VP, Head of Compensation & People Operations

About Sotheby's

Established in 1744, Sotheby’s is the world’s premier destination for art and luxury. Sotheby’s promotes access to and ownership of exceptional art and luxury objects through auctions and buy-now channels including private sales, e-commerce and retail. Our trusted global marketplace is supported by an industry-leading technology platform and a network of specialists spanning 40 countries and 70 categories which include Contemporary Art, Modern and Impressionist Art, Old Masters, Chinese Works of Art, Jewelry, Watches, Wine and Spirits, and Design, as well as collectible cars and real estate. Sotheby’s believes in the transformative power of art and culture and is committed to making our industries more inclusive, sustainable and collaborative.

THE ROLE

The Head of Compensation & People Operations will serve as a key leader on the HR team overseeing many functions within the centers of excellence within the Global HR Division including Compensation, HR Systems, Performance Management, Annual Planning and HR Analytics. This role will support the development and administration of key incentive programs across the business to enable Sotheby’s to attract and retain the highly talented and diverse people our business needs to succeed. Additionally, this role will be responsible for executing the annual performance cycle, the HRIS roadmap, the annual headcount budget planning process and the development of HR Analytics Dashboards for the business.

Responsibilities

Compensation

• Own the design and administration of the company’s compensation programs and strategy
• Continue to build and benchmark salary ranges for each job family and market in partnership with HR Business Partners and Talent Acquisition
• Oversee budgeting and planning for all global compensation expense in partnership with Finance
• Lead the annual salary, bonus and incentive compensation cycle in partnership with the Global Head of HR, developing planning guidelines and a timetable for the HR Business Partners to execute against
• Administer all sales and commission-based incentive programs and address all employee inquiries
• Lead the design, implementation and administration of our global long-term incentive programs (grants, vestings, taxation, vendor management) in addition to executive compensation programs
• Create and maintain compensation policies and procedures while monitoring compensation legislation, industry trends and technologies to ensure compliance and best practices
• Work closely with regional HR, payroll, tax, finance and legal departments to ensure clear communication relating to international or multi-departmental issues and preparing various reports as necessary
  
  

People Operations and Systems

• Design and manage organizational data, reporting and talent analytics and compliance with the key operational needs of the HR organization, in order to drive enhancement of capabilities while reducing manual processes
• Manage all systems, tools, reporting, and compliance measures to ensure the people team is able to operationalize people practices and programs across the organization
• Oversee the execution of the HRIS roadmap, including the launch of new modules (e.g. Time Tracking, Leave Management etc.) and integrations (e.g. Concur, Active Directory etc.)
• Lead the enhancement of key employee lifecycle processes, including onboarding, off-boarding, leave management and so on
• Develop metrics and scorecards, capturing critical data from HR systems involving employee data, including but not limited to, performance, pay, attrition, employee engagement, diversity, training, skills, and EEO
• Integrate HR systems across the enterprise, ensuring that HR technology is optimized to meet the needs of the business and leaders leverage accurate and timely data to drive business decisions
• Ensure compliance programs, such as Affirmative Action Plan, EEO1 Reporting, and I-9 compliance, are maintained in accordance with legal requirements and company guidelines, including training and documentation
  
  

Annual Performance and Planning

• Oversee and enhance the Annual Cycle of goal setting, check-ins, performance reviews, promotion nomination / evaluation and compensation planning.
• Oversee and enhance the annual headcount planning process, partnering with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition and Finance to ensure that leaders have a clear process for submitting bottom-up headcount budgets and responding to top-down requests to achieve savings if and when necessary.
  
  

Ideal Experience & Competencies

• Minimum of 8+ years of relevant compensation experience designing and implementing compensation programs both domestically and internationally.
• Must be willing and able to succeed while leading a lean team with a full annual agenda to execute. A proven track record of partnering well with HR Business Partners and Talent Acquisition is key.
• Preferred experience working in a mid-sized and or growing organization with various pay structures in place.
• Preferred experience leading and/or working with a people operations team.
• Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree preferred and the CCP (Certified Compensation Professional) designation highly desirable.
• Comprehensive knowledge and experience in compensation principles and practices, including program design and administration
• Experience building sales compensation programs preferred
• Advanced proficiency in use of Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint. Must be very familiar with standard Excel functionality, including vlookup, pivot tables and so on
• SAP and SuccessFactors experience a plus
• Strong financial acumen, as well understanding of tax/accounting/legal/regulatory issues related to bonus and long-term incentive compensation programs
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with an eye for detail and accuracy
• Strong project management skills; ability to manage multiple projects at the same time
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong leadership and influencing skills
• Both a strategic and hands-on leader, comfortable with big picture thinking, modeling, program management, and addressing individual employee matters.
• Demonstrated net positive contributor to company community and culture above and beyond job duties.
  
  

The proposed base salary for this position ranges from $175,000-$225,000. In addition to base salary successful candidates are eligible to receive a discretionary bonus, as well as a competitive benefits package. Salary offers are based on a wide range of factors including relevant skills, training, experience, education, and, where applicable, licensure or certifications obtained. Market and organizational factors are also considered.

To view our Candidate Privacy Notice for the US, please click here .

To view our Candidate Privacy Notice for the UK, Hong Kong, France and Switzerland, please click here .

The Company is an equal opportunity employer and considers all applicants for employment without regard to race (including, without limitation, traits historically associated with race, such as natural hair, hair texture, and protective and treated or untreated hairstyles), color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership/union status, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic predisposition, genetic information, reproductive health decision, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, alienage or citizenship status, domestic violence victim status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province or local law. The Company complies with applicable state and local laws prohibiting discrimination in employment in every jurisdiction in which it operates.