Director of Compensation and Equity

Cockroach Labs•New York, NY

3h•Hybrid

About The Position

CockroachDB is a category-defining tech company that makes it easier for businesses to build and scale applications. This role is a high-impact individual contributor responsible for designing and executing the company's compensation strategy, including base salary, variable pay, and equity. The Director will act as the subject matter expert, partnering with senior leaders, HR Business Partners, and managers to ensure compensation programs are competitive, equitable, and scalable. The role requires strong analytical skills and the ability to manage the full compensation and equity lifecycle, with an emphasis on leveraging AI tools to enhance efficiency and accessibility.

Requirements

8 to 12+ years of experience in compensation, with a strong concentration in total cash and equity compensation at high-growth, global technology companies.
Deep expertise in equity program design at a growth-stage technology company, including hands-on experience with option types (ISOs, NSOs), RSUs, vesting structures, 409A implications, and secondary market considerations.
Experience designing and evolving bonus and variable compensation programs across functions, including sales compensation structures such as OTE, commission mechanics, and accelerators.
Deep proficiency in market benchmarking methodologies and survey tools (Radford, Mercer, Carta, Pave, or comparable), with the ability to model compensation scenarios, cost impact analyses, and budget projections.
Ability to translate and communicate complex compensation concepts into clear, plain language for managers, recruiters, HRBPs, and employees at every level.
Demonstrated daily use of AI tools to improve the speed and quality of compensation work — including analysis, modeling, and documentation — with a consistent practice of reviewing, refining, and owning all AI-assisted output.
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field required.
CCP or CEP designation is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

Own the design and ongoing refinement of the global compensation philosophy, salary structures, and pay bands across all functions and levels.
Lead annual review cycles, including merit, promotion, and equity refresh processes.
Evaluate the effectiveness of incentive and variable pay programs, providing data-driven recommendations.
Conduct and interpret market benchmarking using established survey sources, translating data into actionable recommendations.
Partner with Finance on compensation budget planning, headcount modeling, and compensation expense forecasting.
Design and administer equity compensation programs, including option and RSU plan design, grant guidelines, and refresh frameworks.
Partner with Legal, Finance, and outside counsel on equity plan governance, 409A valuations, and regulatory compliance.
Ensure employees and managers understand the value of their equity.
Support the development of Compensation Committee materials and contribute to executive compensation decisions.
Partner on job architecture and leveling frameworks to ensure competitiveness and internal equity.
Leverage AI-powered tools and emerging compensation technology to scale analytical work and build repeatable processes.