ensuring clarity, consistency, and scalability.

Analytics, Insights & Market Intelligence

• Lead in-depth compensation and workforce analytics to inform decisions on hiring, retention, promotions, market adjustments, and program design.
• Build scenario models and cost/impact analyses for proposed changes (e.g., market adjustments, range updates, new incentive plans, retention strategies).
• Leverage survey data and internal analytics to identify trends, risks, and opportunities in pay practices across key tech markets and geos.
• Provide clear, executive-ready insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders, simplifying complex analyses into actionable narratives.

Benchmarking & External Market Positioning

• Own and / or support the benchmarking and market-pricing strategy for key tech roles, including survey participation, matching, and interpretation of results for relevant geographies.
• Maintain a deep understanding of tech talent market dynamics (e.g., Bay Area, Austin, remote tech hubs), including pay practices, equity participation, and premium skill segments.
• Ensure GM’s compensation programs for tech roles are competitive, equitable, and aligned with both internal peers and external market benchmarks.

Governance, Compliance & Executive Interfaces

• Ensure compensation recommendations and program designs comply with internal governance (e.g., DOA, ECC guidelines) and relevant legal/regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to materials for Executive Compensation Committee, senior leadership, and Board reporting related to tech compensation topics as needed.
• Partner closely with Legal, Finance, and HR operations to ensure audit readiness, data integrity, and disciplined execution of compensation programs.

People Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a small team (2–4) of compensation professionals, building deep technical and consulting capability within the team.
• Set clear priorities, manage workload, and remove obstacles so the team can deliver high-quality, timely support to stakeholders.
• Create an inclusive, high-performance culture that emphasizes learning, experimentation, continuous improvement, and strong partnership with HR and business leaders.
• Role-model GM Behaviors, with a strong focus on collaboration, courage, customer-centricity, and innovation.

Qualifications:

• 8-10+ years of progressive experience in compensation, with at least 3 years in a leadership or senior advisory role; experience supporting technology organizations (e.g., software, digital, data/AI, cybersecurity, AV) strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing compensation programs for tech talent, including base, incentives, and equity.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Excel and experience with HRIS and data visualization/BI tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Deep knowledge of compensation survey methodologies and market pricing tools (e.g., Radford, Mercer, WTW) and experience with tech market benchmarking across multiple geographies.
• Proven track record influencing senior leaders with data-driven insights, clear recommendations, and strong storytelling.
• Experience managing and developing a team of compensation professionals (2–4+), including workload management, coaching, and performance development.
• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Finance, Economics, Business, or related field.

Preferred Attributes:

• Strategic, systems-level thinker with strong business acumen and the ability to connect compensation strategy to GM’s tech and enterprise priorities.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and high-change environments; able to simplify complexity and drive clarity.
• Passion for data-driven decision-making, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborative, inclusive leadership style that builds strong partnerships across HR, Finance, Legal, and technology organizations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create executive-ready materials and facilitate complex discussions with senior stakeholders.

Compensation:

The compensation information is a good faith estimate only. It is based on what a successful applicant might be paid in accordance with applicable state laws. The actual base salary a successful candidate will be offered within this range will vary based on factors relevant to the position, as well as geography of the selected candidate.

• The salary range for this role is $201,100 - 283,200.