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The Director, Global Compensation provides deep broad-based compensation expertise and counsel across Ultragenyx, with a focus on supporting the company's more complex and globally distributed business areas. The role advises HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and business leaders on complex and innovative compensation solutions. Drawing on extensive global pharmaceutical or biotechnology experience across multiple regions, the Director leads market intelligence, job architecture, salary structures, and compensation frameworks to support equitable, competitive, and consistent pay decisions aligned with Ultragenyx's compensation philosophy.
Work Model:Remote: Officially documented as working full-time from home, with travel to Ultragenyx's offices or other locations on occasion as needed.
Responsibilities:- Serve as the lead compensation advisor for assigned complex and global business areas, consulting on strategic hires, retention, promotions, job leveling, organizational changes, annual compensation planning, and other high-impact compensation decisions.
- Develop an in-depth understanding of business strategies, talent priorities, organizational structures, and regional market conditions to anticipate compensation implications and recommend practical solutions.
- Analyze complex compensation issues and develop market-informed recommendations that balance business objectives, external competitiveness, internal equity, global consistency, and compensation philosophy.
- Design and recommend innovative compensation solutions to support critical talent, retention needs, and strategic business initiatives. Advise senior HR and business leaders, clearly communicating data-driven recommendations and exercising sound judgment.
- Represent client needs and emerging business issues in the design, enhancement, and implementation of broad-based compensation programs, frameworks, policies, and processes.
- Lead the global compensation market intelligence strategy, including survey vendor relationships and survey investment decisions. Oversee market pricing and benchmarking across functions, levels, and geographies using relevant data sources, translating complex analyses into clear recommendations. Attend vendor and industry conferences.
- Own the global job architecture, leveling framework, job evaluation methodology, salary structures,, ensuring consistent and market-aligned application across regions, organizational structures, and career paths.
- Maintain deep knowledge of pharmaceutical and biotechnology compensation practices and regional market and regulatory considerations across North America, EMEA, LATAM, and APAC, incorporating relevant developments into compensation recommendations.
- Lead annual market reviews for assigned client groups, including assessment of market movement, competitiveness, salary structure alignment, midpoint progression, range adjustments, and pay compression; validate market recommendations and updated salary ranges for supported functions.
- Provide subject matter leadership for annual compensation planning, global pay transparency and pay equity, and broad-based program enhancements, ensuring client decisions and application remain aligned with compensation philosophy, governance standards, and business priorities.
- Bachelor's degree required and 10+ years of progressive broad-based compensation experience in high-growth, global environments; experience in a global public pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences company strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated compensation business partnering experience with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and business leaders across multiple functions, geographies, and organizational levels.
- Deep experience with market pricing, benchmarking, salary structure design, job architecture, job leveling, job evaluation, and compensation decision support.
- International compensation experience, including experience supporting EMEA, LATAM, and/or APAC, preferred.
- Excellent communication, influence, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain compensation concepts clearly to HR and business audiences.
- Experience with life sciences survey frameworks and compensation data sources such as Aon/Radford, Mercer, WTW, or similar providers.
- Strong analytical, modeling, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate market data and compensation analysis into clear, practical recommendations.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment while maintaining strong attention to detail, sound judgment, and a collaborative approach.
#LI-CS1 #LI-Remote
The typical annual salary range for this full-time position is listed below. This range reflects the characteristics of the job, such as required skills and qualifications and is based on the office location noted in this job posting. The range may also be adjusted based on applicant's geographic location.
This position is eligible for annual bonus and equity incentives. Actual individual pay is determined by demonstrated experience and internal equity alignment.
Ultragenyx Pharmaceutical is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin/ancestry, age, disability, marital and veteran status, and any other status or classification protected by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. Reasonable accommodation will be provided for all protected statuses or classifications protected by applicable law, including individuals with disabilities, disabled veterans, for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, and based on sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants can request an accommodation prior to accepting a job offer. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, or in any part of the recruitment process, you may contact Talent Acquisition by emailing us at [email protected].
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree
- 10+ years of progressive broad-based compensation experience in high-growth, global environments
- Experience in a global public pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences company
- Compensation business partnering experience with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and business leaders across multiple functions, geographies, and organizational levels
- Experience with market pricing, benchmarking, salary structure design, job architecture, job leveling, job evaluation, and compensation decision support
- International compensation experience supporting EMEA, LATAM, and/or APAC
- Excellent communication, influence, and stakeholder management skills
- Experience with life sciences survey frameworks and compensation data sources such as Aon/Radford, Mercer, WTW, or similar providers
- Strong analytical, modeling, and problem-solving skills
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment with attention to detail, sound judgment, and collaboration
Ultragenyx Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Ultragenyx and has not been reviewed or approved by Ultragenyx.
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Healthcare Strength — Benefits begin on the first day with multiple medical plan options alongside dental and vision coverage. Employer-funded HSA contributions and employer-paid mental health support via Spring Health add notable depth to healthcare support.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off is broadened by two fully paid company shutdown weeks in August and December in addition to holidays and baseline vacation. Paid sick time, paid volunteer time, and a substantial paid leave program further expand time-off support.
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Retirement Support — Retirement support includes a 401(k) program with a match on employee contributions and immediate vesting. An employee stock purchase plan discount also strengthens the overall financial rewards package.
Ultragenyx Insights
What We Do
At Ultragenyx, we fundamentally believe that taking real impactful action to care for the needs of patients and our people is always the right thing to do. To achieve this goal, our vision is to lead the future of rare disease medicine. For us, this means going where other biopharma companies won’t go – challenging the status quo and creating a new model that advances our field so more patients and caregivers can benefit from life-changing treatments. We do this by following the science, applying a novel rapid development approach, making innovative medicines at fair and reasonable prices, and creating a collaborative ecosystem to reach patients in ways that are most meaningful for them.
