Senior Director, Global Compensation and Benefits

Location: United States, UK, Kenya

Valid unrestricted work authorization in the country in which you will be based is required at the time of application for this position. We may be open to considering candidates based in other locations, depending on work authorization and our registration status.

Starting Salary Range: The salary range for this role is $114,000 - $144,000 commensurate with experience for US-based candidates. The salary range will be based on local benchmark for candidates outside of the United States and will be provided upon request.

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The People Team

Our One People Team ensures that Mercy Corps has the people, HR systems, culture, and support in place to support our managers and allow our team members to thrive. We comprise of teams of HR professionals at country, regional and global level who work together to foster engaged, equitable, inclusive, diverse, and high-performing teams. We do this through building systems and supporting managers to recruit and retain the diverse and high-performing talent we need to meet our goals, shaping this talent into our future leaders through equitable development opportunities, and by driving strategic partnerships within and outside of our organization. We work with others to steward the organizational culture through our systems, structure, and processes, to create safe, diverse, and inclusive teams, to use a data and evidence-based approach, and to ensure a positive employee experience for all our people.

The Position

Mercy Corps is seeking a dynamic and highly experienced Senior Director of Global Compensation and Benefits to transform and elevate our global compensation and benefits function. This role will implement best practices and innovative solutions to ensure our C&B infrastructure is fit-for-purpose, enabling us to attract and retain a diverse and talented workforce essential to achieving our organizational goals.

As the Senior Director, you will lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive global compensation strategy and a multi-year action plan that aligns with Mercy Corps’ ambitious Pathway to Possibility strategy, mission, and values. You will be a key contributor to the People Team Senior Leadership Team (SLT), collaborating with colleagues across departments, teams, and multiple countries and regions.

Your responsibilities will include the cost-effective strategic design, implementation, monitoring, and assessment of the organization’s global compensation and benefits programs. You will drive positive and sustainable change, influencing overall organizational practices. Additionally, you will oversee compliance and reporting requirements, ensuring all standards are met.

This role offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on Mercy Corps’ ability to support and develop its global team.

Essential Responsibilities

STRATEGY AND VISION

• Design and execute a global compensation strategy reflecting evolving organizational needs and operating environments that support our organizational vision for diversity and structures, harmonizes, and align pay and benefits policies across more than forty diverse international jurisdictions.
• Collaborate closely with the Chief People Officer to guide the overall vision and approach to compensation, delivering clear actionable plans to achieve departmental priorities and organizational goals.
• Provide strategic technical compensation and benefits insights to inform country, regional and global people strategies and priorities.
• Collaborate with other People Team Centers of Excellence, Regional HR Directors and the GDI team to align and advance Compensation objectives within the global People Team and address the queries and issues that arise in a timely and effective manner.
• Establish a methodology for establishing GDI metrics (e.g., gender pay gaps) to ensure that our current compensation practices are aligned with our GDI priorities.
• Cultivate and nurture external partnerships and relationships which deliver positive results for Mercy Corps, serving as an effective representative of Mercy Corps in the external operating environment.
• Identify opportunities to generate cost savings and efficiencies within our workforce cost structures.
• Ensure that Mercy Corps’ compensation and benefits strategy and vision support organizational preparedness and response for emergencies and ability to staff our complex programs in a timely and effective manner.

GLOBAL COMPENSATION FUNCION

• Design and oversee the implementation of a fit-for-purpose global pay philosophy and policy for Mercy Corps aligned to evolving organizational needs and reflecting the diverse and often challenging operating environments in which our team members operate.
• Develop, implement, monitor and assess compensation practices which support global mobility of team members aligned to evolving organizational needs helping to ensure continued compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, including but not limited to tax and social security.
• Develop, implement, monitor and assess compensation practices which allow Mercy Corps to attract and retain the diverse talent we need, including but not limited to key leadership and technical positions at country, regional and global levels where talent may be scarce and / or in high demand and / or located in hardship or challenging environments.
• Stay ahead of legal regulatory changes impacting compensation and benefits, advise leadership on compliance strategies for grants and contracts and mitigate risks and ensure adherence to all standards.
• Oversee the maintenance of an up-to-date global compensation survey library and direct the agency’s participation in all relevant compensation surveys. Assess relevant surveys and evaluate the market for new opportunities.
• Oversee the review and analysis of survey results and deliver recommendations to senior leadership to align compensation structure with market practice.
• Partner with the Regional HR Directors to align the compensation and talent acquisition strategies reflecting each unique region’s labor market challenges and needs and identifying tailored compensation and benefits solutions.
• Ensure that the C&B team works closely with the talent acquisition team to recommend position alignment with the salary structure, while ensuring internal equity and market competitiveness.
• Utilize a data and evidence-based approach to develop and implement appropriate risk management matrices and organizational KPIs and OPIs.
• Evaluate and implement new HR technologies for efficient and effective management of the C&B function.
• Partner with our Executive Leadership Team to design and implement competitive compensation and benefit packages, including bonus structures aligned with business organizational goals.
• Support the education and scaling of effective compensation and benefits practices across Mercy Corps by working in collaboration with the Regional HR teams to develop technical C&B capacities and capabilities at country, regional and global levels.
• Represent Compensation priorities to executives and leadership, advocating for resources and support as needed to achieve strategic objectives.

TEAM LEADERSHIP

• Foster a work environment of mutual respect, excellence, and continuous learning, where team members are empowered to thrive.
• Engage in close partnership with the larger People Team and agency to share ideas, develop standard practices, and implement best practices across Mercy Corps programs.
• Design and streamline processes in collaboration with People Team leaders to enhance the Compensation experience across the organization, focusing on efficiency and effectiveness.
• Guide project management efforts within the Global Compensation & Benefit department, prioritizing process, and system improvements to drive operational excellence.
• Provide C&B dedicated support to country teams during emergencies or complex program startups, leveraging resources and expertise as needed.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options

Supervisory Responsibility

Director, Compensation & Benefits; Compensation Manager

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Chief People Officer
• Works Directly With: People Team Leaders, Organizational Leadership, COE Directors, VP People Team, Regional HR Leads, Legal, Finance and Compliance.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects. 

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• Minimum of 8 years of experience managing Total Rewards (compensation & benefits) programs in international organizations of which at least five years is in a leadership position such as Director / Senior Director.
• BA/BS in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, preferred.
• Proven experience of identifying, analyzing and leveraging diverse sources of market pay data.
• Proven experience of developing, implementing, monitoring and assessing global compensation and benefits strategy, philosophy and pay policies aligned to organizational needs and reflecting the types of operating contexts where Mercy Corps has presence, including emergencies and for complex programs.
• Strong understanding of legal and regulatory frameworks impacting compensation and benefits across multiple jurisdictions.
• Proven ability to develop innovative, creative, and effective compensation practices to support talent management in diverse operating contexts.
• Proven ability to prioritize competing demands effectively in a dynamic environment and to develop multiyear departmental and individual workplans to reflect them.

Success Factors

• Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain composure in stressful situations.
• Strong personal network of contacts in peer organizations is highly desirable and proven commitment to keep up to date with current trends is essential.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to inspire and empower a diverse and globally dispersed team of professionals.
• Outstanding communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to communicate and problem-solve effectively across diverse cultures with sensitivity.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate senior-level conversations.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to think analytically, solve complex problems, and drive continuous improvement.
• Commitment to Mercy Corps' mission and values, with a passion for humanitarian aid and sustainable development.
• Experience leading and advocating for a diverse team of high performers.