Principal Compensation Partner

About Checkr Checkr is building the data platform to power safe and fair decisions. Over 140,000 companies and millions of people rely on Checkr for AI verification in the moments that matter most: getting a new job, a new place to live, a car ride, childcare, even a date. Customers include Uber, Pennymac, Airbnb, Doordash, and Anthropic. We’re a team that thrives on solving complex problems with innovative solutions that advance our mission. Checkr is recognized on Forbes Cloud 100 2025 List and is a Y Combinator 2024 Breakthrough Company . About the role Checkr’s growth is fueled by exceptional talent, and how we reward that talent matters. We are looking for a Principal Compensation Partner to be a senior individual contributor and trusted advisor on compensation and total rewards, helping us attract, retain, and motivate the best people as we scale. You will report to the VP of Total Rewards and People Ops, and partner directly with Executives, Directors, People Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Finance, and Legal to plan, build, communicate, and administer compensation programs that support Checkr’s overall strategy. Your work will touch our short- and long-term incentives, reward and recognition programs, benchmarking and survey analysis, and more. This is a builder’s role. You will bring a business mindset, quantitative rigor, and a bias for action to a company that is growing fast, and you will have real ownership over how our compensation approach evolves. Join us and be part of a mission-driven company that is passionate about investing in our people! Hybrid schedule and office location: Denver In this role you will • Be a trusted advisor in the room. Partner directly with Executives, Directors, senior HR leaders, and Talent Acquisition to shape compensation strategies that fit Checkr’s philosophy while meeting the needs of each organization, including calibration sessions, offer discussions, and complex pay decisions. • Own the strategy and the programs. Develop and maintain our compensation and rewards strategy and guidelines, ensuring a fair, equitable, and competitive total rewards approach, and be the subject-matter expert on our bi-annual performance review cycle, pay equity, compensation guidelines, job families, annual salary review, and equity refresh program. • Take a whole-picture view of total rewards. Help evaluate how cash, equity, benefits, 401(k), leave, and recognition programs fit together, and bring ideas that strengthen Checkr’s overall rewards offering. • Solve problems that don’t have obvious answers. Develop creative, data-driven solutions to complex compensation challenges, balancing competitiveness, equity, risk, and reward. • Go deep on the data. Build compensation models, conduct statistical analysis, assess market competitiveness, and model the impact of alternatives so leaders can make informed decisions. • Use AI and automation to build mechanisms that scale. Partner with Total Rewards and People Ops technology teams to implement tools that improve efficiency, operational excellence, and insight across the function. • Drive job architecture and market pricing. Lead job evaluation, leveling, and market pricing across all job families and levels, and lead market-based compensation survey participation, annual benchmarking, and the market research review process. • Educate and communicate. Create policy and program documentation, lead change management for new or updated compensation practices, and teach managers and employees about Checkr’s compensation philosophy, job descriptions, and leveling framework. • Support executive compensation and provide insight to leadership on executive pay decisions. • Partner across the company. Work closely with Total Rewards, Stock Admini