Senior Director, Compensation (North America - U.S., Canada, Mexico)
Position Summary
The Senior Director, Compensation (North America) leads pay strategy, policies, and programs for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico within a large, complex, global manufacturing organization. COE activities/expertise are foundational to support a decentralized framework, creating true operations/COE partnership via the owner-operator model. This role is accountable for designing and governing competitive and compliant compensation frameworks spanning Executive, Salaried, Hourly, and Union Hourly populations, including plant and field operations.
The role partners closely with HR Business Partners, Finance, Legal, Labor Relations, and business leadership to ensure compensation practices drive talent attraction/retention, performance, productivity, and cost stewardship while supporting harmonization across North America and alignment with global compensation philosophy.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategy, Governance & Policy
Lead the North America compensation strategy aligned to enterprise goals, market dynamics, and global compensation philosophy.
Own and govern pay policies, job architecture integration, salary structures, pay administration guidelines, and compensation governance across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Establish and maintain a robust controls environment (approvals, documentation, audit readiness), ensuring adherence to external regulatory requirements while providing business flexibility within a decentralized framework.
Establish and maintain a robust partnership with Mexico to ensure compensation plan development and governance within a complex regional environment.
Executive Compensation (in partnership with Global/Corporate Comp and Legal)
Provide compensation leadership for executive and senior leadership populations in North America, including:
Base salary strategy and pay positioning
Annual incentive design and performance calibration support
Long-term incentive (LTI) program alignment and localized administration support
Deliver executive compensation analytics and materials for leadership and relevant committees as needed (e.g., compensation committee support, proxy-related inputs where applicable).
Salaried Compensation Programs
Design and manage salary structures, merit cycles, promotion and equity guidelines, and off cycle pay processes.
Drive consistent application of pay philosophy through:
Market pricing and benchmarking
Pay equity and fairness assessments
Manager enablement (training, tools, and decision frameworks)
Partner with Talent and HR to support pay outcomes for career progression, workforce planning, and critical role retention.
Hourly & Union Hourly Compensation
Lead compensation strategy for hourly manufacturing populations, including pay structures, shift differentials, premiums, and plant-specific practices.
Partner with Labor Relations to support union hourly pay in alignment with collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), including:
Cost modeling and scenario planning for negotiations
Wage proposals, economic package development, and competitive analysis
Implementation governance and ongoing administration of negotiated changes
Ensure appropriate differentiation and consistency across plants/sites while respecting local labor agreements and market realities.
Market Intelligence, Analytics & Cost Modeling
Own North America compensation benchmarking strategy (survey selection, participation, job matching, data interpretation).
Build advanced analytics and modeling capabilities to support:
Workforce cost forecasting and labor cost scenarios
Pay mix optimization and competitiveness assessments
M&A or restructuring impacts (as applicable)
Translate insights into clear recommendations for executives and functional leaders.
Cross-Functional Partnership & Program Delivery
Serve as the senior compensation advisor to NA leadership and HR teams, bringing pragmatic, business-oriented solutions under a decentralized framework.
Partner with Finance on annual compensation budgeting, accruals, and long-range planning.
Coordinate with HR Operations / HRIS to ensure accurate compensation data, effective processes in Workday, and scalable program administration.
Lead communication strategies and manager toolkits for compensation programs, ensuring adoption and consistent application.
Compliance & Risk Management (U.S., Canada, Mexico)
Ensure compensation programs comply with applicable regulations and internal standards, including pay transparency and equal pay requirements (jurisdiction-dependent).
Provide leadership on pay equity analysis methodology, remediation planning, and documentation, partnering with Legal and DEI where appropriate.
Oversee governance for audits, internal reviews, and regulatory inquiries as required.
Leadership & Team Development
Lead and develop a high-performing compensation team of COE resources, including capability building in analytics, executive comp support, and plant/hourly compensation.
Establish clear operating rhythms, service standards, and escalation pathways for HR and business stakeholders.
Required
Bachelor\u2019s degree (HR, Business, Finance, Economics, Statistics, or related field) or equivalent experience.
12+ years progressive compensation experience, including leadership in complex organizations (manufacturing/industrial preferred).
Demonstrated expertise across Executive, Salaried, Hourly, and Union Hourly compensation.
Direct experience supporting collective bargaining compensation modeling and/or partnership with Labor Relations.
Proven ability to create and execute compensation strategies across multiple countries or jurisdictions under a decentralized model (U.S., Canada, Mexico strongly preferred).
Advanced capabilities in compensation analytics, cost modeling, and interpreting market data.
Strong executive presence\u2014ability to influence senior leaders and translate technical detail into business decisions.
Preferred
Master\u2019s degree (MBA, MS HR, Economics) and/or certifications (CCP, GRP).
Experience in global matrixed organizations and/or integrating regional strategy with global COE frameworks.
Experience with broad HRIS and analytics ecosystems (e.g., Workday, SAP, Oracle) and BI tools (Power BI/Tableau).
Core Competencies
Strategic leadership & business acumen (manufacturing/operations mindset)
Executive compensation advisory and governance
Union wage modeling and negotiation support
Data-driven decision-making and storytelling with analytics
Change leadership, simplification, and scalable design
Strong cross-cultural and cross-border collaboration (U.S., Canada, Mexico)
Smurfit Westrock (NYSE:SW) is a global leader in sustainable paper and packaging solutions. We are materials scientists, packaging designers, mechanical engineers and manufacturing experts with a shared purpose: Innovate Boldly. Package Sustainably. Guided by our values of safety, loyalty, integrity, and respect, we use leading science and technology to move fiber-based packaging forward.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law.
