EMEA Compensation Lead (Fixed Term)
Digital Realty Trust
Your role
Regional Compensation Strategy & Advisory
Serve as the primary compensation advisor to HR Business Partners and business leaders across EMEA
Translate global compensation philosophy into regionally appropriate practices, balancing market competitiveness, internal equity, and cost management
Provide guidance on Offer development and pay positioning, Promotions and internal mobility, Off-cycle compensation decisions, Partner with leadership to ensure alignment between compensation outcomes and business strategy
Annual Compensation Planning & Execution (significant part of role from November to March)
Lead the end-to-end delivery of annual compensation cycles (merit, bonus, promotions) across EMEA
Ensure alignment with global frameworks while adapting for local market and regulatory requirements
Partner with Finance and HR to manage budgets, planning assumptions, and allocation methodologies
Drive calibration processes and provide analytics-driven insights to support decision-making
Pay Equity & Regulatory Compliance
Lead regional efforts to support compliance with the EU Pay Transparency Directive and other local regulatory requirements
Oversee pay equity analyses, identify gaps, and support remediation planning
Partner with Legal, HR, and external advisors to monitor regulatory developments and ensure ongoing compliance
Support development of regulatory reporting frameworks and disclosures
Program Design & Standardization
Partner with Global Compensation to design and refine compensation programs, including salary structures, job architecture alignment, and variable pay frameworks
Drive process consistency and governance across countries while allowing for necessary localization
Identify opportunities to simplify and standardize compensation practices across EMEA
Analytics, Insights & Decision Support
Deliver data-driven insights on compensation trends, market competitiveness, and internal equity
Leverage market data and internal analytics to inform:
Salary range positionin
Pay mix decisions
Budget recommendations
What you’ll need
Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Finance, Economics, or related field
7+ years of experience in Compensation or Total Rewards, including: Significant experience supporting EMEA or multi-country environments, experience with annual compensation planning cycles, exposure to pay equity and regulatory compliance, experience operating in a global, matrixed organization
Strong knowledge of: Compensation program design and administration, Market benchmarking and salary structures, Pay equity analysis methodologies, EMEA regulatory landscape (including EU directives), Advanced Excel and data analysis capabilities, Experience with HRIS and compensation planning tools (e.g., Oracle, Workday)
Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
Ability to influence senior stakeholders and provide credible guidance
Comfortable operating in ambiguous, evolving environments
Strong project management and prioritization skills
High attention to detail with ability to connect data to business outcomes
As Regional Compensation Lead, EMEA, you will serve as the primary compensation partner for the region, overseeing regionalization of compensation strategy, programs, and execution. This role is a critical bridge between global Total Rewards strategy and regional execution, ensuring that compensation programs are competitive, compliant, and aligned with business priorities across a complex, multi-country environment. You will lead key compensation initiatives such as annual planning cycles, pay equity, regulatory compliance (including EU Pay Transparency Directive), and process standardization, while partnering closely with HR, Finance, and business leaders across EMEA.
Bachelor’s degree in HR, Business, Finance, Economics, or related field
7+ years of experience in Compensation or Total Rewards, including: Significant experience supporting EMEA or multi-country environments, experience with annual compensation planning cycles, exposure to pay equity and regulatory compliance, experience operating in a global, matrixed organization
Strong knowledge of: Compensation program design and administration, Market benchmarking and salary structures, Pay equity analysis methodologies, EMEA regulatory landscape (including EU directives), Advanced Excel and data analysis capabilities, Experience with HRIS and compensation planning tools (e.g., Oracle, Workday)
Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills
Ability to influence senior stakeholders and provide credible guidance
Comfortable operating in ambiguous, evolving environments
Strong project management and prioritization skills
High attention to detail with ability to connect data to business outcomes
Regional Compensation Strategy & Advisory
Serve as the primary compensation advisor to HR Business Partners and business leaders across EMEA
Translate global compensation philosophy into regionally appropriate practices, balancing market competitiveness, internal equity, and cost management
Provide guidance on Offer development and pay positioning, Promotions and internal mobility, Off-cycle compensation decisions, Partner with leadership to ensure alignment between compensation outcomes and business strategy
Annual Compensation Planning & Execution (significant part of role from November to March)
Lead the end-to-end delivery of annual compensation cycles (merit, bonus, promotions) across EMEA
Ensure alignment with global frameworks while adapting for local market and regulatory requirements
Partner with Finance and HR to manage budgets, planning assumptions, and allocation methodologies
Drive calibration processes and provide analytics-driven insights to support decision-making
Pay Equity & Regulatory Compliance
Lead regional efforts to support compliance with the EU Pay Transparency Directive and other local regulatory requirements
Oversee pay equity analyses, identify gaps, and support remediation planning
Partner with Legal, HR, and external advisors to monitor regulatory developments and ensure ongoing compliance
Support development of regulatory reporting frameworks and disclosures
Program Design & Standardization
Partner with Global Compensation to design and refine compensation programs, including salary structures, job architecture alignment, and variable pay frameworks
Drive process consistency and governance across countries while allowing for necessary localization
Identify opportunities to simplify and standardize compensation practices across EMEA
Analytics, Insights & Decision Support
Deliver data-driven insights on compensation trends, market competitiveness, and internal equity
Leverage market data and internal analytics to inform:
Salary range positionin
Pay mix decisions
Budget recommendations