Compensation Manager

About Pyka

Pyka’s goal is to provide society with a new form of safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation enabled by autonomous electric aviation.

To get there, we’re taking a different approach than most. We're applying our technologies to every industry where autonomous electric aircraft can be useful, starting with the highest value and most dangerous jobs. In doing so, we're building game-changing products manufactured at scale, while perfecting the safety, reliability, and capabilities of our autonomy engine and electric propulsion systems. 

We design, develop and manufacture an ecosystem of technologies including proprietary flight control software, avionics, high power density motors, motor controllers, batteries, and custom carbon-fiber composite airframes.

Today, we supply autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection to real-world customers across four separate continents and have secured industry-first regulatory approvals from the FAA. Our cargo aircraft enables remote connectivity, enhances express delivery networks, and ensures fast and reliable shipping of critical supplies to areas in need. Our crop protection aircraft offers agricultural services providers and farmers an autonomous tool to make aerial application safer, more precise, and less harmful to surrounding environments. Both vehicles are highly economical to operate, easy to deploy, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions in their respective industries. 

What you work on at Pyka makes people’s lives better now and brings the future of electric aviation one step closer each day. 

Role Overview

We are looking for a Compensation Manager to lead and grow Pyka's global compensation programs as we scale. We currently have salary bands, equity programs, and compensation structures in the US and Brazil. In this role, you will own these programs, keep them competitive, evolve them as we expand, and adapt them as we hire in new countries. This is an individual contributor role, critical to attracting and retaining top-tier technical and operational talent in a competitive hardware and aerospace market. This role will report to the Head of People and work closely with the rest of the people team and leadership at Pyka.

Responsibilities

Shape Pyka’s compensation philosophy and programs, partnering with the Head of People and leadership to align pay strategy with business goals and hiring plans.

Own and evolve Pyka's salary bands, job families, and variable pay programs for engineering, manufacturing, flight ops, and G&A roles in the US and Brazil.

Manage, configure, and optimize compensation management platforms and tools to streamline merit cycles, salary planning, and benchmarking data.

Run Pyka's equity compensation programs, including applying and refining grant guidelines and equity bands, partnering with Finance and Legal on cap table alignment, and leading candidate/employee equity education.

Conduct ongoing market analysis using tech/hardware compensation data, and recommend band adjustments to keep Pyka competitive in each market where we operate.

Run the annual compensation review, merit increase, and promotion cycles in close partnership with the Head of People, People Operations, and leadership.

Ensure all compensation programs comply with federal, state, local, and international regulations, including FLSA, Pay Transparency laws, and applicable Brazilian labor requirements.

Create clear, transparent compensation communications and build resources to help employees and candidates understand pay decisions and the value of their equity.

Depending on your interests and experience, there is an opportunity to also take ownership of Pyka’s benefits programs, including plan design, broker and vendor management, and open enrollment.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of dedicated Compensation experience, ideally in a fast-paced hardware, tech, or aerospace startup environment.

• Proven experience running compensation across multiple countries, with US operations as a core market.

• 3+ years of experience with startup equity programs, including grant sizing, market benchmarking, and working within structured grant frameworks.

• Knowledge of tech/hardware compensation benchmarking databases (e.g., Radford, Option Impact, Mercer).

• Strong analytical proficiency in Google Sheets or Excel for building compensation models, salary bands, and market data analysis.

• Proven understanding of US labor laws and pay transparency mandates (FLSA).

• Exceptional ability to translate complex compensation and equity mechanics into clear, accessible language for employees and candidates across different regions and cultures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing compensation in Brazil or elsewhere in Latin America.

• Experience implementing or expanding compensation programs in a new country, including benchmarking, band design, and local compliance.

• Direct experience administering or optimizing dedicated compensation planning software (e.g., Pave, Pequity, Comprehensive, or similar tooling).

• Familiarity with cross-border equity considerations, global taxation, and international mobility strategies for growing engineering teams.

• Solid understanding of tax, accounting, and legal considerations surrounding domestic and international stock options, exercise windows, and equity compensation structures.

• Experience building, growing, and leading a compensation team.

• Experience as the first dedicated compensation hire at a company, building programs from the ground up.

• We understand that candidates bring different strengths and experiences, and you don't need to meet every qualification to be considered. If this role excites you, we'd love to learn more about you. You may be a great fit even if your background doesn't align perfectly with the list.

Compensation and Benefits

$140,000–$200,000 per year base salary + equity. Compensation will vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Salary ranges are subject to change.

Employer-sponsored health, dental and vision insurance

FSA with employer matching

401(k)

Paid holidays, generous PTO, and additional unpaid time off

Voluntary short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance

Pre-tax commuter benefits

Free catered lunch and plenty of snacks

Export Control Requirements

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls.  Employment in this position is conditioned on the continued availability of government authorization to authorize release of such items, to the extent required, including without limitation an export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items. 

Company may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or may modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as Company deems appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.

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We do not work with external recruiters; if you are an external recruiter, please do not reach out.