Compensation Lead

We're hiring a Compensation Lead to build Perplexity's compensation function and own its day-to-day execution.

You'll build the programs and processes that support how we hire, recognize, and retain people.

Responsibilities

• Build the compensation foundation. Assess existing practices, data, and tools; prioritize the gaps; and develop recommendations on compensation philosophy, market positioning, and cash and equity guidelines.
• Develop salary ranges and market benchmarks. Establish a consistent approach to pricing roles across functions and locations.
• Own day-to-day compensation decisions. Be the primary partner for offers, promotions, pay adjustments, and compensation questions.
• Design and run compensation reviews. Build the calendar, planning models, manager guidance, and approval process.
• Inform leadership decisions. Model the cost and employee impact of proposed changes to salary and equity programs.
• Identify and address inconsistencies. Assess pay compression and potential inequities across teams, levels, and locations.
• Build processes people can use. Establish decision records, recruiter and manager guidance, and clear explanations of compensation programs.
• Own the data and tools behind the work. Establish reliable compensation records, select and manage benchmarking resources, and improve reporting and quality checks.

Requirements

• Experience building compensation programs: You've established or substantially rebuilt compensation frameworks and processes with limited infrastructure, and stayed accountable for running them after launch.
• Technical compensation depth: Hands-on experience with market pricing, salary ranges, cash and equity programs, compensation reviews, and individual pay recommendations.
• Strong analytical judgment: You can build and audit models, reconcile imperfect data, and explain your assumptions.
• Ability to influence decisions: You can turn analysis into a clear recommendation, discuss trade-offs with leadership, and constructively challenge an approach that isn't working.
• Independent, hands-on execution: You can set priorities, build a workable process, and manage urgent requests without losing progress on longer-term work.