Compensation Manager

The Bolton Group; Dallas (TX); Hybrid; USD 131,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Bolton Group in Dallas, TX is seeking a Compensation Manager to lead the organization's compensation strategy and partner with operations leadership on programs across a nationwide employee base.

You will design incentive plans, benchmark compensation, build models, and develop metrics and payout curves. The role also manages a small team and directly influences business performance and employee engagement.

Qualifications

• Experience with compensation benchmarking for large organizations.
• Strong background in incentive compensation, including short-term plans.
• Ability to align compensation programs with business goals.
• Proven leadership and team management experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead operational compensation strategy and incentive programs across the organization.
• Partner with leaders to align compensation with business goals, engagement, and performance.
• Directly manage a team of 3 while collaborating with a broader team.
• Design, optimize, and implement compensation structures and incentive programs.
• Develop performance metrics, payout curves, gates, weightings, and segmentation methods.
• Build financial and performance models to evaluate program options and costs.
• Provide compensation insights and recommendations to senior leaders.

Skills

Compensation strategy

Benchmarking

Incentive compensation

Leadership

Financial modeling

Job description

Hybrid in Dallas, TX | up to $145,000 base + comprehensive total rewards package

My team's collaborating with a well-established, large organization as they look for a Compensation Manager to join their team in Dallas.

This is a high-impact opportunity for someone who lives in the compensation space, enjoys partnering closely with business leaders and building programs that directly influence business performance.

The role will serve as a strategic compensation partner to operations leadership, supporting compensation programs across a large, nationwide employee population.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead operational compensation strategy, benchmarking, and incentive programs across the organization.
• Partner closely with leaders to align compensation programs with business goals, employee engagement, and performance.
• Directly manage a team of 3 while collaborating with a broader team.
• Lead the design, optimization, and implementation of compensation structures and short-term incentive programs.
• Develop clear performance metrics, thresholds, payout curves, gates, weightings, and segmentation methodologies.
• Build financial and performance models to evaluate program alternatives, affordability, payout differentiation, and overall program cost.
• Provide compensation insights and recommendations to senior business leaders.

The ideal candidate will bring strong experience supporting large, complex organizations within operations, retail, restaurant, hospitality, or another large consumer-facing industry.

• Experience with compensation benchmarking for operations employees is highly preferred.
• Strong background in incentive compensation, including short-term incentive plans, performance-based bonus programs, and revenue-driven compensation structures.
• Looking for someone who understands how compensation strategies can influence business performance, employee engagement, and sales growth.

This is an opportunity to step into a highly visible leadership role where your work will have a direct impact on business performance and employee engagement.