Compensation Architect - Total Rewards

About the job

Mercor connects elite creative and technical talent with leading AI research labs. Headquartered in San Francisco, our investors include Benchmark, General Catalyst, Peter Thiel, Adam D'Angelo, Larry Summers, and Jack Dorsey.

Position: Compensation & Equity Expert (Total Rewards)
Type: Contract
Compensation: $50–$200/hour
Location: Remote

Role Responsibilities

• Build salary bands, leveling frameworks, and job architecture from the ground up.
• Own an annual compensation cycle, including merit planning, promotion decisions, and bonus programs.
• Benchmark against a peer set and defend to a skeptical exec team.
• Design incentive structures that are simple, credible, and behavior-changing.
• Manage equity programs, including option and RSU programs, grant guidelines, and pool planning.
• Work through 409A valuations, plan governance, and grant administration at a venture-backed company.

Qualifications

Must-Have

• Depth in compensation design & architecture or equity program management.

Preferred

• Experience in compensation philosophy, benchmarking methodology, pay equity, and pay transparency.
• Compensation design for a global or contractor workforce at scale.
• Benefits program design, HRIS, and compensation tooling.
• Executive compensation, plan governance, or equity through IPO readiness.

Interview Process

• Short screen followed by a paid conversation about a live question.

Compensation & Legal

• Hourly contractor
• Paid for each engagement

Application Process (Takes 20–30 mins to complete)

• Upload resume
• AI interview based on your resume
• Submit form

Resources & Support

• For details about the interview process and platform information, please check: https://talent.docs.mercor.com/welcome
• For any help or support, reach out to: support@mercor.com

PS: Our team reviews applications daily. Please complete your AI interview and application steps to be considered for this opportunity.