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Director of Compensation

White Plains, NY, USA

Join Atlas Air Worldwide. Move the World with Us!

At Atlas Air Worldwide, we’re not just an airline, we’re a global engine powering cargo, passenger, and leasing operations across more than 70 countries. As a leader in outsourced aviation logistics, we’re built on a foundation of safety, service excellence, integrity, innovation, teamwork, and responsibility.  With over 30 years of history, a modern all-Boeing fleet, and nearly 5,000 teammates collaborating across operations, technical, and corporate functions, we’re driven by purpose. 

If you're ready to grow, innovate, and help us deliver excellence every single day, you belong here.

The Director of Compensation is responsible for the strategy, design, governance, and execution of the organization's compensation programs. This leader serves as the organization's subject matter expert on job architecture, salary structures, pay equity, market competitiveness, incentive programs, and compensation governance.

The role leads the development and implementation of a comprehensive job architecture framework, including job families, career levels, job evaluations, and salary bands that support organizational growth, workforce planning, internal equity, and talent mobility. The Director partners closely with executive leadership, HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Finance, and business leaders to ensure compensation programs align with business objectives and attract, retain, and motivate top talent.

Key Responsibilities

Compensation Strategy & Leadership

  • Develop and execute the organization's compensation philosophy and strategy.
  • Design compensation programs that align with business objectives, talent strategy, and market competitiveness.
  • Advise executive leadership on compensation trends, risks, opportunities, and workforce implications.
  • Lead annual compensation planning processes, including merit increases, promotions, market adjustments, incentive plans, and salary reviews.
  • Establish compensation governance processes and decision-making frameworks.

Job Architecture Design & Implementation

  • Lead the design, implementation, and ongoing management of the organization's job architecture.
  • Develop and maintain job families, career frameworks, job levels, and competency models.
  • Establish consistent job evaluation methodologies across the enterprise.
  • Create scalable career progression frameworks that support talent mobility and workforce development.
  • Partner with business leaders to assess and redesign organizational structures as needed.
  • Ensure job architecture supports workforce planning, succession planning, recruiting, and performance management.

Salary Structure & Pay Band Management

  • Design, implement, and maintain salary grades, pay ranges, and salary bands across all employee populations.
  • Conduct market pricing analyses and benchmark positions against relevant labor markets.
  • Establish compensation structures that balance external competitiveness with internal equity.
  • Develop methodologies for geographic differentials, remote work pay practices, and global compensation structures where applicable.
  • Conduct regular reviews of salary structures and recommend adjustments based on market movement and business needs.
  • Develop compensation guidelines for promotions, transfers, hiring offers, and internal mobility.

Pay Equity & Compliance

  • Lead pay equity analyses and develop remediation strategies where necessary.
  • Ensure compliance with all federal, state, local, and international compensation regulations.
  • Monitor evolving pay transparency legislation and implement required practices.
  • Conduct audits to ensure compensation programs are applied consistently and fairly.
  • Maintain documentation and governance controls related to compensation decisions.

Incentive & Variable Compensation Programs

  • Design and administer annual incentive, bonus, sales compensation, and recognition programs.
  • Evaluate program effectiveness and alignment with organizational performance goals.
  • Develop metrics and scorecards to measure compensation program outcomes.
  • Partner with Finance to model compensation costs and forecast budget impacts.

Analytics & Reporting

  • Develop compensation dashboards, metrics, and executive reporting.
  • Analyze compensation trends, turnover data, hiring competitiveness, and workforce demographics.
  • Provide data-driven recommendations to support workforce and business decisions.
  • Utilize advanced compensation modeling and workforce analytics to inform strategy.

Stakeholder Partnership

  • Serve as the primary compensation advisor to senior leaders and HR Business Partners.
  • Partner with Talent Acquisition on offer strategy and recruiting competitiveness.
  • Collaborate with Finance on workforce planning, budgeting, and compensation forecasting.
  • Educate leaders on compensation philosophy, salary administration, and pay decisions.

Team Leadership

  • Lead, mentor, and develop compensation professionals and analysts.
  • Build organizational capability in compensation planning and salary administration.
  • Foster a data-driven, customer-focused compensation function.
  • Manage external compensation consultants, survey providers, and technology vendors.

Qualifications

Required

  • Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Economics, or related field.
  • 10+ years of progressive compensation experience.
  • 5+ years leading compensation teams and enterprise-wide programs.
  • Demonstrated experience designing and implementing job architecture frameworks from the ground up.
  • Demonstrated experience designing salary grades, pay bands, and compensation structures.
  • Deep expertise in compensation benchmarking, market pricing, and pay equity analysis.
  • Strong analytical and financial modeling capabilities.
  • Experience working with executive leadership teams.
  • Advanced proficiency with Excel, HRIS systems, and compensation management tools.

Preferred

  • Master's degree or MBA.
  • Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation.
  • Experience supporting public companies and executive compensation programs.
  • Experience in global compensation design and administration.
  • Experience implementing compensation technology platforms. 

#GH19  #LI-Hybrid #LI-20

The Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to afford equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, place of birth, age, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable in accordance with federal, state and local laws.

If you'd like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please download the available EEO is the Law document by clicking "EEO Is The Law" .

To view our Pay Transparency Statement, please click here: Pay Transparency Statement

Competitive compensation will be offered based on a variety of factors, including a candidate's experience, skills, education, geographic location, internal equity and other factors. In addition, a range of benefits to include medical, dental and vision insurance, employee assistance program, as well as generous paid time off, and 401K contributions are offered as a part of the total compensation package.

Pay Range

$192,000 - $225,000 USD

At Atlas Air Worldwide, we believe in the power of people, the promise of innovation, and the responsibility we hold to each other, to our customers, and to the planet. Join us and be part of a team that lifts more than cargo; we lift ambition.

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