Director of Compensation

Director of Compensation | Oakwood, GA (4 days onsite)

🚀 Build something that matters.

Wayne-Sanderson Farms is looking for a Director of Compensation to step in and elevate the function into a true Center of Excellence.

This is not a maintenance role—it’s a builder opportunity. You’ll shape how a $9B organization attracts, rewards, and retains talent by building the strategy, structure, and governance needed to scale the function.

High visibility. Real impact. A seat at the table with leadership

This role reports directly to the Vice President of Total Rewards & HRIS and plays a critical role in shaping the company’s compensation strategy.

Company Overview - Wayne-Sanderson Farms is one of the largest poultry producers in the United States and a best-in-class food company dedicated to delivering high-quality, affordable products. Formed through the combination of two leading organizations, the company is jointly owned by Cargill and Continental Grain Company and generates approximately $9B in annual revenue.

With more than 26,000 employees and operations across multiple states, Wayne-Sanderson Farms serves a diverse customer base spanning retail, foodservice, and restaurant partners, including some of the most recognized brands in the industry.

The organization is built on a strong operating culture grounded in its RISE Together values—Respect (we believe our team, customers, vendors and partners are worthy of respect), Integrity (we demonstrate open, honest and ethical behavior in every aspect of our business), Stewardship (we serve the needs of our communities, environment and animals), and Excellence (we innovate processes, expect accountability, promote personal and professional growth, and provide superior products and services to our customers).

Backed by long-term ownership and a clear growth strategy, Wayne-Sanderson Farms continues to expand alongside its customers, benefiting from stable demand and strong market positioning.

Position Impact - At its Oakwood headquarters (approximately 250 employees onsite), Wayne-Sanderson Farms is investing in strengthening its HR infrastructure and capabilities—creating a unique opportunity to elevate the Compensation function into a best-in-class Center of Excellence. This is a rare opportunity to join the organization at a critical inflection point and build a modern, scalable compensation function that supports continued growth. The Director of Compensation will shape how the company attracts, rewards, and retains talent by establishing the frameworks, processes, and governance that drive fairness, transparency, and performance alignment across the enterprise. This highly visible role partners closely with senior leadership to define strategy, build structure, and implement best practices—creating a lasting impact on how compensation supports business success today and into the future.

Functions and Responsibilities - The Director of Compensation will lead the enterprise compensation function and oversee all aspects of program design, execution, and governance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop and evolve a comprehensive compensation strategy aligned with business objectives and a high-performance culture
• Design and administer base salary structures, incentive programs, and bonus plans that support performance differentiation
• Lead and complete job architecture, job evaluation, and leveling initiatives—ensuring consistency, scalability, and clarity across the organization
• Build and establish a true Compensation Center of Excellence, including governance frameworks, tools, processes, and communication standards
• Serve as a strategic business partner to senior leadership, providing guidance on compensation decisions and aligning programs with business priorities
• Support executive compensation processes over time, partnering with leadership to enhance governance and program effectiveness
• Lead annual compensation cycles, including merit planning, bonus administration, and long-term incentive processes
• Drive change management efforts to successfully implement new programs, ensuring stakeholder alignment and adoption across the organization
• Partner cross-functionally with HR, Finance, Legal, Payroll, Talent Acquisition, and HRIS to deliver integrated total rewards solutions
• Leverage HR technology (including Workday) to enhance data integrity, reporting, and program efficiency
• Translate complex compensation concepts into clear, actionable insights for leaders and employees
• Assess, coach, and develop the existing compensation team, establishing clear expectations and elevating overall capability

Professional Qualifications - The ideal candidate will bring 8+ years of progressive compensation experience, including leadership within an organization of 10,000+ employees or similar scale and complexity. This individual will have proven expertise in compensation design—including salary structures, incentive programs, and job architecture—and a demonstrated track record of building or transforming a Compensation Center of Excellence.

Additional qualifications include:

• Broad-based compensation program design, short-term and long-term incentive plan design and administration
• Strong experience with compensation analytics, benchmarking, and governance
• Experience leading compensation transformation or large-scale initiatives
• Strong business acumen with the ability to influence senior leadership
• Experience leveraging HR systems (Workday preferred) and compensation technologies
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution

Personal Qualifications - We are seeking a leader who combines deep technical expertise with strong executive presence and the ability to influence across the organization.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong executive presence, confidence, and communication skills
• Ability to influence stakeholders and drive alignment across functions
• A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing teams
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and building structure where it does not yet exist
• High energy, passion for compensation, and commitment to excellence
• Courage to challenge the status quo while maintaining alignment with company values

Travel - Minimal travel required; occasional visits to business locations to build understanding of operations

Education/Certifications - Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or related field, required. Professional certifications such as CCP or CECP are a plus

Compensation - Wayne-Sanderson Farms offers a competitive compensation package including a base salary and annual incentive bonus