Sr Manager, Compensation

Job Summary

The Senior Manager, Compensation is a strategic compensation leader responsible for the design, governance, implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of compensation programs that support Panera's business objectives and talent strategy.

Key Responsibilities

• Compensation Strategy & Consulting

• Serve as a trusted compensation advisor to HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition partners, and business leaders on compensation philosophy, pay decisions, program design, and talent-related compensation issues.
• Partner with leadership to develop compensation solutions that support attraction, retention, engagement, and performance objectives.
• Translate compensation principles and market data into practical recommendations for business stakeholders.
• Support the evolution of compensation frameworks, salary structures, job architecture, and career progression models.

• Incentive Plan Design & Administration

• Lead the design, modeling, implementation, communication, and administration of short-term incentive programs across retail and field populations.
• Partner with Finance, Operations, and HR leaders to ensure incentive plans align with organizational objectives and performance outcomes.
• Conduct financial modeling and scenario analyses to evaluate plan effectiveness and support decision-making.
• Lead governance and continuous improvement efforts, including process optimization, documentation, controls, communications, and system updates.
• Conduct post-cycle reviews and recommend enhancements based on performance outcomes, participant feedback, and market practices.
• Ensure timely and accurate incentive calculations, approvals, and payouts in partnership with Finance and HR.

• Market Pricing & Benchmarking

• Lead market pricing activities and job evaluations to ensure compensation programs remain externally competitive and internally equitable.
• Manage participation in industry salary surveys and maintain strong vendor relationships with market data providers.
• Perform competitive assessments and develop recommendations regarding pay positioning, salary ranges, and compensation structures.
• Maintain the integrity and quality of benchmarking, job matching, and market analysis methodologies.
• Monitor compensation trends and emerging practices across retail, restaurant, hospitality, and service-sector organizations.

• Compensation Analytics & Insights

• Develop compensation analytics, dashboards, and executive reporting to support workforce planning and compensation decision-making.
• Analyze compensation data to identify trends, risks, opportunities, and organizational insights.
• Support executive presentations through data-driven recommendations and business case development.
• Measure and evaluate the effectiveness of compensation and incentive programs through quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Leverage reporting and visualization tools to improve compensation transparency and decision support.

• Compensation Process Ownership

• Lead the annual merit, promotion, and compensation planning cycles, including Workday configuration, testing, validation, communications, and governance.
• Own semi-annual wage adjustment programs and support enterprise compensation initiatives.
• Ensure compensation processes are scalable, efficient, and aligned with pay-for-performance principles.
• Develop project plans and manage cross-functional stakeholders to ensure successful execution of compensation programs.

• Compensation Technology & Process Optimization

• Serve as the compensation subject matter expert for Workday Compensation and related systems.
• Partner with HR Technology teams to identify automation opportunities, streamline workflows, and improve user experience.
• Lead business requirements development, testing strategies, system enhancements, and release support activities.
• Establish process controls and governance frameworks to ensure data accuracy and operational excellence.

• Pay Governance, Compliance & Pay Equity

• Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local compensation regulations and requirements.
• Partner with HR, Legal, and HR Technology teams to support evolving pay transparency initiatives and related compliance requirements.
• Conduct compensation audits and participate in pay equity analyses to identify and address potential risks.
• Support compensation policy development, governance activities, documentation standards, and audit readiness.
• Monitor regulatory developments and recommend program or process changes as needed.

• Stakeholder Partnership & Education

• Provide compensation guidance and consultation to HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition partners, and business leaders.
• Develop and deliver compensation training, education, and communication materials.
• Collaborate closely with Finance, HRIS, Talent Acquisition, Legal, and Operations teams to ensure alignment across compensation initiatives.
• Build strong relationships across the organization to drive successful adoption of compensation programs and policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, Economics, Statistics, or a related field.
• 8–10+ years of progressive compensation experience with increasing levels of responsibility.
• Experience supporting large, geographically dispersed employee populations in retail, restaurant, hospitality, distribution, or similarly labor-intensive industries.
• Demonstrated expertise in compensation program design, market pricing, job evaluation, and compensation administration.
• Advanced Excel skills, including modeling, scenario analysis, and large dataset management.
• Experience with Workday Compensation and enterprise HRIS-driven compensation processes.
• Strong understanding of compensation compliance, pay equity, and compensation governance.
• Proven ability to influence and consult with leaders at multiple organizational levels.

Preferred

• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation.
• Experience with compensation survey platforms such as Mercer, WTW, Aon, Radford, PayFactors, or ERI.
• Experience developing compensation dashboards and compensation analytics tools.
• Experience supporting pay transparency initiatives and multi-state compliance requirements.
• Experience managing complex cross-functional projects.

Competitive Pay

The actual pay offered will be determined by multiple factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s relevant experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and geographical location. Individual compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.