Sr Manager, Compensation

Position Summary

The Senior Compensation Manager leads the design, implementation, and administration of company-wide compensation programs, including base pay, short-term incentives, long-term incentives, and executive compensation. This role partners with HR Business Partners to develop compensation strategies that support employee attraction and retention while managing fiscal resources responsibly.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation, and administration of compensation programs, including incentive programs and executive compensation — covering benchmarking, salary structures, job evaluation, job grading, salary increase administration, short-term bonus design, long-term incentives (equity), metric tracking, and equity ownership guidelines

• Prepare materials, analyses, and recommendations for the Compensation Committee and Board of Directors

• Partner with Finance on the design and administration of equity programs (stock options, RSUs, performance shares) for executives and broader eligible populations

• Partner with Finance/Legal on equity plan share reserve management, grant approvals, and accounting/expense implications

• Monitor the effectiveness of existing compensation practices and recommend changes that are cost-effective and consistent with market trends and business objectives

• Participate in global and local compensation benchmark surveys (e.g., Mercer) to ensure market competitiveness in base pay and short-term incentives, and use market data to maintain grade and range structures

• Provide guidance to HR business partners and people managers on compensation decisions, policy interpretation, and job evaluations

• Develop, compile, and present compensation data, analyses, and proposals to senior leadership

• Oversee compensation tools and processes to improve data quality, efficiency and employee experience

• Proactively analyze market trends, compensation practices and economic conditions to develop recommendations that support talent and business objectives

• Develop communication and education strategies that enable leaders and employees to understand and effectively leverage compensation programs

• Provide expert counsel on the design, development, and financial/budget impact of compensation programs

• Maintain and improve compensation-related systems, tools, and data (e.g., ADP Lyric and Decusoft Compose)

• Support executive onboarding related to compensation packages and serve as an ongoing point of contact for executive compensation inquiries

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local compensation laws and regulations, including FLSA and pay equity requirements (performs pay equity analysis)

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Finance, or a related field

• 10-12 years of progressively responsible experience in compensation, executive compensation, broad-based compensation with global experience

• Recent experience using the Mercer (or other 3rd party) compensation methodology and survey participation

• Experience designing and administering short term and long term (equity) incentive programs

• Solid understanding of job evaluation methodologies, salary structure design, and market pricing

• Strong knowledge of U.S. federal, state, and local laws governing base and incentive compensation

• Advanced Excel skills, plus strong Word and PowerPoint proficiency

• HRIS and payroll system knowledge

• Excellent analytical, project management, interpersonal, and influencing skills

• Strong communication skills (written and verbal), business judgement and the ability to manage highly sensitive confidential information

• Ability to balance competing priorities in a fast-paced environment with a strong sense of urgency

• Demonstrated ability to drive and sustain operational excellence, including process automation

Preferred Qualifications

• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) certification

• Skills to design and administer executive compensation (including long term incentive/equity) programs

• Prior experience working directly with a Board Compensation Committee

• Experience leveraging modern analytics, data and AI-enabled tools to drive insights, improve efficiency, and support compensation decision-making

• Experience with compensation planning tools (e.g., Decusoft Compose, ADP)