Director-Compensation & Benefits

At American Express, our culture is built on a 175-year history of innovation, shared values and Leadership Behaviors, and an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities, and colleagues. As part of Team Amex, you'll experience this powerful backing with comprehensive support for your holistic well-being and many opportunities to learn new skills, develop as a leader, and grow your career.

Here, your voice and ideas matter, your work makes an impact, and together, you will help us define the future of American Express.

Function Description

The Colleague Experience Group (CEG) has a simple vision: to provide a great colleague experience every day. We obsess over understanding the colleague experience at a deeper level to co-create simple and great ways of working that enable everyone to be and deliver their best. We make a difference in the lives of our people, providing a culture of learning and collaboration, and helping them with what they need to succeed and thrive. We have their backs as they grow their skills, conquer new challenges, or even take time to spend with their family or community. And when they’re ready to take on a new career path, we’re right there with them, giving them the mentorship and momentum into the best future they envision.

Ensuring we have the right compensation and benefits in place for employees and that they meet the dynamic and complex requirements for each market is imperative. Reporting to the VP, International Compensation and Benefits (C&B), this role will be responsible for supporting the design, governance, and execution of the company’s compensation and benefits strategy across India. The role ensures reward programs are competitive in the market, aligned with business priorities, compliant with local laws, and continues to strengthen our Colleague Value Proposition. The individual will serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, partner with global and regional colleagues, and manage a team delivering high-quality execution of reward programs.

In addition, this colleague will serve as a central resource across the International Compensation & Benefit (C&B) portfolio to lead control and risk management, including proactive monitoring of regulatory risks, ongoing mapping of critical processes, and maintaining internal audit readiness.

How will you make an impact in this role?

• Lead the delivery of strategic reward initiatives across India, ensuring they are aligned with both local business objectives and global governance frameworks
• Design and manage India’s compensation structures, salary ranges, grading, and job architecture to maintain fairness, equity, and competitiveness
• Partner with external survey providers and internal partners to conduct market benchmarking, salary reviews, and lead data-driven analysis for competitive positioning in all international markets
• Lead all aspects of benefits offerings, including health, wellness, and retirement programs, ensuring alignment with employee needs and market practice in the India market
• Ensure all compensation and benefits programs are aligned with Indian labor laws, tax requirements, and broader governance standards. Proactively monitor regulatory changes and associated risks to adapt our programs to meet evolving needs
• Lead control and risk management activities related to International C&B programs including process mapping, documentation and reviews to ensure compliance with internal policies, regulatory requirements and audit standards
• Oversee International C&B RCSA activities ensuring risk identification, control testing and implementation of corrective actions for the international compensation and benefits team
• Provide support for compensation and benefits program changes during organizational restructuring or M&A activities
• Lead the creation of dashboards, metrics, and advanced analytics to support evidence-based decision making. Utilize tools such as Advanced Excel, Power BI, and Tableau to present insights
• Ensure India programs align with overall Colleague Total Rewards and Well-being strategy, fit within a consistent governance framework, and address local needs

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, Business, Economics, Human Resources or related field
• 7+ years of demonstrated experience in total rewards, benefits, compensation, and exposure to a broad range of compensation practices
• Demonstrated experience delivering large-scale reward programs in complex corporate settings; financial services experience preferred
• Proven experience working across diverse regions, with a strong global approach
• Strong partner management and ability to engage, influence, and support senior leaders across business, HR, and finance
• Proven track record of leading teams, building expertise, and driving accountability
• High level of interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to explain complex reward concepts in a simple and actionable manner using fact-based rationale
• Global approach with the ability to operate effectively across diverse regions and within a matrixed organizational structure.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, solve complex challenges, and implement pragmatic solutions
• Strategic problem solver who balances long-term program design with hands-on execution
• Deep understanding of compensation models, structures, vehicles, and job evaluation practices
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills with advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Knowledge of job architecture frameworks, grading systems, and recognition programs

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or MBA strongly preferred
• Experience managing compensation and benefits during organizational change, restructuring, or M&A activity
• Strong expertise in risk management and compliance.
• Proficiency in benchmarking methodology, survey tools, and compensation data interpretation.
• Experience designing incentive plans with links to financial metrics and performance KPIs
• Experience using data visualization and analytics tools such as Power BI and Tableau
• Familiarity with HRIS platforms such as Oracle, Workday, SAP, or SuccessFactors
• Ability to build and maintain dashboards and reporting tools to support strategic decision-making

We back you with benefits that support your holistic well-being so you can be and deliver your best. This means caring for you and your loved ones' physical, financial, and mental health, as well as providing the flexibility you need to thrive personally and professionally:

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• Support for financial-well-being and retirement
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits (depending on location)
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need
• Generous paid parental leave policies (depending on your location)
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location)
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program

• Career development and training opportunities

  
  American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law.

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.