Compensation Manager

Aon plc; Illinois; Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO

401(k) match

Health & wellness programs

Discount programs

Job summary

Wealthspire Advisors is seeking a strategic Compensation Manager to lead design, governance, and execution of compensation programs across the organization. You will partner with HR and business leaders to align pay with market data and corporate goals.

The role oversees annual merit, bonus, and promotion cycles, ensures equity, and delivers analytics to guide senior leadership decisions. A strong background in Workday and payroll is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in HR, Finance, Business, or related field preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive compensation experience, including ownership of compensation cycles.
• Experience designing salary structures and incentive programs.
• Strong expertise in market benchmarking and salary survey analysis.
• Advanced Excel and data modeling skills.
• Experience working with Workday Compensation or similar HRIS.
• Strong payroll process understanding and compliance requirements.
• Exceptional discretion and ability to manage highly confidential information.
• Ability to operate independently while influencing senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own compensation strategy and program design.
• Lead end-to-end annual merit, bonus, and promotion cycles.
• Ensure pay equity and governance across functions and levels.
• Support talent acquisition with offers and sign-on incentives.
• Deliver data-driven insights and executive dashboards.
• Drive process excellence and automation within Workday.

Skills

Excel

Data modeling

Workday

Payroll

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Workday

Job description

Posting Description

Who We Are:

Wealthspire is a leading wealth management, retirement advisory, and business management firm serving individuals, families, endowments, and institutions across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. We provide a comprehensive platform that brings together wealth management, institutional consulting, business management, family office, and retirement plan advisory services—empowering clients to navigate complexity with clarity and confidence.

With over 1,200 employees across more than 40 offices, we deliver insights and solutions backed by deep research, technology, and decades of expertise. Our collective businesses create a unified ecosystem designed to meet clients wherever they are in their financial journey. Wealthspire is redefining the future of financial solutions through collaboration, scale, and a steadfast commitment to putting people first—our clients, our colleagues, and our communities.

For more information, visit www.wealthspire.com. Wealthspire Advisors LLC, Fiducient Advisors LLC, Wealthspire Retirement, LLC, dba Wealthspire Retirement Advisory, and certain other affiliates are separately registered investment advisers.

Summary:

We are seeking a strategic and hands‑on Compensation Manager to lead the design, execution, and governance of our compensation programs. This role will partner closely with HR and business leaders to ensure competitive, equitable, and data‑driven pay practices that support organizational growth and talent strategy.

What You’ll Do

Own Compensation Strategy & Program Design

• Partner with the CPO to define and evolve the company’s compensation philosophy and pay practices.

• Design, implement, and continuously refine compensation structures including base pay, incentive plans, bonus programs, and special pay arrangements.

• Develop and maintain salary structures, pay grades, and job architecture frameworks.

• Conduct market benchmarking and external salary survey analysis to ensure competitiveness and alignment with business strategy.

• Evaluate and recommend enhancements to compensation programs based on workforce trends, market conditions, and organizational growth.

Lead Annual Compensation Cycles

• Own the end-to-end annual merit, bonus, and promotion cycles — including planning, modeling, budgeting, system configuration (Workday), manager enablement, and final approvals.

• Develop compensation modeling scenarios and provide executive‑ready analytics and recommendations.

• Ensure timely and accurate implementation of approved changes within HRIS and payroll systems.

• Partner with Finance on budget alignment and accrual forecasting.

Ensure Pay Equity & Governance

• Conduct internal equity analyses to prevent compression and ensure fairness across functions and levels.

• Analyze compensation data to identify disparities, trends, and risk areas; provide data‑driven recommendations.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including pay transparency requirements.

• Maintain documentation and governance standards for compensation processes and decisions.

• Establish internal controls to mitigate risk and ensure consistency in pay decisions.

Support Talent Acquisition & Offer Governance

• Partner with Talent Acquisition and HR Business Partners to evaluate offers, sign‑on bonuses, and promotional increases.

• Review and approve compensation packages to ensure alignment with internal equity and market positioning.

• Provide guidance on job leveling, salary bands, and offer strategy.

• Verify compensation‑related components of offer letters and ensure accurate system entry.

Oversee Compensation‑Related Payroll & Adjustments

• Partner with Payroll to ensure accurate processing of compensation changes, where applicable.

• Review payroll data to validate compensation‑related changes prior to final disbursement (e.g, mass merit uploads)

• Collaborate with HR and Legal on severance modeling and payment processing.

Deliver Data‑Driven Insights

• Develop executive‑level reporting and dashboards related to compensation trends, budget utilization, pay equity, and workforce analytics.

• Conduct scenario modeling to support workforce planning and strategic decision‑making.

• Maintain data integrity within Workday and ensure alignment between HRIS and payroll systems.

Drive Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to streamline compensation workflows and enhance automation within Workday.

• Develop SOPs and documentation to ensure consistency and audit readiness.

• Stay current on compensation best practices, regulatory changes, and emerging market trends.

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What You’ll Need

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Finance, Business, or related field preferred.

• 10+ years of progressive compensation experience, including ownership of compensation cycles.

• Experience designing and managing salary structures and incentive programs.

• Strong expertise in market benchmarking and salary survey analysis.

• Demonstrated experience conducting pay equity and internal compression analyses.

• Advanced analytical skills with strong Excel and data modeling capability.

• Experience working within Workday Compensation module or similar HRIS platforms preferred.

• Strong understanding of payroll processes and compensation compliance requirements.

• Exceptional discretion and ability to manage highly confidential information.

• Ability to operate independently as a function‑of‑one while influencing senior stakeholders.

Nice to Have

• CCP (Certified Compensation Professional)

• PHR/SPHR or SHRM‑CP/SCP

What We Offer:

Wealthspire Advisors is proud to offer a competitive salary, PTO & paid holidays, 401(k) with match, exclusive discount programs, health & wellness programs, and more. Our PeopleFirst culture focuses on building and nurturing lifelong relationships with our employees because, at the end of the day, we exist to be there for others.

The base salary range for this position is $140,000-$170,000. The base salary offered will be determined by factors including, but not limited to, experience, credentials, education, certifications, skill level required for the position, the scope of the position, and geographic location. Actual base salary offered will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis. In addition to the base salary, this position may be eligible for performance‑based incentives.

Wealthspire and You... Better Together!

Wealthspire is an inclusive Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

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