Lead Compensation Business Partner

baldwin; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

baldwin is seeking a Lead Compensation Business Partner to act as the trusted compensation advisor to assigned business units, shaping pay strategy, market pricing, and equity practices for real-time decisions such as offers and promotions.

The role partners with HR, Talent Acquisition, Finance, and leaders to ensure competitive, equitable compensation aligned with objectives and regulatory requirements, managing major projects with limited oversight.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of compensation program design (base pay structures, incentive plans, market pricing).
• Strong knowledge of pay equity, pay transparency, and wage-and-hour regulations.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary embedded compensation advisor for assigned business units, providing ongoing guidance on pay decisions including offers, promotions, and transfers.
• Partner with business-unit leaders, HRBPs, and Talent Acquisition to translate compensation philosophy and market data into practical recommendations.
• Design and administer base pay structures, incentive plans, and market pricing strategies for assigned units, ensuring competitiveness and equity.
• Support annual merit, bonus, and equity planning cycles with modeling, budgeting guidance, and manager education.
• Analyze market survey data and internal pay equity metrics to inform recommendations; model pay scenarios in HRIS/planning tools.
• Draft compensation communications and program rollout materials for leaders and colleagues.
• Coach and delegate work to less-experienced compensation colleagues on projects, with limited supervisory responsibility.

Job description

The Lead Compensation Business Partner serves as the trusted compensation advisor to assigned business units, combining deep compensation subject-matter expertise with an embedded, ongoing advisory relationship with business leaders. This role designs and applies pay strategy, market pricing, and pay equity practices to real-time business decisions, including offers, promotions, and organizational changes, and is recognized as a subject matter expert sought after by leadership to weigh in on complex compensation matters. The Lead Compensation Business Partner partners closely with Human Resources Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Finance, and business-unit leaders to ensure compensation decisions are competitive, equitable, and aligned with both business objectives and regulatory requirements. This role manages significant projects and initiatives independently, with limited oversight, and influences compensation policy and practice both within and beyond the Human Resources function.

Position Summary

The Lead Compensation Business Partner serves as the trusted compensation advisor to assigned business units, combining deep compensation subject-matter expertise with an embedded, ongoing advisory relationship with business leaders. This role designs and applies pay strategy, market pricing, and pay equity practices to real-time business decisions, including offers, promotions, and organizational changes, and is recognized as a subject matter expert sought after by leadership to weigh in on complex compensation matters. The Lead Compensation Business Partner partners closely with Human Resources Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Finance, and business-unit leaders to ensure compensation decisions are competitive, equitable, and aligned with both business objectives and regulatory requirements. This role manages significant projects and initiatives independently, with limited oversight, and influences compensation policy and practice both within and beyond the Human Resources function.

Primary Responsibilities

Business-Unit Compensation Advisory

• Serve as the primary, embedded compensation advisor for assigned business units, providing ongoing guidance on pay decisions, including new hire offers, promotions, and internal transfers.
• Partner with business-unit leaders, Human Resources Business Partners, and Talent Acquisition to translate compensation philosophy and market data into practical, business-ready recommendations.
• Present compensation recommendations and rationale to business-unit leaders in a way that secures alignment and adoption.
• Look past a business leader's initial pay request to identify the underlying retention, equity, or organizational-design need driving it, and recommend the solution that actually addresses it.

Compensation Strategy & Design

• Design and administer base pay structures, incentive plans, and market pricing strategies for assigned business units, ensuring pay is competitive, equitable, and aligned with business objectives.
• Develop pay recommendations for new or evolving roles where no established market benchmark or internal comparator exists.
• Participate in the design and evolution of firmwide compensation programs, structures, and guidelines, representing the perspective of assigned business units.
• Support the annual merit, bonus, and equity planning cycles for assigned business units, including modeling, budget guidance, and manager education.

Analysis, Compliance & Reporting

• Analyze market survey data, internal pay equity metrics, and workforce trends to inform compensation recommendations.
• Leverage the HRIS and compensation planning tools to model pay scenarios, run merit and bonus cycles, and generate compensation reporting for business leaders.
• Ensure pay decisions and communications comply with pay equity, pay transparency, and wage-and-hour regulations across applicable jurisdictions.
• Draft compensation communications, band and offer justifications, and program rollout materials for business-unit leaders and colleagues.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coach, review, and delegate work to less-experienced compensation and HR colleagues on assigned projects, without direct supervisory responsibility.
• Partner with Talent Acquisition on offer pricing and with HR Business Partners on organizational design and workforce planning implications for pay.
• Partner with Finance to deliver compensation analytics, workforce modeling, and forecasting for annual reward cycles.
• Report progress and recommendations on significant compensation initiatives to senior HR and business leadership.
• Identify opportunities to improve compensation processes, tools, and guidance materials for the business units supported.

Required Knowledge & Experience

• Strong knowledge of compensation program design, including base pay structures, incentive plans, and market pricing methodology.
• Strong knowledge of pay equity, pay transparency, and wage-and-hour regulatory requirements.
• Experience advising b