Director of Compensation

WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy.

As AI scales, so does data. Every interaction, every model, every system generates data that must be stored, managed, and made accessible over time. That’s where we come in.

We combine deep engineering expertise with global-scale manufacturing to deliver the storage systems that make AI possible, powering hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructure worldwide.

This isn’t theoretical work. It’s real systems, at real scale, people solving some of the hardest challenges in technology today.

We’re looking for people who want to build, solve, and operate at that level.

Join us and let’s shape the future of data.

The Director of Compensation leads the strategic design and operational execution of the company’s compensation programs. This role ensures that all compensation practices—including base pay, variable pay, equity, job architecture, and market analysis—are competitive, compliant, scalable, and aligned with the company’s strategic goals. The Director partners closely with senior HR leaders and business executives, advising on compensation strategies to attract, retain, and motivate top talent.

Compensation Operations Ownership

- Lead the design and execution of compensation operations, including:
- Job architecture and leveling frameworks
- Annual compensation cycles (merit, bonus, equity)
- Global market benchmarking and survey participation
- Compensation tools and systems (e.g., HRIS, comp planning platforms)
- Ensure operational excellence, accuracy, and scalability in all compensation processes.

Governance, Compliance & Risk Mitigation

- Own compensation governance, including policies, process documentation, and approval workflows.
- Ensure compliance with applicable regulations (FLSA, pay equity, transparency laws, etc.).
- Partner with Legal, HR, and Finance on audit support, reporting, and risk mitigation related to compensation practices.

Analytics & Insights

- In partnership with systems & analytics leader, oversee compensation analytics and reporting to inform decision-making across the organization.
- Monitor compensation trends and market intelligence; provide recommendations to maintain competitive positioning.
- Use data to identify pay equity issues, workforce cost trends, and reward optimization opportunities.

Responsibilities

Develop and drive a holistic compensation strategy that supports business objectives and employee experience.; Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and HR Business Partners on compensation philosophy, pay decisions, and organizational design.; Provide executive-level consultation on compensation-related issues including workforce structure, retention risks, and leadership transitions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Finance, Business, or related field, Master’s or MBA preferred.; CCP (Certified Compensation Professional) certification highly preferred.; Progressive compensation experience, with experience in a leadership role.; Experience managing compensation operations.; Strong analytical, project management, and strategic thinking skills.; Proficiency with compensation tools and platforms (e.g., Workday, SAP SuccessFactors, MarketPay).; Excellent communication and influencing skills, proven ability to work with senior leadership.

Nice to have

Experience supporting high-growth, matrixed, or global organizations.; Ability to lead through ambiguity and build scalable processes in dynamic environments.

Benefits

An employee’s pay position within the salary range may be based on several factors including but not limited to (1) relevant education, qualifications, certifications, and experience, (2) skills, ability, knowledge of the job, (3) performance, contribution and results, (4) geographic location, (5) shift, (6) internal and external equity, and (7) business and organizational needs.; The salary range is what we believe to be the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range and this range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in California, Colorado, New York or remote jobs that can be performed in California, Colorado and New York. This range may be modified in the future.; If your position is non-exempt, you are eligible for overtime pay pursuant to company policy and applicable laws. You may also be eligible for shift differential pay, depending on the shift to which you are assigned.; You will be eligible to be considered for bonuses under either WD’s Short Term Incentive Plan (“STI Plan”) or the Sales Incentive Plan (“SIP”) which provides incentive awards based on Company and individual performance, depending on your role and your performance. You may be eligible to participate in our annual Long-Term Incentive (LTI) program, which consists of restricted stock units (RSUs) or cash equivalents, pursuant to the terms of the LTI plan. Please note that not all roles are eligible to participate in the LTI program, and not all roles are eligible for equity under the LTI plan. RSU awards are also available to eligible new hires, subject to WD's Standard Terms and Conditions for Restricted Stock Unit Awards.; We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid vacation time, paid sick leave, medical/dental/vision insurance, life, accident and disability insurance, tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts, employee assistance program, other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity, tuition reimbursement, transit, the Applause Program, employee stock purchase plan, and the WD Savings 401(k) Plan.; Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, benefits, or any other form of compensation and benefits that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.