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Compensation Programs Lead

Rippling· People & Places
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Hybrid (San Francisco, CA)$204k - $260kfull-timePosted 4mo ago

About the role

Compensation Programs Lead at Rippling responsible for owning and driving core compensation programs end-to-end, including merit and incentive cycles, program design, systems, and cross-functional readiness to support rapid growth.

Responsibilities

  • Own the end-to-end strategy, planning, and execution of Rippling's annual and midyear merit cycles — timeline management, budget tracking, system configuration, communications, and post-cycle analysis.
  • Serve as the primary operational partner to People Business Partners throughout every cycle, proactively removing blockers, resolving edge cases, and translating compensation mechanics into clear guidance for managers and employees.
  • Partner with Finance to build and maintain accurate compensation budgets; ensure leaders understand both the numbers and the rationale behind them throughout the planning cycle.
  • Leverage RipplingAI and other tools to automate the comp planning process: benchmarking, budgeting, program enablement/communication.
  • Partner with the Product team to translate business requirements into skills, workflows that Rippling AI can run at regular intervals removing any comp analyst intervention.
  • Identify comp trends, surface issues, and continuously raise the bar on comp programs quality and program delivery.
  • Drive compensation plan launches, mid-cycle changes, and operational readiness across cross-functional teams, including variable pay programs.
  • Coordinate cross-functionally with Finance, Legal, and People Business Partners to ensure plan changes are communicated clearly, implemented accurately, and compliant with applicable regulations.
  • Build enablement resources — calculators, FAQs, manager guides — that help leaders understand and apply compensation programs effectively.
  • Monitor compensation trends and proactively flag issues or opportunities that should influence program design.
  • Contribute to the evolution of compensation program design, including market analysis, job architecture, pay range management, and pay equity reviews.
  • Own design inputs for compensation software, including design inputs, UAT and change management.
  • Partner with the Product team to ensure the planning tool reflects the correct program logic, org structures, and workflows ahead of each cycle.
  • Identify process inefficiencies and build tools — dashboards, custom apps, automation — that make the function faster and more scalable.
  • Lead Rippling's annual compensation market analysis: survey participation, job matching, and synthesis of findings into competitive positioning recommendations.
  • Maintain current awareness of compensation trends — pay equity regulation, skills-based pay, AI effects on job families, and evolving incentive best practices in high-growth tech.
  • Understand equity mechanics (private and public) and incorporate equity considerations into total compensation frameworks and communications.

Qualifications

  • 8+ years of compensation experience at a high-growth technology company in a business-facing or cross-functional role
  • Proven track record owning complex, multi-stakeholder compensation cycles end-to-end
  • Experience designing or supporting variable compensation and equity compensation
  • Hands-on experience configuring and managing compensation planning cycles through a full cycle using compensation software
  • Strong fundamentals in job matching, market pricing, leveling, job architecture, equity mechanics, and cyclical programs
  • Clear, direct communicator able to translate compensation mechanics for managers, employees, and senior leaders
  • Product mindset for comp programs and user-centric design
  • Comfort with AI tools and bias toward automation to reduce manual work
  • Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Economics, or related field

Skills

Required:Merit and incentive cycle managementBudgeting and modelingCompensation software / toolingCross-functional collaboration

Benefits

  • Competitive salary + benefits + equity
  • Office-based in-office collaboration (3 days/week policy for eligible roles) as part of essential function
  • Relocation not specified in description
Last updated Oct 14, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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About Rippling

#1 Workforce Management System | HR, IT, Finance

Rippling eliminates the friction from running a business, combining HR, IT, and Finance apps on a unified data platform.

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