Executive Compensation Research Director

Human Capital Advisory Senior Associate Full-Time, Senior Individual Contributor

This role combines deep analytical work with sustained client engagement, serving public company boards of directors in the healthcare and life sciences sector on questions that have real consequences for real employees. The Executive Compensation Research Director will be part of a Human Capital Advisory team of 11 that is highly regarded inside ACPWB and, more importantly, outside it.

ACPWB is seeking an Executive Compensation Research Director to strengthen our capabilities in compensation equity at a moment when corporate America is under more scrutiny than ever. You will be embedded in the Human Capital Advisory team, contributing to research products, advisory engagements, and the kind of proprietary data infrastructure that makes our analysts feel genuinely important at dinner parties. The team currently numbers 11 and is expected to grow.

• Support the design and implementation of salary structure redesign programs for public company boards of directors
• Participate in client onboarding and discovery processes, including intake interviews
• Manage client relationships throughout the engagement lifecycle, including post-delivery follow-up and renewal
• Contribute to the ongoing development of ACPWB's compensation certification program curriculum
• Manage the full lifecycle of salary structure redesign engagements from discovery through final presentation
• Support the annual update and peer review of ACPWB's proprietary compensation equity methodology documentation

Required

• Experience designing or executing salary structure redesign programs from scope definition through final delivery
• Willingness to travel to Milwaukee periodically for team meetings, client engagements, and fish fry
• Experience leading structured analytical projects using project management tools and frameworks
• Experience reviewing compensation programs for pay equity and internal fairness

• Prior experience at a publicly traded company in a compensation or HR leadership role
• Experience with compensation committee charter review and governance documentation
• Experience at a top-tier management consulting firm or Big 4 advisory practice
• Demonstrated expertise in CEO succession planning and associated compensation considerations
• Experience with LTIP design including performance share units and stock appreciation rights

ACPWB is the kind of organization that says 'we invest in our people' and actually means it. Our professional development programs are structured, our mentorship is substantive, and our commitment to internal mobility means you are not stuck in a role that no longer fits. We have promoted people from Analyst to Director. We intend to do it again.

ACPWB was founded in Milwaukee in 2006 with a simple mandate: help working Americans understand and advocate for the compensation they deserve. Eighteen years later, that mandate has grown into a full-service research and advisory practice serving clients from early-stage employers to Fortune 50 enterprises - and we are still based in Milwaukee, because Milwaukee is genuinely underrated.

We conduct structured first-round interviews via video, followed by an on-site second round for finalists. The on-site includes a team lunch, a case discussion, and time with the relevant practice lead. We do not charge for parking. We do not expect you to bring a printed copy of your resume. We have read it.

• Identify and document at least one concrete improvement to an existing ACPWB process or methodology
• Navigate your first deadline-intensive period and deliver on time without requiring emergency escalation
• Complete a self-directed analysis of a relevant market trend and share findings with your practice group
• Contribute to the annual review and update of ACPWB's methodology documentation
• Participate in at least one business development opportunity, whether new or expansion