Manager, Compensation and Benefits

Position Summary

The Manager, Compensation and Benefits is responsible for the design, administration, and continuous improvement of the organization's compensation and benefits programs. This role ensures programs are competitive, equitable, compliant, and aligned with overall business strategy and growth objectives.

The position serves as a key partner to senior leadership, Finance, and external vendors, including benefits brokers and compensation data providers, to deliver a strong and consistent employee experience. The role requires strategic thinking combined with operational excellence, with a strong emphasis on data integrity, analytics, and effective use of HR systems.

Duties and Responsibilities

Compensation Strategy and Administration

• Serve as the organization's compensation subject matter expert, advising leadership on pay decisions, market competitiveness, and alignment with compensation philosophy
• Lead the annual compensation cycle, including merit increases, promotions, and discretionary bonus programs, ensuring alignment with performance, internal equity, and budget parameters
• Own and maintain job architecture, salary structures, and pay ranges to ensure consistency and scalability across the organization
• Conduct ongoing market benchmarking and compensation analysis using third-party survey data and compensation tools
• Proactively evaluate and update benchmark data as roles, organizational structures, and market conditions evolve
• Develop compensation modeling, analytics, and reporting to support workforce planning, budgeting, and executive decision-making
• Partner closely with Finance to align compensation programs with financial goals, forecasts, and long-term sustainability
• Ensure internal equity and pay consistency by identifying gaps and recommending corrective actions
• Educate leaders and managers on compensation practices, pay decisions, and effective communication strategies
• Support executive and leadership compensation analysis, including scenario modeling and confidential reporting as required

Benefits Strategy and Administration

• Act as the primary point of contact and subject matter expert for all benefits-related matters, resolving complex employee and leadership inquiries
• Manage the strategic relationship with benefits brokers to drive plan design, renewals, cost management, and continuous improvement
• Lead the end-to-end Open Enrollment process, including strategy, system configuration, vendor coordination, and employee communications
• Oversee the full lifecycle of benefits programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary offerings
• Maintain accountability for benefits billing, auditing, reconciliation, and vendor invoice validation in partnership with Finance
• Ensure accuracy of benefit eligibility, enrollments, and payroll deductions through audits and cross-functional coordination
• Monitor market trends, regulatory changes, and emerging best practices to maintain a competitive total rewards offering
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including ACA requirements, nondiscrimination testing, and annual filings
• Drive continuous improvement in benefits administration through technology and vendor partnerships

Employee Experience and Wellness

• Design and execute annual wellness initiatives such as health fairs, including vendor coordination and employee engagement strategies
• Support and enhance wellness programs aligned with employee needs and organizational priorities
• Partner with internal teams to integrate benefits and wellness offerings into broader employee engagement initiatives

Systems, Data, and Compliance

• Ensure data integrity within HR systems for compensation and benefits, including audits, reporting, and issue resolution
• Partner with internal stakeholders and external consultants to improve system efficiencies and reporting capabilities
• Develop dashboards and reporting to monitor compensation trends, benefits utilization, and program effectiveness
• Ensure compliance with all compensation and benefits regulations at the federal, state, and local levels
• Support audits, filings, and regulatory reporting requirements

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Collaborate closely with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, and benefits cost management
• Partner with HR and People Operations teams to support employee inquiries, escalations, and education
• Support communication strategies that clearly articulate total rewards offerings and reinforce the employee value proposition

Competencies and Skills

• Strong customer-centric mindset and service orientation
• Strategic thinker with strong execution capability
• High attention to detail and data accuracy
• Strong business acumen and financial understanding
• Ability to influence and partner with senior leaders
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• Results-driven with a high sense of accountability
• Collaborative and interpersonally effective
• Continuous improvement mindset focused on scalability and efficiency

Supervisory Responsibilities

May supervise individual contributors and/or other employees as assigned.

Essential Job Functions

• Ability to operate required technology, systems, and software
• Ability to work in an office and remote environment, with occasional work in varied indoor or field settings depending on business needs
• Ability to communicate effectively with internal and external stakeholders across multiple formats
• Ability to work extended hours and flexible schedules as required
• Ability to comply with all applicable safety and attendance requirements

Travel Expectations (if applicable)

Travel may be required up to 10% of work time.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field
• 5-8+ years of progressive experience in compensation and benefits
• Equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered
• Experience managing compensation cycles and benchmarking programs
• Demonstrated experience administering benefits programs and open enrollment
• Advanced proficiency with compensation tools and survey platforms
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills
• Experience working in HRIS platforms (Workday preferred)
• In-depth knowledge of compensation principles, pay equity, and market pricing
• Working knowledge of benefits regulations and compliance requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certifications such as CCP, CBP, PHR, SPHR, or SHRM-CP/SCP
• Experience supporting distributed or hourly workforce populations
• Experience in complex, multi-entity or operational environments

Disclaimer

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities. Duties may change or be expanded at any time based on business needs.

Equal Employment Opportunity & ADA Statement

The organization is committed to equal employment opportunity and compliance with applicable employment and disability laws, including providing reasonable accommodations as required.