Senior Manager, Compensation

About the People Ops & Compensation Team

The People Ops & Compensation team powers Thumbtack's ability to attract, retain, and enable the talented people who help millions of homeowners and local pros thrive. We build fair, competitive compensation programs that reflect our commitment to both business sustainability and employee success. From designing job architecture and market positioning to running seamless annual cycles and equipping managers with clear guidance, we ensure every compensation decision aligns with our mission and values. Our work creates the foundation for a high-performing, values-driven culture where Thumbtackers can do their best work and have a meaningful impact.

About the Role

Compensation is more than spreadsheets and cycles, it's how we signal what we value, reward impact, and keep great people excited about building with us. As Senior Manager, Compensation, you'll be the advisor and operator who makes that happen. You'll own the programs that touch every Thumbtacker (merit, bonus, and equity) and you'll do it with a combination of analytical rigor and executive presence that makes complex tradeoffs feel clear and actionable.

This role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution. One day you're modeling scenarios for executive leadership, the next you're building manager toolkits that actually get used, and the day after that you're advising leaders through tough comp decisions with empathy and data in equal measure. You'll report to our Senior Director of People Operations & Compensation, partner across Finance and People teams, and directly manage a high-performing compensation analyst you'll help grow.

What you'll do

• Program Leadership: Own annual/quarterly compensation cycles (merit, bonus, equity), with clear calendars, checklists, and go/no-go gates that keep stakeholders aligned and deliverables on time. 
• Market Strategy & Architecture: Maintain job architecture, leveling, and market ranges using current survey data; recommend targeted adjustments to stay competitive and equitable. 
• Insights & Tooling: Build models and dashboards that connect pay outcomes to budget, performance, and attrition; improve systems and workflows in partnership with People Ops and Finance. 
• Executive Readiness: Build crisp analyses and narratives for executives and the Board by translating scenarios, tradeoffs, and risk into simple decisions and next steps. 
• Governance & Quality: Establish controls, audits, and documentation that raise data accuracy, ensure pay decisions align with policy, and withstand SOX/Comp Committee scrutiny. 
• Enablement & Comms: Create manager toolkits, FAQs, and training that clarify the “what/why” of programs and drive consistent adoption across teams. 
• People Leadership: Manage and develop one compensation analyst; set clear goals, coach for excellence, and scale repeatable processes the team can run quarter after quarter.

In order to be successful, you must bring

• Compensation Expertise: 10+ years driving core comp programs and advising leaders; deep knowledge of market pricing, equity, and variable pay design. 
• Analytical Rigor: Advanced modeling and scenario analysis skills; ability to simplify complexity and recommend clear, defensible actions. 
• Consultative Partnership: Credibility with senior leaders; you challenge constructively, influence decisions, and communicate the “so what” with clarity. 
• Operational Excellence: Proven track record running multi-step programs with precision (e.g. sequencing, risk management, and quality controls that hold up under pressure).
• Systems & Data Fluency: Comfortable improving compensation workflows and tools; you use data to spot trends, anticipate issues, and raise program quality. 
• Enablement & Communication: Skill in building readable docs/training that help managers make consistent, fair pay decisions.

Expected salary ranges

• For candidates living in San Francisco / Bay Area, San Jose, New York City, or Seattle metros, the expected salary range for the role is currently $210,000 - $256,000.
• For candidates living in Austin, TX or Washington DC metros or in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, or Washington states, the expected salary range for the role is currently $189,000 - $231,000.
• For candidates living in all other US locations, the expected salary range for this role is currently $178,000 - $218,000.

Actual offered salaries will vary and will be based on various factors, such as calibrated job level, qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role.