Executive Director, Compensation

The University of California Office of the President  seeks a strategic and collaborative thought-leader to serve as the next Executive Director of Compensation (Executive Director). Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Total Rewards, the Executive Director is a key member of the Systemwide Human Resources team and is responsible for overseeing and directing systemwide compensation strategy, philosophy, and the execution of compensation programs and procedures. The Executive Director will lead a team of compensation professionals and develop a collaborative, high-performing service culture dedicated to improving efficiency and effectiveness to support UC in attracting and retaining top talent through competitive compensation offerings. The Executive Director will also provide advice and guidance to both the Office of the President leadership and the Senior Management Group in understanding the full range of classification and compensation matters in a complex environment. The Executive Director will be conversant in the most up-to-date best practices in compensation management, organizational development, and workforce planning. 

Founded in 1868, the UC system is recognized as one of the world’s largest and most successful academic institutions, with a tripartite mission of research, teaching, and public service. The ten campuses that make up the UC system – Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz – collectively enroll approximately 299,400 students and are supported by more than 265,000 faculty and staff, and 2.5 million alumni living and working around the world. Another half million people benefit from UC’s continuing education courses each year, as well as from research centers and educational programs operating throughout the state. UC’s scope extends beyond its campus locations, with its national laboratories, medical centers, and outreach programs in neighboring communities, throughout California, and around the world.   

The next Executive Director will have the opportunity to make a notable impact on strengthening UC’s compensation strategy through the evaluation and enhancement of systems, processes, and operations, reinforcing UC’s highly respected position in higher education. Ideal candidates will have experience in compensation and classification in an environment of similar scale and complexity to the UC system. In addition, ideal candidates must have a genuine interest in collaboration and stakeholder engagement, an ability to lead and manage a highly capable team of HR specialists, and skills in recommending policy and guiding others through influence and adept political savviness. A bachelor’s degree is required, and an advanced degree is preferred.

The University of California Office of the President is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. Salary offers are determined based on candidate qualifications and experience. The full salary range, $186,300-$382,500, shows the growth potential for this position, and the pay scale is the budgeted salary that UC reasonably expects to pay for this position, which for this position is $290,000-$335,000, commensurate with experience.

Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process. Inquiries, nominations, referrals, and CVs with cover letters should be sent below.  Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged.

Rebecca Kennedy is leading this search with Kristen Andersen and Cortnee Bollard.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.