Back to jobs
New

Compensation Manager

Crystal City

At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to make learning limitless– and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class higher education at scale. As the parent company of edX, a leading online learning platform, 2U powers thousands of  higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with our college, university, and corporate partners, we are helping accelerate careers and transform lives. 

What We’re Looking For:

The Compensation Manager leads the design and delivery of 2U’s compensation programs, ensuring market competitiveness, internal equity, and alignment with business strategy.  This role partners with HR and business leaders to guide job evaluations, pay decisions, incentive programs, and retention strategies, and plays a key role in the annual global compensation review process. The Compensation Manager provides data-driven insights and recommendations to senior leadership while ensuring compliance with company policies and applicable regulations. As a member of the Compensation leadership team, this role helps shape the organization’s overall compensation strategy to align with our corporate culture, values, and compensation philosophy in ways that are scalable to accommodate future growth. 

Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To:

  • The Compensation Manager ensures that pay structures and incentive plans are aligned with Company philosophy to attract, retain and engage top talent.
  • Oversee and maintain components of the compensation framework, such as job architecture, salary structures, etc.
  • Lead the annual compensation review process and compensation planning process for merit, bonus, and promotion with program design, system preparation, testing, training, budget reporting, communications and analytical support.
  • Conduct job evaluations and market reviews plus make recommendations that are equitable and competitive.
  • Participation in relevant compensation surveys and maintain survey data in the compensation evaluation software.
  • Serve as a strategic compensation partner to senior leadership, HR leaders, and the business, acting as a subject matter expert to ensure alignment on compensation practices, programs, policies, budget, and strategy.
  • Partner with the Communications and Learning & Development teams to create and distribute effective materials that enhance the understanding and value of the compensation programs.
  • Ensure compliance with SOX, internal policies, global and local labor laws.
  • Develop and lead training for managers and the broader HR Team on compensation concepts and processes.
  • Manage Pay Equity analysis, FLSA determination.
  • Manage data integrity in the HRIS and compensation systems.
  • Train, coach, mentor, and collaborate with global compensation team members.
  • Help drive process improvements, including automation initiatives and leveraging AI tools in compensation programs.
  • Manage vendors for compensation systems.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Things That Should Be In Your Background:

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, HR, or other related field of studies
  • A minimum of 6+ years of experience in an HR leadership and Compensation role.
  • Experience managing and/or supporting annual merit and bonus cycles in a complex, global organization
  • Strong analytical skills, with the ability to analyze market data and make informed decisions.
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to work with individuals at all levels.
  • Sound judgement and confidentiality.
  • Highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive in identifying and solving challenges
  • Experience in Workday and Payfactors a plus

Benefits & Culture

Our global employee base is a diverse collection of innovators, dreamers, and doers working together to transform lives through higher education. We believe that every employee can advance our shared purpose, and that life at 2U should be fun and meaningful. If you’re excited by the opportunity to provide millions of learners and counting with access to world-class higher education, then join us – and do work that makes a difference. 

We offer comprehensive benefits (unique per country) and excellent work/life balance.
Full-time, U.S.benefits include: 

  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Life insurance, disability, and 401(k) employer match
  • Free snacks and drinks in-office
  • Generous paid holidays and leave policies, including unlimited PTO
  • Additional time off benefits include: volunteer days, parental leave, and a company-wide winter break

The anticipated base salary range for this role is ($140,000 - $155,000), with potential bonus eligibility.  Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, budget for the position and cost of labor in the market in which the candidate will be hired.

2U Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At 2U, we are committed to building and sustaining a culture of belonging, respect, and inclusion. We are proud of the steps we’ve taken to bring together an employee base that embodies diverse walks of life, ideas, genders, ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, abilities and other unique qualities. We strive to offer a workplace where every employee feels empowered by what makes us different, as well as by how we are alike. 

2U is committed to providing reasonable accommodations during our recruitment process. If you need assistance or accommodations, please reach out to us at: recruitingaccommodations@2u.com. 

About 2U

2U partners with the world's top universities and companies to develop and deliver education programs that accelerate careers and transform lives. Through partnerships with the world’s leading colleges, universities, and companies, 2U delivers thousands of online programs to millions of learners worldwide on edX, its global learning platform. From executive education and professional credentialing to master’s degree programs and free, open courses, 2U transforms how top institutions deliver workforce-aligned online education, enabling professionals to advance without pausing their careers. Learn more at 2U.com.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position, and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

2U is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against applicants or employees and ensures equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of their race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, age, marital status, disability, citizenship, military or veterans’ status, or any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. 2U’s equal opportunity policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, job benefits and pay.

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at 2U? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

US Corporate Voluntary Demographic Questions

Inclusion at 2U

At 2U, we are committed to an inclusive hiring process. To learn about how 2U supports diversity efforts, click here. 

If you have a disability that requires accommodation to apply, interview, and then perform a job, please let the Recruiting team know. If you have any questions about the definition of a disability or reasonable accommodations, more information can be found here.

Below is a set of voluntary demographic questions. If you choose to fill them out, the responses will be used (in aggregate only) to help us identify areas for improvement in our process. Your responses, or your choice to not respond, will not be associated with your specific application and will not in any way be used in the hiring decision.

Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in 2U’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.