Compensation Manager

Hadrian Automation • Torrance, CA

2d • $200,000 - $270,000

About The Position

Hadrian is seeking a Compensation Manager to own its compensation strategy and build scalable compensation systems for a rapidly growing manufacturing business. The role covers hourly production, salaried, go-to-market, and executive populations, and combines strategic program design with hands-on execution. The manager will establish the compensation philosophy, job architecture, career frameworks, pay structures, and market benchmarking approach, and will lead annual and off-cycle compensation cycles. The role partners with People Partners, Recruiting, Finance, business leaders, and executives to support pay decisions and keep compensation programs competitive as Hadrian expands into new sites and labor markets.

The Compensation Manager will also develop offer guidance and tools, advise on sales and go-to-market compensation, support executive compensation and equity frameworks, and build reporting and models to inform decisions about pay equity, offer competitiveness, and retention risk. The position requires translating compensation analysis into clear recommendations for leaders and hiring managers in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Requirements

• At least 6 years of compensation experience, including ownership of program design and compensation cycles.
• Command of compensation fundamentals, including job matching, market pricing, leveling, job architecture, and cyclical programs.
• Experience building compensation programs for hourly and salaried populations, including shift differentials, overtime, and multi-state pay compliance.
• Track record of developing benchmarking approaches and peer groups that withstand scrutiny, with judgment to adapt when standard approaches do not fit.
• Deep Excel or Google Sheets fluency, including modeling, lookups, and INDEX/MATCH, and ability to turn messy data into usable business insights.
• Fluency in sales compensation, including OTE design, bonus structuring, and related tradeoffs.
• Experience designing and managing equity programs, with a strong understanding of private- and public-company equity frameworks.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to explain complex compensation models clearly to senior leaders and first-time hiring managers.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, high-growth environment and building structure in real time.

Nice To Haves

• Compensation experience across manufacturing and technology companies, including building programs for both factory-floor and engineering populations.
• Experience building skills-based pay structures, career frameworks, or job architecture from the ground up.
• Creative, outside-the-box compensation strategy experience in markets without clear peer groups or established playbooks.
• Experience with executive compensation, especially in a pre-IPO or rapid-scaling environment.
• Background in aerospace, defense, or other regulated industries.
• Experience with HRIS and compensation planning tools such as Rippling, Pave, or similar.

Responsibilities

• Own Hadrian's compensation strategy and philosophy, building a competitive, scalable framework across hourly production, salaried, GTM, and executive roles.
• Build and maintain job architecture and career frameworks, including leveling, job families, and skills-based pay structures.
• Conduct market benchmarking and modeling using appropriate peer groups across aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, AI, and technology talent markets.
• Set the cadence for refreshing compensation bands and own the process end-to-end, including for new sites and labor markets.
• Own annual and off-cycle compensation planning, including merit, promotion, and equity refresh cycles, and participate hands-on in execution.
• Partner with Recruiting on offer decisioning and build guidance and tools for competitive, defensible offers.
• Advise on sales and GTM compensation design, including OTE structuring, and partner with leadership on executive compensation and equity frameworks.
• Build models, dashboards, and reporting on pay equity, offer competitiveness, and retention risk to inform business decisions.
• Explain compensation data and the rationale behind pay decisions and structures to executives and hiring managers.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees.
• 401k.
• Relocation support may be provided in certain situations based on business need.
• Flexible vacation policy.
• Equity.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed