Director, Compensation

Description

Leads the strategy, design, governance, and execution of enterprise-wide compensation programs in a highly matrixed, complex organization. This role is responsible for end-to-end compensation operations, including annual pay planning, incentive programs, job architecture, market benchmarking, and compensation systems administration with a strong emphasis on Workday optimization and operational excellence. The Director, Compensation serves as a strategic advisor to HR and business leadership, ensuring compensation programs support business growth, talent strategy, compliance requirements, and organizational effectiveness across a large-scale enterprise environment.

Responsibilities

Global Compensation Strategy

Lead the development and execution of enterprise compensation strategies aligned with business objectives, workforce planning, and talent priorities

Direct all compensation operations and core programs, including annual merit planning, promotions, bonus administration, market pricing, salary structures, off-cycle compensation actions, M&A due-diligence and harmonization

Oversee enterprise-wide compensation governance to ensure consistency, scalability, competitiveness, and compliance across business units and functions

Serve as the organization’s subject matter expert on compensation programs, including short-term incentive plans, recognition programs, and specialized compensation structures

Partner with executive leadership and HR stakeholders to support compensation decision-making for key talent, critical roles, and organizational changes

Support executive compensation processes and collaborate with senior leadership on compensation committee materials, analyses, and reporting as needed

Job Architecture & Organizational Effectiveness

Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing evolution of the company’s job architecture, leveling framework, and career progression models

Ensure alignment between compensation structures, job families, career paths, and workforce planning initiatives

Drive consistency and governance across job evaluations, leveling decisions, and organizational design changes in a highly matrixed environment

Partner with Talent Acquisition, HR Business Partners, Total Rewards Partners and Enablement and business leaders to support competitive and equitable hiring and internal mobility practices

Compensation Operations & Systems

Own compensation systems strategy and administration with deep operational expertise in Workday compensation modules and related HR technologies

Lead system configuration, process optimization, testing, reporting, and enhancements related to compensation programs and annual pay cycles

Partner with HRIS, Finance, Payroll, and HR System teams to ensure data integrity, process efficiency, and scalable compensation operations

Develop and maintain dashboards, analytics, and reporting capabilities to support business insights and compensation governance

Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local pay regulations, pay transparency requirements, and audit standards

Market Intelligence & Analytics

Analyze market trends, industry benchmarks, and competitive pay practices to provide strategic recommendations to leadership

Conduct complex compensation analyses to support workforce planning, retention strategies, pay equity initiatives, and business transformation efforts

Translate data and insights into clear, actionable recommendations for senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders

Lead compensation-related due diligence and integration support for mergers, acquisitions, and organizational restructuring initiatives

Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

Build strong partnerships across HR, Finance, Legal, Talent Acquisition, and business leadership teams to drive effective compensation outcomes

Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing compensation team, fostering operational excellence, strategic thinking, and strong internal client support

Influence and drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups within a highly collaborative and matrixed enterprise environment

Develop communication strategies and materials that help employees and leaders understand compensation programs and pay decisions

Qualifications

Required Experience

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or related field; advanced degree preferred combined with 12+ years of related experience.

Extensive progressive compensation experience, including leadership responsibility within large, complex, highly matrixed organizations

Deep expertise in compensation operations, annual pay planning, job architecture, salary administration, and incentive programs

Strong experience leading compensation programs in enterprise environments with complex organizational structures and multiple business units

Hands-on experience administering and optimizing compensation processes within Workday

Demonstrated success leading compensation transformations, process improvements, and scalable program implementations

Experience supporting executive compensation processes and senior leadership decision-making

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities with the ability to synthesize large data sets into strategic recommendations

Deep understanding of compensation regulations, market practices, and pay equity principles

Exceptional communication and presentation skills with the ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders

Proven ability to operate effectively in fast-paced, dynamic environments while managing competing priorities

Strong business acumen and ability to align compensation strategy with organizational objectives

Demonstrated leadership experience managing and developing high-performing teams

Advanced proficiency in compensation analytics, reporting tools (Microsoft Excel and Power BI)

Preferred Qualifications

Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation

Experience within government contracting, defense, aerospace, engineering, or similarly complex regulated industries

Experience supporting geographically dispersed and hybrid workforces

Familiarity with compensation practices related to cleared talent populations and technical labor markets

If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:

July 23, 2026

For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.

Pay Range:

Pay Range $139,100.00 - $251,450.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That's why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system – never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at LeidosCareersFraud@leidos.com.

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

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