Compensation Lead

We are seeking a Compensation Lead to build and execute Perplexity's compensation function. The successful candidate will be responsible for creating programs and processes that support hiring, recognition, and retention of employees.

The role involves:

• Building the compensation foundation, assessing existing practices, data, and tools, and developing recommendations on compensation philosophy, market positioning, and cash and equity guidelines
• Developing salary ranges and market benchmarks, establishing a consistent approach to pricing roles across functions and locations
• Owning day-to-day compensation decisions, evaluating recommendations against market data, internal equity, and budget
• Designing and running compensation reviews, coordinating with Finance, People Operations, Payroll, and equity partners
• Informing leadership decisions, modelling the cost and employee impact of proposed changes to salary and equity programs
• Identifying and addressing inconsistencies, assessing pay compression and potential inequities across teams, levels, and locations
• Building processes that people can use, establishing decision records, recruiter and manager guidance, and clear explanations of compensation programs
• Owning the data and tools behind the work, establishing reliable compensation records, selecting and managing benchmarking resources, and improving reporting and quality checks

The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience building compensation programs, establishing or substantially rebuilding compensation frameworks and processes with limited infrastructure
• Technical compensation depth, hands-on experience with market pricing, salary ranges, cash and equity programs, compensation reviews, and individual pay recommendations
• Strong analytical judgment, ability to build and audit models, reconcile imperfect data, and explain assumptions
• Ability to influence decisions, turning analysis into clear recommendations, discussing trade-offs with leadership, and constructively challenging approaches that aren't working
• Independent, hands-on execution, setting priorities, building a workable process, and managing urgent requests
• Discretion and clear communication, handling sensitive information carefully and explaining compensation decisions in language that recruiters, managers, and employees can understand