Compensation Lead

We are rebuilding biotech for the AI era.

When a breakthrough is delayed, the world waits. Getting a molecule from discovery to patients, or a crop from lab to field, involves thousands of slow, manual, disconnected steps. AI has the potential to change this, compressing decades of R&D work into years. But that only happens when clean, structured scientific data and AI are built into how science gets done.

Benchling is the AI platform for biotech R&D. Scientists use Benchling to design experiments, capture structured data, and run AI agents and models directly in their workflows. Over 200,000 scientists around the world trust Benchling to power their most important work, from academic labs to Sanofi, Moderna, and more than half of the world's top 50 biopharma.

ROLE OVERVIEW

We're looking for a sharp, execution-focused compensation professional to join our growing People team. This role reports to our VP of People Operations and works closely with People Partners, Recruiting, and Finance to design and operate Benchling's global compensation programs.
We're a growing team that moves fast, wears multiple hats, and builds scalable solutions. You'll have meaningful ownership over compensation strategy and programs while partnering across the business.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and maintain Benchling's global compensation framework, including job architecture, leveling, and pay bands across all functions

• Lead merit, promotion, and off-cycle compensation planning cycles—partnering with Finance and leadership to manage budget and ensure consistency

• Conduct market analysis and benchmarking using survey data to inform competitive positioning and make recommendations on pay structure adjustments

• Partner with Recruiting and hiring managers on offer strategy, competitive market intelligence, and compensation for new roles

• Serve as subject matter expert for People Partners and managers—advising on pay decisions, equity grants, job evaluations, and policy interpretation

• Build reporting and analytics that surface compensation trends, pay equity insights, and risks or opportunities across the organization

• Own compensation communications and enablement—translating complex programs into clear guidance for employees and managers

QUALIFICATIONS

• 5+ years of hands-on compensation experience including job leveling, market pricing, merit planning, and data analysis

• Strong technical skills—comfortable working in Excel/Google Sheets, HRIS systems, and compensation survey tools (Radford, Pave, or similar)

• Experience at a high-growth tech, ideally Series C through pre-IPO stage

• Ability to operate independently and drive projects end-to-end with minimal oversight

• Clear, direct communicator who can translate technical compensation concepts for non-technical audiences

• Detail-oriented with strong judgment on when to escalate and when to decide

• Comfortable with ambiguity and shifting priorities—you build the plane while flying it

HOW WE WORK

We offer a flexible hybrid work arrangement that prioritizes in-office collaboration. Employees are expected to be on-site 3 days per week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday).

#LI-Hybrid  #BI-Hybrid  #LI-DT1

Benchling welcomes everyone.

We believe diversity enriches our team so we hire people with a wide range of identities, backgrounds, and experiences.

We are an equal opportunity employer. That means we don’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We also consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law, including but not limited to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.