HR Specialist - Total Rewards Business Partner

6-month contract role located in North Chicago, IL (hybrid: Monday & Friday remote, Tuesday–Thursday onsite). Pay range: $35.00–$38.00 per hour.

About the Role

As part of the Total Rewards Excellence team, the Total Rewards Business Partner (TRBP) provides routine advisory on Total Rewards topics to ensure consistent application of competitive pay practices. The TRBP analyzes compensation and other reward-program data to maintain internal equity and market competitiveness, develops compensation-offer recommendations for external hires and internal moves, conducts audits for data accuracy across HRIS systems, and maintains TRBP tools by running and updating reports.

Responsibilities

• Develop compensation-offer recommendations—base salary, incentive programs, sign-on or other cash-based programs—aligned with company practices and market benchmarks.
• Conduct audits to ensure data accuracy across HRIS systems and maintain accurate employee compensation data.
• Serve as an advisor for routine inquiries from Business Human Resources (BHR) and Talent Acquisition (TA) within established guidelines.
• Support job evaluations and benchmarking studies; make grade and job-code recommendations aligned with company practices and maintain documentation in HRIS, benchmarking, and case-management systems.
• Support execution of compensation activities: annual rewards cycle, function-specific promotion cycles, survey submissions, and salary-structure establishment.
• Perform market and internal benchmarking studies; gather and synthesize data from published sources to evaluate competitive market positioning.
• Assist in ad hoc compensation projects and tasks as directed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in Human Resources Management, Business Administration, Finance, Analytics, or a related field.
• 2–4 years of relevant experience supporting compensation programs with demonstrated understanding of broad-based compensation concepts and administration.
• Advanced MS Excel skills (pre-test required): expert-level proficiency with Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, INDEX MATCH, SUMIFS, AVERAGEIFS, and complex formulas.
• Experience with HRIS systems (e.g., Workday or HRSoft) and data-analytics/reporting tools (e.g., Power BI) preferred.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret complex datasets, identify trends, and provide actionable insights and recommendations while maintaining high data accuracy and process consistency.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Skills

• Advanced competency in Excel, including pivot tables and troubleshooting advanced formulas.
• Ability to translate complex data findings into actionable insights within established guidelines.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data validation and process consistency.
• Ability to work independently within interpretive guidelines, take initiative, and perform effectively in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment.
• Inclusive, equitable behavior that encourages participation; comfort with ambiguity and changing priorities.
• Collaborative teamwork with an enterprise and one-team mindset.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Life, long-term disability, and short-term disability insurance.
• Paid parking/public transportation.
• Paid time off, paid sick and safe time, paid vacation time, paid parental leave, and paid holidays (eligibility requirements apply).