Compensation manager

As our first compensation team member, you’ll lead our compensation efforts at Watershed. You’ll oversee our unique and simple compensation program, ensuring equitable outcomes and aligning performance with compensation rewards. Specifically, you’ll refine and improve our compensation philosophy and design, implement and communicate our global compensation programs. You’ll report to the Head of People, your work will be accountable to the board and founders and you’ll partner closely with HRBPs, recruiting and leaders across the organization. This role will be based in our San Francisco office.

We’re planning on scaling headcount quickly next year, adding net new job roles and validating our benchmarking as we grow. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who sees themselves as a builder to get into the role early and help us avoid the pitfalls of a rapidly scaling organization. This person will hopefully go on to build and oversee the compensation team at Watershed. 

You will:

• Design compensation programs to align with Watershed’s philosophies
• Identify external marketplace trends and provide expertise in competitive practices to inform program design and development
• Lead compensation benchmarking process including survey participation, market analysis, salary range and structure development globally
• Administer bi-annual compensation processes which includes equity and cash budget modeling, merit and market increases, and market competitiveness review
• Act as a subject matter expert and provide strategic consult to HRBP’s and recruiting team on all thing’s compensation
• Proactively ensure our compensation is competitive to attract and retain talented employees
• Partner with revenue operations team to ensure sales compensation is in-line with company practices
• Communicate and collaborate with leaders across the organization to collect feedback, build trust, and advise on compensation topics from program-level to individual basis, including enablement and advocacy for our evolving compensation philosophy

In your first six months you will:

• Review and refine compensation philosophy 
• Review and adjust compensation benchmarks for rapidly growing scale and geographical expansion
• Review and adjust design for our merit cycle
• Evaluate program for variable compensation 
• Review and upgrade our compensation systems for compensation planning and communication to employees 

You have:

• 7+ years experience in compensation or equivalent capabilities
• Strongly prefer compensation program design and management experience
• Understanding of US, UK and European compensation practices
• Enthusiasm for operational improvements
• Previous experience supporting a scaling organization at critical stages of growth & expansion (e.g., pre-IPO, M&As, new market entry, etc.)
• Experience working at fast growing companies and comfort with ambiguity