Apellis Pharmaceuticals · 1 day ago
Director, Compensation
Waltham, MA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$200K/yr - $270K/yr
10+ years expApellis Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformative therapies for debilitating diseases. They are seeking a Director of Global Compensation who will design and implement a comprehensive compensation strategy, ensuring alignment with performance and market standards while partnering with HR and business leaders.
BiotechnologyHealth CarePharmaceuticalTherapeutics
Responsibilities
Lead the creation and implementation of a unified Global Job Architecture. Align leveling and career frameworks across the US and international hubs to support workforce scaling and organizational clarity
Design and operationalize global salary structures. Utilize data-driven insights and Radford/Aon methodology to ensure competitive positioning in disparate and hyper-competitive biopharma talent markets
Own the end-to-end engineering of Incentive Programs. This includes the design, financial modeling, and communication strategy for Corporate Bonus and Sales Incentive Plans (in partnership with Commercial Operations)
Support the evolution of compensation programs aligned with the company’s current lifecycle stage, ensuring a distinct competitive advantage in total rewards
Partner across Total Rewards on the global equity education and communication strategy. Translate complex equity vehicles (RSUs, PSUs, Options) into clear, compelling narratives that ensure employees at all levels understand the potential value of their ownership and its link to company milestones
Partner with the Talent Acquisition (TA) team to refine our Employer Value Proposition (EVP). Ensure our compensation narrative is a differentiator in the sourcing and attraction of top-tier scientific and commercial talent
Act as a strategic consultant to TA on complex candidate offers, providing data-driven guidance unique compensation packages while maintaining internal equity
Regularly equip the TA team with updated market insights and Radford trends to ensure our sourcing strategies remain agile in a shifting biopharma landscape
Establish and govern core compensation processes, including annual merit cycles and semi-annual promotion governance, to build transparency and accountability across the organization
Drive the Global Pay Equity and Transparency strategy. Ensure proactive compliance with US and international regulations, such as the EU Pay Transparency Directive
Lead global compensation projects from conception to implementation, including project plans, timelines, and change management activities to ensure seamless adoption
Build a symbiotic partnership with HR Business Partners. Develop tools, templates, and 'consultative' guidance (e.g., Total Rewards statements, manager talking points) that enable HRBPs to drive strategic execution
Provide thought leadership to business leaders on all compensation matters, including salary management, total rewards philosophy, and creative support of strategic objectives
Lead compensation reporting and analytics. Provide the VP, Total Rewards and senior leadership with data-driven narratives regarding spend, market competitiveness, and the 'pay-for-performance' link
Engage with key stakeholders across the company to build strong relationships and provide leadership advice on compensation strategies and competitive trends
Provide direct leadership and mentorship to the Compensation Manager. Foster a high-performance environment that encourages technical growth, Radford mastery, and professional development
Serve as a culture advocate by reinforcing the link between performance outcomes and financial rewards, ensuring the 'pay-for-performance' philosophy is lived across the enterprise
Evaluate and manage strategic external partners, including benchmarking vendors and compensation consultants, to ensure high-quality service and data integrity
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree required
10+ years of progressive compensation experience, specifically within a publicly traded life sciences environment
Deep understanding of clinical/R&D cycles and the unique talent needs of both Scientific and Commercial organizations
3+ years of experience managing and developing direct reports
Proven ability to coach mid-level professionals, ensuring technical accuracy while fostering their strategic growth
Demonstrated success in building and managing job frameworks, salary structures, and incentive plans from the ground up
Proven experience managing complex equity portfolios within a public company, including deep familiarity with equity accounting, valuation, and the lifecycle of grant administration
A history of partnering with and advising executive teams, translating complex compensation data into actionable business strategies
Proven experience collaborating with Talent Acquisition to build compelling offer packages and EVP narratives that win in a competitive talent market
Serve as the enterprise expert on Radford/Aon survey data
Lead the annual market mapping and participate in specialized surveys to ensure competitive positioning for niche R&D, clinical, and commercial roles across all global jurisdictions
Expert-level proficiency in MS Excel and Radford survey methodology
Highly analytical with the ability to evaluate complex data to make informed recommendations
Skilled in leveraging HRIS (e.g., Workday) and benchmarking tools to automate processes and ensure data-driven governance
Strong facilitation and storytelling skills
Ability to advise, challenge, and influence colleagues at all levels of the organization
A committed mentor capable of elevating the technical and consultative skills of a direct report
Preferred
Advanced degree strongly preferred (HR, Business, Mathematics, Economics, Finance, or related field)
Benefits
401(k) plan with company match
Inclusive family building benefits
Flexible time off
Summer and winter shutdowns
Paid family leave
Disability and life insurance
Company
Apellis Pharmaceuticals
Apellis Pharmaceuticals focuses on developing novel therapeutics and drug delivery technologies to address chronic inflammatory diseases.
501-1000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$919.6MKey Investors
Swedish Orphan BiovitrumSixth StreetNorthern Star Partners
2025-06-01Post Ipo Debt· $275M
2024-05-14Post Ipo Debt· $475M
2022-04-14Post Ipo Equity· $1.07M
Leadership Team
Cedric Francois
Co-Founder and CEO
Caroline Baumal
Chief Medical Officer
Recent News
2026-01-18
Investor's Business Daily
2026-01-13
Company data provided by crunchbase