Director, Compensation, Human Resources

wfu; Winston-Salem (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Wake Forest University is seeking a Director of Compensation to develop and implement a comprehensive compensation philosophy and strategy that attracts and retains top talent. You will lead a team of compensation professionals, interpret policies, and ensure compliance with federal and state regulations while maintaining internal equity and external competitiveness.

You will oversee salary administration, job analysis, and pay structure development, guiding management decisions with strong data

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with five years of related experience and 1–3 supervisory/management experience, including professional compensation experience.
• Experience collaborating with operating units and HR team members.
• Strong judgment and decision-making abilities.

Responsibilities

• Establish strategic direction, goals, and manage compensation and classification projects.
• Recommend/update compensation policies and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Plan and coordinate annual salary administration.
• Lead compensation studies and job analyses for positions.
• Develop and maintain job families and pay structures.
• Counsel campus leadership on compensation theory and practice; develop decision-support tools.
• Participate in special projects as assigned.
• Coordinate with Payroll to ensure timely payments.
• Review processes for opportunities to improve.

Skills

FLSA knowledge

Data analysis

Excel

Communication

Leadership

Decision making

Confidentiality

Time management

Policy interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Management experience

CCP/PHR/SHRM (preferred)

Workday experience (preferred)

Tools

Workday

Excel

Job description

Job Description Summary

This position is responsible for creating a comprehensive compensation philosophy and strategy for Wake Forest University designed to attract and retain top talent. The Director will lead a group of compensation professionals to develop, implement, and maintain the compensation/classification functions. The Director of Compensation provides direction, guidance, and interpretation of policies to the WFU community on all compensation-related matters, assuring that programs are compliant with federal and state regulations, internally equitable, externally competitive, and fiscally responsible. The incumbent will work with a high degree of independence under the general direction of the Executive Director, Compensation & Benefits.

Job Description

Essential Functions

• Establish strategic direction, set goals, and manage compensation and classification unit projects. Anticipate future needs, challenges, and opportunities and collaborate with HR colleagues on long-range planning.
• Recommend, update, and implement compensation/classification policies and practices and ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements. Provide leadership, guidance, and training on day-to-day compensation procedures and policy interpretation. Ensure appropriate auditing measures are in place.
• Plan, develop, and coordinate the implementation for annual salary administration; lead and guide the implementation.
• Lead, manage, and perform classification/compensation studies and job analysis for individual, new, and existing positions. Manage the process of requesting new or revised job descriptions; evaluate needs based on organizational or market factors; assess appropriate pay through job evaluation methodology and market data.
• Develop and maintain job families and corresponding pay structures, updating as necessary. Monitor minimum wage pay among peer schools and institutions; provide financial analyses to help WFU stay competitive and make pay recommendations.
• Coach, counsel, and assist campus leadership in understanding compensation theory and practice, applying both theory and practice in recommending courses of action. Design and develop tools to help managers in making compensation-related decisions. Consult with management on reorganizations, classification, and compensation matters.
• Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Other Functions

• Work with Payroll to meet deadlines for timely and accurate payments.
• Review business processes to identify and address opportunities for improvement.

Required Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Bachelor's degree with five years of related experience and one to three supervisory/management experience, including professional compensation experience.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with operating units and other HR team members.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively using sound judgment and decision-making.
• Commanding knowledge of FLSA and applicable guidelines covering overtime.
• Ability to analyze complex information, define and solve problems, collect, analyze, and report data. Skill in writing accurate recommendations for process improvement.
• Ability to analyze and assess strategic issues within the broader human resources context and provide integrated solutions.
• Skill in organizing resources and establishing priorities.
• Ability to effectively use standard office suite applications, specifically database applications such as Excel.
• Proven ability to maintain the confidentiality of sensitive HR information.
• Ability to present and display a professional demeanor always.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and time management skills.
• A high degree of attention to detail.
• Efficient and effective decision-maker.

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources or business-related field.
• CCP, PHR, and/or SHRM certifications are preferred.
• Experience using Workday.
• Experience in higher education.
• Excellent management and interpersonal skills, including tact, discretion, and high ethical standards in dealing with confidential information. Ability to work collaboratively with all levels of the organization and maneuver through conflict effectively.
• Knowledge of mathematical and statistical principles and their applications relative to compensation analysis.
• Cultural competence to effectively interact with a diverse employee population.
• Demonstrated leadership and mentoring of staff.
• Experience with successfully navigating change in a complex organization.

Accountabilities

• Responsible for own work.
• Directly supervise Compensation staff members.
• Work requires contact with staff, faculty, and