Manager of Compensation

Come work at QU; Hamden (CT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

Quinnipiac University invites applicants for the inaugural Manager of Compensation. You will lead compensation design, analysis, and administration, turning data into practical recommendations, advising leaders across the institution, and promoting competitive, equitable, compliant, and financially sustainable pay practices that support the University's mission and talent priorities.

As a strategic partner, you will develop salary structures, conduct market pricing, manage governance, and lead

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in HR, business, finance, economics, analytics.
• Master's degree in related field preferred.
• Certified Compensation Professional or SHRM credentials preferred.
• 5–7 years of compensation/total rewards experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, administration, and ongoing improvement of the University's compensation programs, policies, structures, and practices.
• Serve as the functional leader for the compensation and job architecture framework project, including philosophy, architecture, bands, levels, salary grades and ranges, and evaluation methodologies.
• Develop and administer consistent guidelines for starting salaries, promotions, market and equity adjustments, and other actions.
• Lead annual and long-range compensation planning, including merit programs, salary structure adjustments, and forecasting.
• Conduct market pricing and benchmarking using higher ed and general industry data; coordinate survey participation with external providers.
• Analyze market competitiveness, internal equity, salary compression, range penetration, pay positioning, and trends; translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Serve as a trusted compensation consultant to HR and senior leaders, providing data-informed guidance on decisions and fiscal considerations.
• Evaluate positions and recommend job families, levels, bands, salary grades, and market references using a consistent methodology.
• Develop and maintain salary structures, models, dashboards, and executive presentations to support decisions.
• Collaborate with HR, Finance, HRBPs, Talent Acquisition, Payroll, and HR Systems to support planning, compliance, and process improvements.
• Lead communication, education, and change-management efforts for compensation initiatives.
• Establish governance, approval processes, and data controls to mitigate compensation-related risks.

Skills

Job analysis

Market pricing

Excel proficiency

HR analytics

Data visualization

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/Business/related

Master's degree preferred

CPP/SHRM-SCP/SPHR

Tools

HRIS systems

Salary survey software

Excel/Power BI

Job description

Overview

The Office of Human Resources at Quinnipiac University invites applicants for the inaugural Manager of Compensation. Reporting to the Vice President for Human Resources, the Manager of Compensation is the University's lead expert on compensation planning, design, analysis, and administration. Combining analytical rigor with consultation and change-management skills, you will turn complex data into practical recommendations, advise leaders across the institution, and promote competitive, equitable, compliant, and sustainable pay practices that support the University's mission and talent priorities.

As a strategic advisor, the Manager of Compensation partners with University leaders to align pay practices with the institution's mission and talent priorities, turning data into insight and guiding decisions that are competitive, equitable, compliant, and financially sustainable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, administration, and continuous improvement of the University’s compensation programs, policies, structures, and practices
• Serve as the functional leader for the University’s compensation and job architecture framework project, including the creation and maintenance of a compensation philosophy, job architecture, career bands, job levels, salary grades and ranges, job evaluation methodology, and career progression guidelines
• Develop and administer consistent guidelines for starting salaries, promotions, lateral moves, market and equity adjustments, retention considerations, temporary assignments, and other compensation actions
• Lead annual and long-range compensation planning, including merit programs, salary structure adjustments, market priorities, budget modeling, financial impact analysis, and forecasting
• Conduct market pricing and benchmarking using relevant higher education and general industry data; coordinate compensation survey participation and relationships with external data providers
• Analyze market competitiveness, internal equity, salary compression, range penetration, pay positioning, and compensation trends, translating findings into clear and actionable recommendations
• Serve as a trusted compensation consultant to HR colleagues, senior leaders, and managers, providing data-informed guidance on compensation decisions, organizational changes, workforce priorities, and financial considerations
• Evaluate new and existing positions and recommend appropriate job families, levels, career bands, salary grades, market references, classifications, and range placement using a consistent methodology
• Develop and maintain salary structures, analytical models, dashboards, reports, and executive presentations that support informed, consistent, and defensible compensation decisions
• Partner with HR leadership, Finance, HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations, General Counsel, Payroll, and HR Systems and Analytics to support compensation planning, compliance, systems configuration, data integrity, and process improvement
• Lead communication, education, and change-management efforts for compensation initiatives, including presentations, training, manager tools, guidelines, FAQs, and measures of program effectiveness
• Establish and maintain compensation governance, approval processes, documentation standards, decision guidelines, data controls, and review practices that support consistent administration and mitigate compensation-related risks

Education Requirements

• Required: Bachelor’s degree –Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Analytics, or a related field
• Preferred:Master’s degree – Field of study: Human Resources, Business Administration, Finance, Organizational Development, Business Analytics, or a related field
• Certified Compensation Professional, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, or SPHR

Qualifications

• Minimum 5-7 years of progressively responsible compensation, total rewards, HR analytics, or closely related experience, with substantial direct experience in compensation analysis and administration.

Required

• Demonstrated knowledge of job analysis and evaluation, market pricing, salary structure design, job leveling, pay administration, internal equity analysis, and compensation benchmarking
• Experience conducting or supporting pay equity analyses and compensation compliance reviews
• Demonstrated understanding of applicable federal and state employment and compensation laws and regulatory requirements, including FLSA, wage and hour, pay equity, and evolving pay-transparency requirements
• Ability to interpret regulatory requirements and assess their impact on compensation policies, programs, and practices
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, including the ability to analyze complex data, identify trends, develop financial and compensation models, and formulate data-driven recommendations
• Advanced Microsoft Excel proficiency and experience with HRIS, compensation, reporting, or analytical systems.
  Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy and integrity
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to explain complex information credibly to senior leaders, managers, employees, and HR professionals
• Demonstrated ability to develop and facilitate training for audiences with varying levels of compensation knowledge
• Strong interpersonal, consulting, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence decisions and establish credibility without direct authority
• Demonstrated project leadership and ability to independently lead complex, cross-functional, organization-wide initiatives from design through implementation
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholder expectations
• Sound judgment, discretion, and ability to manage confidential employee and compensation information

Preferred

• Compensation or total rewards experience in higher education or another complex, decentralized organization
• Experience leading an enterprise-wide job architecture, career framework, career banding, salary grade structure, or compensation transformation initiative
• Experience developing or modernizing a compensation philosophy and related governance and salary administration practices
• Experience with higher education compensation surveys and benchmarking resources, including CUPA-HR or comparable market data
• Experience developing compensation communications, executive presentations, manager training, and change-management programs
• Experience partnering with HRIS teams to implement or maintain compensation structures and job architecture in an enterprise HR system
• Experience using analytics or business intelligence tools to communicate compensation trends and support decision-making.
  Proven ability to collaborate effectively with individuals from varied backgrounds

The anticipated salary range for this position is $90,000-$115,000. At the time of offer, the final salary will be determined based on the selected candidate’s qualifications, including relevant education, experience, skills, and competencies, as well as internal equity and market considerations. Quinnipiac University offers eligible full-time faculty and staff a comprehensive benefits package that may include health insurance, life insurance, paid time off, education benefits, and retirement benefits.