Lead Equity & Incentive Compensation Partner

The role HelloFresh is seeking a Lead Equity & Incentives Compensation Partner to drive the strategy and execution of our global equity programs, short- and long-term incentive plans, executive compensation, and rewards governance framework. This is a senior individual contributor role for someone who has been deep in the mechanics of compensation in a high-growth technology company and is now ready to own a portfolio that spans program design, governance, and cross-functional influence. You will play a foundational role in defining our global rewards strategy and structuring defensible compensation frameworks. Reporting to the Global Director, Compensation Strategy, you will serve as the subject matter expert across equity, incentives, and executive pay - working at the intersection of people, finance, legal, and the business. This role is central to building scalable, market-competitive compensation programs that support HelloFresh's continued growth across global markets. What you’ll do Equity Program Design & Execution • Program Ownership: Lead the design, administration, and continuous improvement of HelloFresh's global equity programs - including RSUs, performance shares, and any new equity vehicles - ensuring they are competitive, compliant, and well-understood by employees. • Platform & Data Integrity: Serve as the operational lead for the equity compensation platform, ensuring accurate data bridges between Workday, Payroll, and external equity administration tools. • Equity Education: Develop scalable education materials - guides, FAQs, webinars - that help employees across all markets understand their equity awards and the broader compensation philosophy Incentive Plans & Variable Pay • STI & LTI Design: Lead the design and annual refresh of short-term and long-term incentive structures, including corporate bonus plans, sales incentive frameworks, and performance-based equity programs. • Plan Modelling: Build and maintain incentive compensation models to evaluate cost, dilution, payout scenarios, and competitive positioning; translate model outputs into clear recommendations for senior leadership. • Goal-Setting & Calibration: Partner with Finance and HR Business Partners during the annual goal-setting cycle to ensure incentive metrics are appropriately rigorous, measurable, and aligned to business priorities. • Pay Mix Analysis: Conduct ongoing analysis of total compensation pay mix across roles, levels, and geographies to identify gaps and recommend design adjustments. Executive Compensation • C-Suite Support: Support executive compensation reviews, including benchmarking for C-suite and director-level roles, peer group analysis, and preparation of materials for Compensation Committee review. • Benchmarking & Market Data: Manage relationships with compensation survey vendors; lead annual and ad-hoc benchmarking exercises to keep HelloFresh's executive pay competitive. • Offer Construction: Partner with Talent Acquisition and senior HR leadership to structure competitive offers for executive hires, including equity, sign-on, and ongoing compensation considerations. • Disclosure & Reporting: Support preparation of executive compensation disclosures and Compensation Committee materials, ensuring accuracy and regulatory compliance. Rewards Governance & Compliance • Governance Framework: Develop and maintain HelloFresh's global compensation governance framework — including salary band structures, job architecture, and pay approval workflows — ensuring consistency, fairness, and auditability. • Regulatory Compliance: Ensure all compensation programs comply with applicable securities law, tax regulations, and reporting requirements across jurisdictions (DE, US, UK, and others); lead preparation for the EU Pay Transparency Directive. • Pay Equity: Design and execute regular pay equity analyses across gender, ethnicity, and tenure; surface findings and drive remediation plans in partnership with HR leadership and Legal. • SOX & Audit Support: Maintain rigorous controls and documentation for equity and incentive programs to support internal and external audit requirements. • Process Improvement: Identify and implement opportunities to automate and streamline compensation operations, including tooling, workflows, and AI-assisted analytics. Strategic Partnership & Program Building • Cross-Functional Influence: Act as the compensation expert for HR Business Partners, Finance, and Legal — providing timely, data-driven guidance on compensation decisions across the employee lifecycle. • M&A and Expansion: Support compensation due diligence and integration work for acquisitions and new market entries, ensuring programs can scale with the business. • Stakeholder Communication: Translate complex compensation concepts into clear narratives for senior leaders, the Compensation Committee, and employees at all levels. • Team Mentorship: Provide guidance and mentorship to more members of the compensation team, including the Senior Equity Compensation Analyst. What you’ll bring • Experience: 8+ years of progressive compensation experience, with at least 4 years focused on equity, incentives, or executive compensation in a high-growth global technology or e-commerce company. • Program Builder: Demonstrated track record of designing and scaling compensation programs from the ground up — not just administering inherited ones. • Technical Depth: Strong command of equity mechanics (RSUs, options, performance shares), incentive plan design, and executive pay practices. Familiarity with SOX, EU Pay Transparency, and multi-jurisdictional compliance requirements. • Analytical Rigour: Expert-level proficiency in financial modelling and data analysis (Excel/Google Sheets required; SQL, Python, or BI tools a plus). Comfortable building models that inform multi-million dollar decisions. • Governance Mindset: Experience developing or maintaining global compensation governance fra