Analyst, Senior Compensation

Harris County; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Harris County is seeking a Senior compensation subject-matter expert to lead compensation strategy, analysis, and administration. You will gather and analyze compensation data, develop recommendations, and serve as a resource for inquiries and issue resolution.

The role oversees governance, market benchmarking, pay equity initiatives, and cross-functional collaboration across IT and county departments, ensuring alignment with budgets and policies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a directly related field from an accredited college or university.
• Five (5) years of directly related work experience.
• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation.

Responsibilities

• Leads development and ongoing maintenance of the Harris County Salary Administration Guide, establishing policies and governance standards.
• Extracts, validates, and analyzes compensation datasets to evaluate pay equity, market alignment, and classification accuracy; develops reports and queries.
• Researches and analyzes salary survey data to determine market trends and set competitive salary ranges with geographic and skill-based differentials.
• Projects manage compensation frameworks including job architecture, career pathways, and pay equity initiatives.
• Serve as senior advisor to business units on compensation strategy, evaluations, reclassifications, and position control management.
• Audits and validates compensation data; ensures budgets align with ranges and maintains regulatory compliance.
• Leads cross-functional IT project efforts for pay initiatives; handles data file preparation and system testing.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Prioritization

Math/statistics

PeopleSoft

Microsoft Office

Compensation knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation

Tools

PeopleSoft

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Job description

Position Overview

Serves as the organization's Senior compensation subject-matter expert, responsible for the full spectrum of compensation strategy, analysis, and administration. Performs a range of analytical and reporting functions in support of county-wide compensation programs, projects, and services. Gathers, consolidates, processes, and analyzes compensation-related data using automated systems to support informed decision-making. Utilizes data findings to develop recommendations related to compensation policies, procedures, and practices, and serves as a resource for compensation-related inquiries and issue resolution.

Position Description

Position Overview

Serves as the organization's Senior compensation subject-matter expert, responsible for the full spectrum of compensation strategy, analysis, and administration. Performs a range of analytical and reporting functions in support of county-wide compensation programs, projects, and services. Gathers, consolidates, processes, and analyzes compensation-related data using automated systems to support informed decision-making. Utilizes data findings to develop recommendations related to compensation policies, procedures, and practices, and serves as a resource for compensation-related inquiries and issue resolution.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Compensation Policy & Governance: Leads the development and ongoing maintenance of the Harris County Salary Administration Guide, establishing compensation policies, procedures, and governance standards to ensure equitable, consistent, and compliant pay practices across the organization.
• Strategic Compensation Analysis & Reporting: Leads the other compensation analysts in extracting, validating, and analyzing complex compensation datasets to evaluate pay equity, market alignment, and classification accuracy; develops and maintains multiple complex reports and queries; applies advanced statistical and exploratory analysis techniques to identify trends, support strategic initiatives, and deliver actionable insights for leadership decision-making.
• Market Benchmarking & Competitive Positioning: Leads and guides the other compensation analysts in researching and analyzing internal and external salary survey data to determine market trends, validate job classifications, and recommend competitive salary ranges—applying geographic, industry, and skill-based differentials to maintain market competitiveness.
• Enterprise Compensation Initiatives: Project manages compensation frameworks, including job architecture implementation, career pathway development, and pay equity initiatives to support workforce planning, talent retention, and long-term organizational alignment.
• Consultative Business Partnership: Serves as the senior subject-matter expert and trusted advisor to business units and leadership on compensation strategy, job evaluations, reclassifications, salary recommendations and position control management—ensuring departmental structures align with organizational objectives and compensation parameters.
• Data Integrity, Budget Alignment & Compliance: Leads and develops the auditing and validation of compensation data to identify discrepancies and recommend corrective actions; ensures position salaries and budgets align with approved salary ranges and assigned budget amounts while maintaining audit readiness and regulatory compliance.
• Technology & Cross-Functional Collaboration: Leads projects with Universal Services and cross-functional stakeholders throughout the full IT project lifecycle—from initiation and planning through execution, testing, and closure to implement county wide Commissioners Court-approved pay initiatives (e.g., COLAs, law enforcement increases, targeted salary adjustments). Prepares, validates, and reconciles complex data files (e.g., salary administration grades/plans, step structures, job codes, position reclassifications, employee data, budget maximums) and conducts rigorous testing across multiple environments to ensure system accuracy and successful deployment. In addition, conducts biweekly position management uploads in collaboration with county business units.
• Survey Administration & Peer Benchmarking: Leads and mentors other compensation analysts in designing, administering, and participating in compensation surveys with public-sector peers and cross-industry organizations throughout the United States; consolidates complex survey data into actionable insights that inform compensation strategy and maintain competitive market positioning.

Other Duties

• This Job Description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Management may, at its discretion, assign, or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx

If you need special services or accommodations, please call [phone] or email [e-mail]

Requirements

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a directly related field from an accredited college or university and
• Five (5) years of directly related work experience.

Certification

• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and a strong attention to detail.
• Ability to organize, set priorities and exercise sound independent judgment within areas of responsibility.
• Ability to make mathematical and statistical calculations quickly and accurately.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in a diverse environment.
• Proficiency with PeopleSoft.
• Proficient with Microsoft Suite which includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other related softwares.
• Comprehensive knowledge of principles and practices of Compensation and position control management.

NOTE

Qualifying education, experience, knowledge and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.

General Information

Position Type and Typical Hours of Work

• Regular Full-time
• Monday - Friday | 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
• Schedules may vary based on the needs of the department and must be approved.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• This job operates in a professional office environment and routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, etc.
• This is a largely sedentary role that may require sitting for long periods of time.

Salary

• Depends on Qualifications
• Based on 26 Pay Periods
• Plus, benefits

Reporting Relationships

• Reports To Position: Manager, Compensation and Position Control
• Supervises Positions: N/A

Employment is contingent upon passing a background check and drug screen.

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.