Director, Compensation

GAQ327R302

Databricks is seeking a seasoned compensation leader to serve as a Director, Compensation, driving strategic impact across the business while leading and developing a team of client compensation partners. Reporting to the VP, Total Rewards, this role is responsible for building and delivering best-in-class compensation programs that help attract, retain, and motivate world-class talent across Databricks.

At Databricks, we don't believe compensation is just a number; it's a tool to recognize that every employee is an owner and a part of our success. We are looking for a leader who combines deep technical compensation expertise with exceptional people leadership and a passion for building scalable, equitable programs.

The impact you will have:

This is a high-impact, people leadership role that will effectively cover the below areas and the anticipated time spent on each:

• Leading, coaching, and developing a team of three to four client compensation partners (25%)
• Partnering with the VP Rewards and other team members to drive enterprise-wide compensation strategy, design, and program delivery (30%)
• Collaboration with People team members, business leaders, and other cross-functional partners on complex, sensitive compensation matters (25%)
• Operational excellence, tooling, and continuous improvement of compensation infrastructure (20%)

What we look for:

Compensation expertise

• Know your craft — Deep mastery of job architecture, compensation frameworks, market pricing, year-end and midyear pay cycles, global compensation practices, and pay-for-performance design; demonstrated experience designing and scaling programs across a fast-growing, global organization
• Know your data — Exceptional analytical horsepower with the ability to translate complex data into clear narratives, recommendations, and executive-ready insights; strong command of competitive trends in cash, equity, and total rewards; advanced capabilities in gSheets and Excel; proficiency in Tableau, SQL, Python, or AI-assisted analytics is a strong plus
• Know the competition — Expert-level knowledge of tech compensation practices, particularly around equity strategy (new hire, refresh, and performance-based), and an ability to benchmark and evolve programs to stay ahead of the market
• Be rational — Ability to hold the tension between compensation philosophy, first-principles reasoning, and pragmatic business solutioning; comfortable making and defending difficult tradeoffs in ambiguous situations

People leadership

• Develop talent — Proven track record of leading, m