Principal Compensation Partner

Job description

This is a builder’s role. You will bring a business mindset, quantitative rigor, and a bias for action to a company that is growing fast, and you will have real ownership over how our compensation approach evolves. Join us and be part of a mission-driven company that is passionate about investing in our people! Hybrid schedule and office location: Denver

Responsibilities

• Be a trusted advisor in the room. Partner directly with Executives, Directors, senior HR leaders, and Talent Acquisition to shape compensation strategies that fit Checkr’s philosophy while meeting the needs of each organization, including calibration sessions, offer discussions, and complex pay decisions.
• Own the strategy and the programs. Develop and maintain our compensation and rewards strategy and guidelines, ensuring a fair, equitable, and competitive total rewards approach, and be the subject-matter expert on our bi-annual performance review cycle, pay equity, compensation guidelines, job families, annual salary review, and equity refresh program.
• Take a whole-picture view of total rewards. Help evaluate how cash, equity, benefits, 401(k), leave, and recognition programs fit together, and bring ideas that strengthen Checkr’s overall rewards offering.
• Solve problems that don’t have obvious answers. Develop creative, data-driven solutions to complex compensation challenges, balancing competitiveness, equity, risk, and reward.
• Go deep on the data. Build compensation models, conduct statistical analysis, assess market competitiveness, and model the impact of alternatives so leaders can make informed decisions.
• Use AI and automation to build mechanisms that scale. Partner with Total Rewards and People Ops technology teams to implement tools that improve efficiency, operational excellence, and insight across the function.
• Drive job architecture and market pricing. Lead job evaluation, leveling, and market pricing across all job families and levels, and lead market-based compensation survey participation, annual benchmarking, and the market research review process.
• Educate and communicate. Create policy and program documentation, lead change management for new or updated compensation practices, and teach managers and employees about Checkr’s compensation philosophy, job descriptions, and leveling framework.
• Support executive compensation and provide insight to leadership on executive pay decisions.
• Partner across the company. Work closely with Total Rewards, Stock Administration, Finance, Legal, and third-party vendors to deliver programs accurately and on time, and support pay equity and pay transparency efforts.
• Mentor and lead projects. Coach teammates and partners on the business impact behind compensation decisions, and lead a variety of HR and compensation-related projects, including ad-hoc studies and analysis.
• Be a proactive problem solver. Spot skill gaps, offer solutions before you’re asked, and use judgment about when to move fast and when to slow down.

Requirements

• 8–10+ years of compensation experience partnering with leaders and stakeholders on compensation recommendations and decisions, ideally in a fast-growing, global tech company
• Strong command of compensation fundamentals, including job architecture and leveling, job evaluation methodologies, market pricing, equity mechanics, bonus/incentive and commission plan design, compensation structures, pay ranges, testing, auditing, and reporting
• Experience designing and implementing compensation programs, including salary structures, bonus, and long-term incentive programs
• Expertise in compensation benchmarking and survey methodology (for example Radford, Mercer, Compa, or Pave)
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to translate data and trends into clear insights and recommendations
• Strong executive presence, with the ability to communicate complex topics clearly and to influence decisions without direct authority
• Working knowledge of stock administration, payroll, benefits and 401(k) programs, ideally including experience with self-funded health plans (for example plan cost modeling, stop-loss, or working with a TPA or broker)
• Experience administering equity programs in a pre-IPO stage
• Proven ability to prioritize and drive multiple projects to completion and meet deadlines, with strong attention to detail and organization
• A passion for educating and mentoring partners on the values and business impact behind compensation strategy
• An A-player mindset with a strong bias for action: you raise the bar, move with urgency, stay resilient through ambiguity, and take ownership to deliver meaningful outcomes
• Experience building compensation programs from the ground up in a high-growth, hyper-scaling environment
• Experience leading compensation initiatives in a matrix-led organization
• Experience with mergers and acquisitions, including compensation harmonization and integration