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, 2026For 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.
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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or related field
- 12+ years of related compensation experience
- Extensive progressive compensation experience including leadership responsibility in large, matrixed organizations
- Deep expertise in compensation operations, annual pay planning, job architecture, salary administration, and incentive programs
- 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
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities and ability to synthesize large data sets into strategic recommendations
- Advanced proficiency in compensation analytics and reporting tools (Microsoft Excel and Power BI)
- Advanced degree (preferred)
- 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
Leidos Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Leidos and has not been reviewed or approved by Leidos.
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as comprehensive, with multiple plan options, low office-visit copays in some plans, and access to mental health and wellness support tools. The availability of HSA/FSA options and employer contributions is positioned as a meaningful part of the total package.
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Retirement Support — Retirement benefits are framed as a strong component of total rewards, highlighted by a 401(k) match and immediate vesting in the standard package. The Employee Stock Purchase Plan is also presented as an additional long-term wealth-building feature.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellbeing and lifestyle supports extend beyond core insurance, including wellness programs, fitness-related stipends, and assistance resources. Work flexibility and related perks are also included as part of the broader rewards experience.
Leidos Insights
What We Do
We Are Leidos For 50 years we have been tackling some of the biggest problems that face our nation and our world. OUR MISSION Through our culture of innovation and history of performance, we develop deep customer trust built on integrity and create enduring solutions that improve our world. Leidos is a science and technology solutions leader working to address some of the world’s toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and healthcare markets. The company’s 43,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $11.09 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2020. Leidos was cited for the meaningful work employees perform that is challenging, impactful, and aligned with our customers’ missions as reasons professionals want to work and stay at our company. Leidos has also been named to lists including Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity, Forbes’ America’s Best Employers for Women, Military Times Best for Vets Employers, and Ethisphere Institute’s World's Most Ethical Companies®. Employees enjoy career enrichment opportunities available through mobility and development and experience rewarding relationships with supportive supervisors and talented colleagues and customers. Employees appreciate our flexible work environment, allowing for and encouraging a true work-life balance. Our professionals are also excited about our Employee Resource Groups, like the newly launched Collaborative Outreach with Remote and Embedded Employees (CORE), which strives to create an environment where every employee, regardless of location, feels fully engaged as a valued employee of Leidos. Your most important work is ahead.
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