Director of Compensation and Equity

Category-defining tech. Career-defining work. Lots of tech companies disrupt. But, many fail when they try to scale. We're different. CockroachDB makes it easier for companies to build and scale apps. This is how and why we're helping some of the most innovative companies on the planet. We tackle problems head-on and focus on solutions that create lasting impact. Because when our customers win, we all win. The Role The Director of Compensation and Equity is a high-impact individual contributor role responsible for designing and executing Cockroach Labs' compensation strategy across base salary, variable pay, and equity. Reporting to the Sr. Director, People Operations & Development, this person will serve as the company's subject matter expert on compensation and equity partnering directly with senior leaders, HR Business Partners, and front-line managers to ensure our compensation programs are competitive, equitable, and built to scale. This role requires both strong analytical rigor and the ability to execute independently across the full compensation and equity lifecycle. We are looking for someone who brings deep expertise and genuine curiosity about how AI is reshaping what a single great practitioner can accomplish. You Will Own the design and ongoing refinement of Cockroach Labs' global compensation philosophy, salary structures, and pay bands across all functions and levels, and lead annual review cycles -- merit, promotion, and equity refresh -- with rigor and consistency Evaluate the effectiveness of incentive and variable pay programs, surfacing recommendations grounded in market data and business outcomes Conduct and interpret market benchmarking using established survey sources (e.g., Radford, Pave, Carta), translating data into clear, actionable recommendations for leadership Partner with Finance on compensation budget planning, headcount modeling, and compensation expense forecasting Design and administer Cockroach Labs' equity compensation programs -- including option and RSU plan design, grant guidelines, and refresh frameworks -- ensuring programs remain competitive and aligned to company stage, employee expectations, and potential liquidity events Partner with Legal, Finance, and outside counsel on equity plan governance, 409A valuations, and regulatory compliance Ensure employees and managers understand the value of their equity and can speak to it clearly Support the development of Compensation Committee materials and contribute to executive compensation decisions in partnership with the Sr. Director, CPO, CFO, and Legal Partner on job architecture and leveling frameworks to ensure they remain competitive and internally equitable Leverage AI-powered tools and emerging compensation technology to scale analytical work, build repeatable processes, and make compensation expertise accessible across the organization. The Expectations In your first 30 days, you will orient yourself by conducting a thorough review of Cockroach Labs' existing compensation structures, equity programs, salary bands, and benchmarking methodology. You will meet with key stakeholders across People, Finance, and Legal to understand current priorities and build foundational relationships with the HRBPs, Recruiters and business leaders you will support. You will also develop a clear picture of where our compensation programs are competitive and where there are gaps, working with your manager to align on priorities that you will then move into action. By day 60, you will identify the highest-priority opportunities for improvement across base pay, variable compensation, and equity, and begin moving on the most time-sensitive of them. You will build trust with the HRBP team by becoming a reliable and knowledgeable resource for active compensation decisions. You will also assess our current equity program relative to market and stage, and develop an initial point of view on where it needs to evolve. By day 90, you will have established yoursel