Senior Staff Compensation Partner

Aurora; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 179,000 - 287,000; Full time

Job summary

Aurora in Mountain View/SF/Pittsburgh offers a Senior Staff Compensation Partner role to design compensation strategies, partnering with VPs and HR leaders, and leveraging data-driven decision making.

You will analyze programs, model impacts, support pay equity, and help drive job architecture across the organization. The role is hybrid with 3 days in the office and includes annual bonus and equity.

Qualifications

• 7-10+ years of compensation experience partnering with leaders and stakeholders on compensation-related recommendations and decisions.
• Extensive experience designing and implementing compensation programs (salary structure, bonus and long-term programs).
• Deep expertise in compensation benchmarking and survey methodology (Radford, Mercer, Compa, Pave).
• Strong executive presence and ability to communicate complex topics clearly.

Responsibilities

• Be the partner and trusted advisor with VPs, Directors, senior HR leaders, and Talent Acquisition to design compensation strategies that align with Aurora’s philosophy.
• Develop creative, data-driven solutions to complex compensation challenges, balancing competitiveness, equity, risk, and reward.
• Analyze compensation programs, assess market competitiveness, and model impacts of alternatives for informed leadership decisions.
• Leverage AI to build scalable compensation mechanisms and automate tools for better insights.
• Support development, administration, and continuous improvement of compensation programs and cycles.
• Support pay equity, pay transparency, and education of compensation programs.

Skills

Data-driven decision making

Executive presence

Communication clarity

Education

Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) or Total Rewards certification

Total Rewards certification

Tools

Excel

Claude

Lovable

Google Suite

Job description

Who we are

Aurora’s mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly.

The Aurora Driver will create a new era in mobility and logistics, one that will bring a safer, more efficient, and more accessible future to everyone.

At Aurora, you will tackle massively complex problems alongside other passionate, intelligent individuals, growing as an expert while expanding your knowledge. For the latest news from Aurora, visit aurora.tech or follow us on LinkedIn.

What we are looking for

Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all.

Aurora’s growth is fueled by exceptional talent, and how we reward them matters. Our Total Rewards team is at the center of that work, designing strategies that attract, retain, and motivate the people shaping Aurora’s future.

We’re searching for a Senior Staff Compensation Partner who is passionate about compensation strategy, data-driven decision making, partnering with the business, and leveraging technology to deliver innovative solutions. You will report to the Head of Total Rewards, and also work as a project team member on compensation programs. You will work a hybrid schedule, with 3 days a week in our Mountain View, San Francisco or Pittsburgh office.

In this role you will

• Be the partner and trusted advisor in the room. Partner directly with VPs, Directors, senior HR leaders, and Talent Acquisition to design compensation strategies that align with Aurora’s philosophy while meeting the unique needs of each org.
• Solve problems that don't have obvious answers. Develop creative, data-driven solutions to complex comp challenges, balancing competitiveness, equity, risk, and reward.
• Go deep on the data. Analyze compensation programs, assess market competitiveness, and model the impact of alternatives so leaders can make informed decisions.
• Leverage AI to build mechanisms that scale. Partner with compensation tech teams to implement tools and automation that drive operational excellence, enhance efficiency, and improve insights across the function.
• Support the development, administration, and continuous improvement of compensation programs and processes, including the mid-year and annual compensation cycles.
• Support pay equity, pay transparency, and education of compensation programs at Aurora.
• Drive job architecture projects, evaluating roles, defining levels, and ensuring internal equity across the organization.

Required qualifications

• 7-10+ years of compensation experience partnering with leaders and stakeholders on compensation-related recommendations and decisions.
• Extensive experience designing and implementing compensation programs (including expertise in salary structure, bonus and long-term programs)
• Deep expertise in compensation benchmarking and survey methodology (Radford, Mercer, Compa, Pave).
• Strong executive presence and ability to communicate complex topics clearly.

Desirable qualifications

• Experience in High-Tech, AI, and/or Consulting industries
• Experience with Sales Compensation
• Experience with Excel, Claude, Lovable, Google Suite
• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) or other Total Rewards certification
• Prior experience supporting Compensation Committee reporting.

The base salary range for this position in Mountain View or San Francisco is $179,000 - $287,000 per year.

The base salary range for this position in Pittsburgh is $162,000 - $259,000 per year.

Aurora’s pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

Working at Aurora

At Aurora, we bring together extraordinarily talented and experienced people united by the strength of our values. We operate with integrity, set outrageous goals, and build a culture where we win together — all without any jerks.

We believe in-person work increases collaboration, empathy and our ability to lead effectively. As a result, we operate in a hybrid work environment where Aurorans are in office at least 3 days per week.

Our Careers page provides insight into what it is like to work at Aurora, and you can find all the latest updates in our Newsroom.

Our commitment to safety

At the core of everything we do is our commitment to safety. Building best-in-class self-driving technology will take time, and we believe that each employee at Aurora has a role in contributing to safety, every step of the way. Aurora expects commitment to our safety policies from every employee, and seeks candidates who take an active responsibility, can contribute to building an atmosphere of trust, and invest in the organization’s long-term success by prioritizing working safely, no matter what.

Our commitment to inclusion

Aurora considers candidates without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy status, parent or caregiver status, ancestry, political affiliation, veteran and/or military status, physical or mental disability, or any other status protected by federal or state law. Aurora considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail].

For California applicants, information collected and processed as part of your application and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Aurora’s California Employment Privacy Policy.