Assistant Director, Compensation

Brown University; Providence (RI); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Brown University is seeking an Assistant Director, Compensation to provide consultative and analytical support for reorganizations, reclassifications, and pay decisions for new hires and promotions. The role partners with HR teams and campus leaders to ensure internal equity and external competitiveness in compensation programs.

The position conducts market analyses, prepares compensation studies, and develops recommendations on grade, title and FLSA status.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree and 5–7 years of human resources experience with a focus in compensation.
• Experience with salary program governance, FLSA classifications, and using market data to inform salary recommendations.
• Strong knowledge of classification and compensation theory, practices and guiding principles.

Responsibilities

• Provide compensation consultation on pay decisions, policies and guidelines.
• Conduct job evaluations to determine grade, title, and compensation packages, benchmarking against university positions.
• Lead compensation projects including reorganizations and equity reviews; develop job descriptions and salary recommendations.

Skills

Analytical skills

Excel proficiency

Communication

Consulting

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Job Posting Title: Assistant Director, Compensation

Department: University Human Resources

Grade: Grade 11

Worker Type: Employee

Worker Sub-Type: Regular

Time Type: Full time

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 37.5

Position Work Location: Hybrid

Recruiting Start Date: 2026-07-28

Reporting to the Director of Compensation, the Assistant Director, Compensation will provide consultative and analytical support for department reorganizations, job reclassifications, pay-related decisions for new hires, promotions, market adjustments and internal equity reviews. This position collaborates with Human Resources Business Partners, University Human Resources (UHR) staff, managers and senior leaders, acting as a strategic partner to assigned organizational areas. This position will deliver compensation reviews, evaluate reclassification requests and requests for new positions, including gathering job analysis information, reviewing external market data and internal comparisons, and recommending grade/range, title, and FLSA status. The incumbent will ensure internal equity and external competitiveness in recommendations and decisions. They will also conduct compensation studies, including, but not limited to, internal equity reviews, annual and ad-hoc surveys, market trend analysis, and develop recommendations based on findings.

Major Responsibilities

• Provide high level compensation consultation and guidance on pay decisions, policies and guidelines Build and maintain strong partnerships across the University, including core HR functions, Human Resources Business Partners, senior leaders, department heads and managers, to ensure a total rewards package to address talent attraction, retention and motivation. Apply compensation principles, best practices and appropriate guidelines to collaborate on compensation issues, including promotions, pay adjustments, job classifications, retention, offers/counter offers, performance bonuses and pay supplements. Serve as a subject matter expert on compensation processes and issues. Work with the Director to design compensation programs, policies, procedures and practices. Advise on job description development, including job content, title and qualifications to ensure consistency across the university. Develop tools on writing job descriptions, including generic job descriptions, compensation resources and training programs to assist staff and managers. Conduct job evaluations to determine the appropriate job grade, title, FLSA status and compensation package, ensuring consistency across the university. This includes determining if a promotion is warranted, reviewing internal and external salary data, and benchmarking to similar positions at the university. Proactively consult with Human Resources Business Partners and managers to identify positions that should be reviewed for job grade, title, FLSA status and compensation package. Partner with Human Resources Business Partners, managers and functional experts to develop career progression guidelines and job descriptions. Stay up-to-date on current compensation-related legislation to ensure compliance with applicable employment-related federal and state statutory requirements regarding employee pay and independent contractor vs employee classification. Conduct exempt testing to determine appropriate FLSA status of new and updated positions. Conduct ad-hoc research and compensation modeling in support of project assignments including presentation of findings and recommendations.
• Conduct analysis of compensation data to identify trends, market competitiveness and benchmark compensation practices Analyze competitive salary data to support pay decisions and recommendations. This includes preparing compensation analyses for job audits and equity requests, and performing market pricing evaluations of new and revised positions. Leverage best practices and technology for continuous improvement in compensation administration and processes. Partner with the Director to evaluate all equity and promotion recommendations during the annual salary increase process. Proactively consult with Human Resources Business Partners and managers to identify positions that should be reviewed for job grade, title, FLSA status and compensation package.
• Support and manage organizational reviews and manage projects Work with department heads and Human Resources Business Partners to develop and finalize reorganization documentation, including job descriptions, salary recommendations, reorganization memos and staffing spreadsheets. Participate in discussions with the Assistant Vice President for Workforce Strategy, and the Talent Acquisition and Employmen Services and Employee and Labor Relations units to finalize the reorganization materials and assist with implementation. Serve as lead on compensation projects as assigned by the Director, Compensation, including reorganizations.

Education and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree and 5-7 years of human resources experience with a focus in compensation. Specific experience managing or overseeing an annual salary increase program, evaluating positions including FLSA classification, and utilizing market data to inform salary recommendations. Experience with developing strategic solutions to a broad range of classification, compensation and organizational design issues. Strong knowledge base of classification and compensation theory, practices and guiding principles. Strong communication skills to convey findings and recommendations clearly and concisely. Exceptional interpersonal skills; ability to work across a complex organization and interact and partner with various levels of management, staff, faculty and outside constituents. Ability to work independently and exercise initiative, discretion and good judgment. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with client groups and other areas of human resources and complete multiple assignments on time. Demonstrated ability to prioritize assignments to accommodate varied workload deadlines and conflicting requests. Skilled at working in a fast-paced, high volume, and frequently changing environment. Prior experience in a higher education setting is preferred.

Job Competencies

• High attention to detail and accuracy, as well as an understanding of the strategic impact of compensation decisions on the University
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills as demonstrated through the ability to draw conclusions, themes and trends from data analysis
• Ability to take on complex problems and apply sophisticated thought to identify creative solutions

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Brown University provides equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation based upon a person’s race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law, in the administration of its policies, programs, and activities.

The University recognizes and rewards individuals on the basis of qualifications and performance. The University maintains certain affirmative action programs in compliance with applicable law.

Benefits of Working at Brown

Please review additional information on the Benefits of Working at Brown.

You can find detailed information about our salary ranges on our website.

Please note that to be considered for a staff position at Brown University, you must submit a separate application for each position you wish to be considered for. Applications are reviewed only for the specific position to which they are submitted and are not automatically considered for future openings.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Brown University is an E-Verify Employer.

Still Have Questions? If you have any questions you may contact [e-mail].