Compensation Consultant

Socket.dev; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Ardent Health is seeking a Compensation Consultant to partner with HR and business leaders on compensation strategy, pricing, and governance. This role drives market analyses, equity reviews, and incentive design to attract and retain talent in a regulated healthcare environment.

Responsibilities include overseeing merit cycles, salary structures, and pay transparency initiatives, while leveraging Workday and PeopleFluent to ensure data integrity and compliant practices.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, Finance, Economics or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive compensation experience with leaders and HR partners.
• Hands-on experience with Workday Compensation, Advanced Compensation and reporting.
• Experience with PeopleFluent or similar talent management platforms.
• Experience supporting compensation programs in healthcare or regulated environments.
• Advanced analytical and quantitative skills for data interpretation.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic compensation guidance to HR and organizational leaders.
• Conduct job evaluations, market pricing and internal equity reviews.
• Develop and administer base pay, incentives and recognition programs.
• Advise on offers, promotions, transfers and retention actions.
• Ensure programs align with objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Lead annual merit and STI cycles with data validation and reporting.
• Maintain job architecture, pay guidelines and governance
• Ensure pay transparency compliance across the organization.
• Operate and improve compensation dashboards and reporting for leadership.

Skills

Analytical skills

Data-driven decisions

Stakeholder collaboration

Attention to detail

Excel proficiency

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, Finance, Economics or related field

Tools

Workday Compensation

Advanced Compensation

PeopleFluent

Job description

Overview

Ardent Health is a leading provider of healthcare in communities across the country. With a focus on consumer-friendly processes and investments in innovative services and technologies, Ardent is passionate about making healthcare better and easier to access. We are driven by our purpose of caring for people: our patients, our communities and one another.Located in Brentwood, Tennessee, Ardent has earned a reputation as one of the industry’s strongest and most innovative healthcare systems. Our facilities and clinics are consistently recognized among healthcare’s best employers. We recognize each hospital and clinic is as unique as the community it serves. We strive to maintain strong community ties through advisory boards, contributions, charitable care, education and outreach.Ardent includes:

• 30 hospitals
• 280 sites of care
• 4,281 beds
• 24,000+ team members
• 8,200+ nurses
• 1,800+ aligned providers
• 5.8M annual provider encounters
• 421 medical residents

Ardent makes considerable investments in people, technology, facilities, and communities, producing high quality care and extraordinary results. From newly constructed facilities and expanded services, to lifesaving technology and outstanding opportunities for employees, Ardent is committed to providing its hospitals and clinics the tools needed to succeed.We believe it is this mix of corporate support and local autonomy that equips our teams for success.

Job Overview:

The Compensation Consultant serves as a strategic partner to business leaders and HR stakeholders, providing expert consultation and guidance on compensation programs, policies, and practices. Reporting to the AVP, Compensation, this role is responsible for supporting the design, implementation, administration, and evaluation of compensation initiatives that align with organizational objectives, attract and retain talent, and ensure market competitiveness.

This role serves as a trusted advisor to HR Business Partners and operational leaders, ensuring compensation programs and decisions are competitive, equitable, compliant, and aligned with the organization’s compensation philosophy. The position supports market pricing, salary structure governance, job evaluation, job architecture maintenance, pay transparency compliance, and annual compensation cycles (merit and short‑term incentives).

The candidate combines compensation expertise with data-driven decision-making, operational excellence, and a strong focus on pay transparency, pay equity, talent attraction, and competitive positioning for the organization. There is a strong focus on technology-driven processes and capabilities.

Responsibilities

Compensation Strategy & Consulting

• Partner with HR Business Partners and organizational leaders to provide strategic compensation guidance and recommendations.

• Conduct job evaluations, market pricing analyses, and internal equity reviews to ensure competitive and equitable pay practices.

• Support the development and administration of compensation programs, including base pay, incentive plans, bonus programs, and recognition initiatives.

• Advise leadership on compensation-related decisions, including new hire offers, promotions, transfers, retention actions, and organizational restructuring.

• Ensure compensation programs align with organizational objectives, talent strategies, and regulatory requirements.

Market Pricing & Job Evaluation

• Participate in compensation surveys and analyze external market data to identify trends and recommend program enhancements.

• Maintain salary structures, job architecture, compensation guidelines, and pay administration processes.

• Conduct regular analyses of compensation data to identify pay equity concerns, compression issues, and market competitiveness.

• Leads annual compensation planning activities, including merit increases, promotions, and incentive payouts.

Program Management & Governance

• Leads the execution of annual merit and short‑term incentive (STI) cycles, including data validation, reporting, modeling, and compliance.

• Assist with job architecture maintenance, career ladders, and job family governance.

• Ensure compliance with federal and state pay transparency laws, including pay range management and job posting accuracy.

System and Technology

• Leverage Workday Compensation and Advanced Compensation modules to administer compensation programs and support planning cycles.

• Maintain compensation-related data integrity within Workday and partner with HRIS teams on system enhancements and reporting.

• Utilize PeopleFluent and other talent management technologies to support compensation, performance management, and talent review processes.

• Develop and maintain compensation dashboards, metrics, and reporting for leadership decision-making.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local compensation regulations, including pay transparency requirements and wage and hour laws.

• Support audit requests and maintain documentation related to compensation decisions and practices.

• Assist with compensation policy development, governance, and communication strategies.

Project Management

• Partner with Talent Acquisition, HR Operations, and Finance to ensure consistent compensation practices.

• Support the AVP, Compensation with policy updates, audits, and enterprise compliance initiatives.

• Collaborate with compensation systems resources to ensure data accuracy and workflow improvements.

Qualifications

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or related fields.

• 8+ years of progressive compensation experience, including consultation with leaders and HR partners.

• Strong hands‑on experience with Workday Compensation, Advanced Compensation, and reporting functionality.

• Experience utilizing PeopleFluent or similar talent management platforms.

• Experience supporting compensation programs within healthcare, provider organizations, health systems, or other highly regulated industries.

• Advanced analytical and quantitative skills with the ability to interpret complex data and provide actionable recommendations.

• Strong knowledge of compensation principles, salary survey methodologies, market pricing, and job evaluation techniques.

• Proficient with Microsoft Excel, including advanced formulas, pivot tables, and data analysis.

Preferred Job Requirements:

• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation or progress toward certification preferred.

• Experience supporting large, multi-state organizations.

• Experience with compensation program design and implementation.

• Knowledge of pay equity analysis methodologies and compensation compliance requirements.

• Experience managing annual compensation planning cycles in Workday.