Director, Compensation - Chicago Loop Hybrid Office

National Opinion Research Center - NORC; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 135,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generously subsidized health insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Retirement program

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Generous paid time off

Parental leave

Tuition assistance

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Job summary

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a Director of Compensation to lead pay strategy, job architecture, and market benchmarking across the organization. You will partner with the NORC People team and leadership to align compensation programs with recruiting, retention, and engagement goals.

The role requires strong analytical, governance, and communication skills, with a hybrid schedule requiring two days in the Chicago Loop office.

Qualifications

• Develop and implement compensation strategies, job roles, salary ranges, ladders, budgets, and guidelines.
• Advise managers on pay decisions to support engagement, equity, and policy compliance.
• Evaluate jobs, maintain descriptions, classifications, and salary scales; apply analysis tools.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement compensation strategies and salary bands.
• Advise managers on pay decisions to support engagement and equity.
• Analyze and maintain job descriptions, job architecture, and classifications.
• Administer and track special pay transactions and bonuses per policy.
• Conduct market research and salary benchmarking to ensure competitiveness.

Skills

Compensation strategy

Market analysis

Job architecture

People management

Advanced Excel

Stakeholder collaboration

ADP knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business/Finance

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

ADP

HRIS

Job description

JOB SUMMARY:

Join NORC as our new Director of Compensation! NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a Director of Compensation to be responsible for developing, implementing, administering, and evaluating compensation programs across the organization and providing effective and competitive compensation packages that are aligned with NORC's objectives for recruiting, retention, and employee engagement.

The Director of Compensation will work closely with the NORC People team, NORC business leaders and managers, and external consultants to analyze the impact of a wide range of compensation options. The Director of Compensation will own the full job architecture and governance, be the champion and expert for the compensation programs throughout the organization and externally and support the advancement of the program design.

Please note: This position will have a hybrid work schedule of at least two days a week in our Chicago Loop office.

DEPARTMENT: NORC PEOPLE

The NORC People department supports NORC's mission and values by collaborating with research, operations, and administrative departments to recruit, develop, and retain top staff. Because NORC is a government contractor, the NORC People team plays a large role ensuring that all staff information and systems remain secure and that our organization is fully compliant with our policies. NORC People is responsible for talent acquisition, hiring, benefits administration, employee relations matters, and performance evaluation programs to ensure our organization is maintaining compliance while keeping employees' best interests in mind.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and implement compensation strategies: Create and manage compensation strategies, job roles, titles, salary ranges, job ladders or career paths, compensation budgets and guidelines.

• Advise managers and leaders on making effective pay decisions that support employee engagement, internal equity, and comply with compensation policy and budgetary guidelines.

• Evaluate jobs and develop and maintain job descriptions: job architecture, job classifications and salary scales; evaluate and implement job analysis tools, techniques, and materials.

• Administer and track special pay transactions, including extra service pay, spot awards, bonuses, employee recognition and ensure proper approval protocols.

• Conduct market research: Perform salary benchmarking and market analysis to ensure the company's pay is competitive for various roles and recommend changes based on findings. Participate in compensation surveys.

• Design compensation programs: Develop and administer base pay structures, salary bands, and variable pay programs like bonuses and incentives.Collaborate with managers and leaders to establish new positions and ranges within career ladders.

• Ensure legal compliance: Stay up to date on federal, state, and local laws and regulations to ensure all compensation plans are compliant. Ensure state and local minimum wage compliance.

• Collaborate with stakeholders: Serve as subject matter expert and advisor for NORC People team members and senior leadership to provide compensation strategy and guidance on offers, promotions, retention, and the annual performance and merit cycle.

• Analyze data and report: Use data analysis to monitor pay equity, track trends, and produce reports for management on total rewards.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field required. Master's degree preferred.

• Minimum of 7 years of related experience developing, administering, and supporting compensation programs.

• Minimum of 3 years in people management.

• SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) is preferred

• Deep understanding of compensation practices, job structuring, benchmarking methodologies, market analysis, pay equity and transparency requirements

• Advanced Excel skills in data gathering and reporting from multiple sources and putting together visual data presentation

• A consultative approach with our business leaders is preferred

• Knowledge of HRIS systems (ADP a plus)

• Must be able to work independently and prioritize responsibilities to meet deadlines

• Demonstrated high level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive, confidential situations and an ability to interact with individuals at all levels of the organization

• Requires effective organization and time management skills, the ability to multi-task, work independently, while also being a contributing team member

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Strong relationship builder and conflict resolution skills.

• A history of developing innovative solutions and a problem-solving culture

• Ability to successfully collaborate and work across multiple functions and disciplines

• Expectation of hybrid work schedule of two days a week in our Chicago Loop office.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The pay range for this position is $135,000 to $203,000.

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC's comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment
• Dental and vision insurance
• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program
• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC is committed to equity and transparency in its pay practices. We publish salary ranges and benefit information for every job. The listed hiring range reflects what we, in good faith, expect to pay at the time of posting, though actual compensation may vary and may be adjusted over time. A candidate's placement within the range depends on factors such as competencies, education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and organizational needs. This role is bonus eligible. Bonus payment is contingent upon program terms and individual performance.

WHAT WE DO:

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

WHO WE ARE:

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we're known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

EEO STATEMENT:

NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics.