Senior Manager, Compensation, North America

Description & Requirements

The Senior Manager, Compensation, North America is responsible for leading the design, implementation, and administration of compensation programs that attract, motivate, and retain top talent while aligning with the organization's strategic goals. Reporting to the Sr Director, Total Rewards, this role serves as a compensation leader for North America, partnering closely with HR leadership, HRBPs, business leaders, and Finance to ensure competitive, equitable, and compliant pay practices across a complex, post-merger environment.

Following the combination of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock, this role is critical to the ongoing harmonization of legacy compensation structures, pay philosophies, and incentive programs into a unified North American framework. The person in this seat will bring both strategic vision and hands-on execution to ensure Smurfit Westrock's compensation programs are market-competitive, internally equitable, and positioned to support the company's owner-operator culture.

Compensation Strategy and Design

• Lead the development and ongoing refinement of the North American compensation strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and the global Reward function
• Design and administer base pay structures and local/regional variable pay programs
• Conduct regular market analysis and benchmarking using published surveys and custom studies to ensure competitive positioning across salaried, hourly, and union populations
• Evaluate and recommend salary structures and pay ranges, incorporating post-merger harmonization priorities

Program Management

• Partner with the broader Reward team and HR leadership to execute the annual compensation planning cycle, including merit increases, bonus payouts, and equity distribution
• Manage the job offer process to ensure compensation recommendations for new hires, promotions, and internal moves are consistent, compliant, and aligned with the global job architecture framework
• Assess new and existing roles against the global job architecture, managing job evaluations and maintaining internal equity across roles and functions
• Develop and deliver communication and training programs to educate managers, employees, and HR partners on compensation policies, practices, and program changes
• Ensure programs are scalable, data-driven, and aligned to performance outcomes

Partnership and Advisory

• Act as a strategic advisor to HRBPs and business leaders on all compensation matters, including offers, promotions, organizational changes, and retention strategies
• Provide expert guidance on complex compensation decisions, ensuring consistency and compliance across a matrixed, multi-site organization
• Collaborate with Talent, Finance, and Legal teams to ensure alignment on compensation actions, regulatory compliance, and cost management
• Conduct regular reviews and audits of compensation programs and recommend improvements to ensure effectiveness and alignment with organizational goals

Analytics and Reporting

• Leverage compensation data and analytics to inform decision-making, identify trends, and proactively surface risks or opportunities
• Develop dashboards and reporting to support leadership insights into market competitiveness, pay equity, and program effectiveness
• Support compensation remediation efforts where needed, partnering with Legal and HR leadership on approach and execution

Compliance and Governance

• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, provincial (Canada), and local compensation laws and regulations
• Maintain governance over compensation policies and practices across the North American footprint
• Support audits, regulatory reporting, and internal reviews

Leadership

• Lead, develop, and mentor a team of compensation professionals, building bench strength and functional capability within the Reward function
• Drive continuous improvement in compensation processes, tools, and systems
• Stay current on emerging compensation trends, legislative changes, and best practices in the manufacturing and packaging sector
• Promote a culture of fairness, transparency, and accountability in all compensation decisions

What You Need to Succeed

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, Business, Finance, or related field
• 7–10 years of progressive compensation experience, with demonstrated ownership of compensation strategy and program design
• Experience in a large, matrixed, or global organization with both salaried and hourly populations
• Deep expertise in compensation program design, market benchmarking, job evaluation methodologies, and pay analytics
• Strong knowledge of compensation-related laws and regulations (FLSA, Equal Pay Act, state/provincial pay transparency laws)
• Advanced skills in Excel and experience with HRIS and compensation systems (Workday preferred)
• Strategic thinking and business acumen with the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations for leaders
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to influence at all levels of the organization
• Attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy

Preferred

• Master's degree in HR, MBA, or related advanced degree
• SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent professional certification
• Experience in manufacturing (Paper, packaging, or forest products industries preferred)
• Experience managing direct reports
• Familiarity with post-merger compensation harmonization, including integration of disparate pay structures and incentive programs
• Active participation in professional organizations such as WorldatWork

What We Offer

A corporate culture based on integrity, respect, accountability, and excellence

A comprehensive training program with numerous learning and development opportunities

An attractive salary reflecting skills, competencies, and potential

A career with a global packaging company where Sustainability, Safety, and Inclusion are business drivers and foundational elements of the daily work