Senior Compensation Analyst

Position Overview

We’re searching for a Senior Compensation Analyst to join the People team in a remote or hybrid capacity out of our Chicago office. We’re in the middle of a multi-year compensation roadmap built around high-impact, employee-centric initiatives, and you will be a driving force behind it.

What You’ll Do

• Drive the development and administration of compensation and job architecture frameworks that keep Applied both internally equitable and externally competitive.
• Own the annual compensation planning cycle from start to finish, including system configuration, UAT, budgeting, cycle execution, and hands-on training and consultation with People Team Partners and leaders.
• Partner with People Team to evaluate roles, navigate job placement, and ensure consistent, accurate job documentation across the organization.
• Build compensation models that bring salary grades, pay equity analyses, and variable pay targets to life.
• Translate what you find into near- and long-term cost and benefit decisions.
• Serve as the team’s compensation systems expert.
• You will own system administration, identify opportunities to automate, and drive the efficiency gains that free the team up for higher-impact work.
• Support the administration of equity programs, including analysis and recommendations to inform grant decisions, refresh cycles, and candidate equity packages.
• Conduct compensation benchmarking for international markets, including India, with the ability to independently research statutory requirements, interpret market dynamics, and make data-driven pay recommendations.
• Stay ahead of emerging AI and data analytics trends and actively apply them to modernize compensation processes, reduce manual lift, and sharpen accuracy.
• Stay current on compensation-related laws and regulations, translating legislative changes into clear guidance and ensuring our programs and practices remain compliant.
• Bring others along. Share what you know with junior team members and help build compensation literacy across the People function.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive compensation experience covering base pay, variable pay, and job architecture.
• Advanced Excel skills: combined functions, pivot tables, queries, and the ability to turn that analysis into a clear, compelling story.
• A track record of administering full compensation planning cycles, including system configuration, UAT, reporting, and stakeholder support.
• Hands-on experience with third-party compensation surveys (Radford/Aon, Culpepper, WTW) and conducting market pricing analyses.
• A natural consultative style. You build trust with People Team partners and leaders and know how to make complex comp topics accessible.
• Familiarity with pay equity analysis and evolving multi-jurisdictional pay transparency and reporting requirements (e.g., state pay data reporting, EU legislation).

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits and compensation package that centers our teammates and helps them to bring their best to work every day: Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage, Holiday and Vacation Time, Health & Wellness Days, and a Bonus Day for Your Birthday. Your Security Matters: Our candidates' personal information and online safety are top of mind for us. At Applied, we proactively protect your personal information and only communicate with candidates via a secure @appliedsystems.com email or through our official careers portal. Recruiters will never request payments, ask for financial account information or sensitive information like social security numbers. AI Utilization: We leverage AI tools to streamline parts of our recruitment workflow (such as resume parsing and interview scheduling). However, candidate screening, interviews, and final decisions are conducted by real humans. EEO Statement: Applied Systems is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Diversity and Inclusion is a business imperative and is a part of building our brand and reputation. At Applied, we don’t discriminate, and we are committed to recruit, develop, retain, and promote regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected status as required by applicable law.