Head of Global Total Rewards

Planet•Arlington, VA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Welcome to Planet. We believe in using space to help life on Earth. Planet designs, builds, and operates the largest constellation of imaging satellites in history. This constellation delivers an unprecedented dataset of empirical information via a revolutionary cloud-based platform to authoritative figures in commercial, environmental, and humanitarian sectors. We are both a space company and data company all rolled into one. Customers and users across the globe use Planet's data to develop new technologies, drive revenue, power research, and solve our world’s toughest obstacles. As we control every component of hardware design, manufacturing, data processing, and software engineering, our office is a truly inspiring mix of experts from a variety of domains. We have a people-centric approach toward culture and community and we strive to iterate in a way that puts our team members first and prepares our company for growth. Join Planet and be a part of our mission to change the way people see the world. Planet is a global company with employees working remotely world wide and joining us from offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and The Netherlands. About the Role: This critical leadership role is responsible for the design, development, implementation, and administration of Planet's global Total Rewards strategy, encompassing all compensation and benefits programs. As the head of the function, you will ensure our rewards philosophy is competitive, equitable, compliant, and aligned with the company's business strategy, mission, and values, supporting talent attraction and retention globally across our SaaS and Hardware divisions. This role reports to the Chief People Officer and serves as a key partner to the Executive team, Finance, Legal and the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, ensuring responsible and compliant management of executive and equity compensation in a publicly traded environment. This is a full-time, hybrid role which will require you to work from our San Francisco or Arlington, Virginia office 3 days per week.

Requirements

10+ years of progressive experience in Total Rewards leadership roles.
8+ years managing global compensation and benefits programs.
Experience designing and managing executive and equity compensation programs for a publicly traded company.
Deep expertise in global benefits, including best practices for health, welfare, and retirement programs across major regions (e.g., North America, EMEA, APAC).
Ability to partner effectively with senior executives, Compensation Committees, and external consultants (e.g., legal counsel, compensation advisors).
Knowledge of compensation principles, including job evaluation, market pricing, and incentive plan design in the technology sector (SaaS and/or Hardware preferred).
Ability to conduct comprehensive analysis, model financial impact, and communicate complex Total Rewards information to diverse audiences.

Nice To Haves

Experience leading global Total Rewards in both a software and hardware company
Proven results enhancing employee experience and driving business outcomes through the design, implementation, communication, education and optimization of global Total Rewards investments and program enhancements.
Certification as a Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) or similar relevant professional designation.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of the global Total Rewards strategy, policies, and programs, including base pay, variable compensation, sales commission plans, long-term incentive/equity programs, and global benefits (health, welfare, and retirement).
Oversee the preparation of all materials and presentations for the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, including executive compensation proposals, pay-for-performance analysis, and all required public disclosures (e.g., Proxy statement).
Ensure all compensation and benefits programs comply with global regulatory requirements (e.g., FLSA, GDPR, pay equity laws) and are administered efficiently and accurately.
Partner with Finance and Legal teams on budgeting, financial planning, and the legal aspects of plan design and implementation, especially concerning a publicly traded company's financial and governance requirements.
Manage and mentor the Total Rewards team, establishing high performance standards and developing expertise in compensation and benefits administration.
Drive market competitiveness by conducting comprehensive benchmarking and salary surveys to attract and retain top talent across various global markets and technical disciplines, including engineering for SaaS and Hardware.