A “Head of Compensation” can mean many different things depending on the company. Some roles are strategic, others are hands-on. Most are both.

Here's what to look at before accepting a comp leadership job offer:

Clarify the business need
A "Head of Compensation" title sounds great, but get super clear on if you'll be advising on strategy, updating pay bands and running review cycles, or both. Many want both strategic and hands-on; know what you're walking into.

Assess your boss
How much do they actually know about comp? Did they run it in a past role and can bounce ideas with you, or are they more "I have no clue, do what you think is best"? Which style do you thrive with?

Know your peers
I've seen comp leaders leave because an executive wanted full control of their team's pay and never leaned on the function. How collaborative are they?

Read the Finance relationship
Comp and Finance need each other to get pay right. Does the CFO want a strategic thought partner who builds the budget with them, or mostly someone to execute the budget they've set?

Look under the hood
Are you inheriting a comp platform that scales, or 11 versions of a pay bands spreadsheet with a breakout file for every department? If there's no tool today, is there budget or flexibility to get one?

Check the data
If managers have been benchmarking from a mix of free or stale sources, you inherit all that comp debt and the cleanup that comes with it. Reliable data in place means you skip the mess.

Understand bonus & equity
How was your equity grant determined? How's the bonus calculated, how often is it paid, and what was the reaction last time bonuses were paid out? Are you expected to own sales comp too? Because that's a whole 'nother full-time job.

Follow the turnover trail
How much churn has the comp team seen? Was the role you're filling downleveled or upleveled? If so, why? Talk to your predecessor.

Know their goals
Do they think you'll mostly keep the lights on? Or is there a big equity redesign coming where you're the only one who actually knows equity? Also worth knowing your board: how involved, and what areas.

Be aware of landmines
Pay bands no one's touched in 2 years, a half-finished leveling project, pending pay gap issues, a comp review that's been promised to employees in a month. Find out what you're inheriting before it's your problem, and what resources you'll have to fix it.

💡 Pro tip Find the skeptic and meet with them early. Their often in a highly technical function 😉. You know -- the one who knows what's best in comp than you. You'll learn fast whether they'll collaborate or if it'll always be a lil tense.