Associate Director, Compensation at Moderna in Cambridge, MA

The Role

The Associate Director, Compensation is responsible for the design, implementation, and administration of compensation programs that support Moderna's talent and business strategies. This role partners closely with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Finance, Legal, and business leaders to ensure compensation programs are competitive, equitable, scalable, and aligned with market practices and organizational objectives.

This role serves as a trusted advisor on compensation matters, providing data-driven insights and recommendations related to job architecture, market competitiveness, pay equity, incentive design, and compensation planning. This role balances strategic program development with operational excellence, helping to attract, retain, and motivate top talent while ensuring compliance with applicable regulations and internal governance standards.

Here’s What You’ll Do

Market Analysis & Benchmarking

• Oversee market benchmarking efforts to maintain competitive compensation positioning for your client group.
• Lead our Global Pay Equity process including the design, compliance, analysis and adjustments.
• Provide strategic advice to HRBPs and Business Leaders on Moderna’s job leveling framework, ensuring consistency in career progression and job levels across the organization.

Compensation Strategy & Program Management

• Oversee the global compensation planning cycle, including salary increases, bonus structures, and equity programs.
• Develop and refine enterprise-wide compensation programs, adjustments, and communications to enhance transparency and employee understanding.
• Leverage AI-enabled tools, advanced analytics, and emerging technologies to improve the efficiency, quality, and scalability of compensation analyses, reporting, modeling, and decision support.

Advisory & Decision Support

• Serve as a strategic partner in promotion and ad hoc pay increase consultations.
• Conduct retention analysis to identify compensation-related risks and recommend data-driven actions.
• Prepare and deliver compensation committee materials, providing insights for executive decision-making.
• Provide training and support to Talent Acquisition on compensation philosophies and competitive offer-making.

Vendor Management & Compensation Partnerships

• Manage relationships with compensation vendors, ensuring service delivery meets organizational needs.
• Ensure compliance with vendor agreements and service levels, monitoring data accuracy and regulatory adherence.

Compliance & Advisory

• Ensure compliance with external regulations and internal audit standards across compensation programs and procedures.
• Partner with Legal on the compliance of current programs and consideration of any future program design adaptations and adjustments.

Collaboration & Communication

• Develop engaging, first-class communication materials to ensure clarity and alignment around compensation initiatives.
• Collaborate on global projects to promote digitalization, knowledge sharing, and operational efficiency.

Here’s What You’ll Need (Basic Qualifications)

• A bachelor’s degree in business, human resources, finance, or a related field

• A minimum of 8 years of relevant experience required

• Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered

• Full professional proficiency in English, both written and spoken

• Strong knowledge of compensation planning, benchmarking, and policy execution

• Experience advising stakeholders across HR and business functions on compensation decisions

• Familiarity with job architecture frameworks and compensation documentation practices

• Proficiency in spreadsheets and reporting tools used for compensation analytics

• Demonstrated ability to leverage technology, analytics, and AI-enabled tools to improve business processes, generate insights, and drive operational efficiency

• Ability to manage multiple concurrent planning cycles, data reviews, or comp projects

• Strong attention to detail, with the ability to interpret trends and propose practical solutions

• Experience coordinating cross-functional stakeholders and mentoring others

Pay & Benefits

At Moderna, we believe that when you feel your best, you can do your best work. That’s why our benefits and well-being resources are designed to support you—at work, at home, and everywhere in between.

• Competitive healthcare, plus voluntary benefit programs to support your unique needs
• A holistic approach to well-being, with access to fitness, mindfulness, and mental health support
• Family planning benefits, including fertility, adoption, and surrogacy support
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, volunteer days, sabbatical, global recharge days, and a discretionary year-end shutdown
• Savings and investments to help you plan for the future
• Location-specific perks and extras

The salary range for this role is $142,500.00 - $256,500.00. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An individual’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, performance, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate may be eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, other incentive compensation, or equity award, subject to company plan eligibility criteria and individual performance.

About Moderna

Since our founding in 2010, we have aspired to build the leading mRNA technology platform, the infrastructure to reimagine how medicines are created and delivered, and a world-class team. We believe in giving our people a platform to change medicine and an opportunity to change the world.

By living our mission, values, and mindsets every day, our people are the driving force behind our scientific progress and our culture. Together, we are creating a culture of belonging and building an organization that cares deeply for our patients, our employees, the environment, and our communities.

We are proud to have been recognized as a Science Magazine Top Biopharma Employer, a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators, and a Great Place to Work in the U.S.

If you want to make a difference and join a team that is changing the future of medicine, we invite you to visit modernatx.com/careers to learn more about our current opportunities.

Our Working Model

As we build our company, we have always believed an in-person culture is critical to our success. Moderna champions the significant benefits of in-office collaboration by embracing a 70/30 work model. This 70% in-office structure helps to foster a culture rich in innovation, teamwork, and direct mentorship. Join us in shaping a world where every interaction is an opportunity to learn, contribute, and make a meaningful impact.

Moderna is a smoke-free, alcohol-free, and drug-free work environment.

Equal Opportunities

Moderna is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry or citizenship, ethnicity, disability, military or protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, or any other personal characteristic protected under applicable law. Moderna is a place where everyone can grow. If you meet the Basic Qualifications for the role and you would be excited to contribute to our mission every day, please apply!

Moderna is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. We consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

Accommodations

We’re focused on attracting, retaining, developing, and advancing our employees. By cultivating a workplace that values diverse experiences, backgrounds, and ideas, we create an environment where every employee can contribute their best.

Moderna is committed to offering reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants with disabilities. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should contact the Accommodations team at leavesandaccommodations@modernatx.com. 

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