Partner Compensation & Evaluation Associate Director

Esquire Recruiting, LLC; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Benefits package

Job summary

Global Law Firm in Chicago, IL seeks an experienced Partner Compensation & Evaluation Associate Director to lead the firm’s compensation and evaluation functions, coordinating with key stakeholders and ensuring confidentiality and governance.

The role emphasizes analytics, reporting, and process leadership for senior partner decisions and compensation cycles in a complex, matrixed environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in accounting, finance, business, economics, HR, data analytics or related field.
• 10+ years of relevant experience in compensation, finance, analytics, HR, or professional services administration.
• Experience handling confidential compensation, performance evaluation, and senior stakeholder interactions.
• Proven ability to develop reports, dashboards, and executive-facing analyses.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing projects in a matrixed environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Partner Compensation & Evaluation function and manage the team responsible for compensation processes, evaluation, analytics, reporting, and stakeholder coordination.
• Set priorities, timelines, controls, and service expectations for compensation and evaluation activities.
• Oversee support for the Partner evaluation and compensation review process, including preparation for Management Committee meetings.
• Coordinate timelines, materials, data inputs, stakeholder follow-up, process documentation, and leadership reporting.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative factors to support compensation discussions, leadership decisions, and partner changes.
• Develop compensation analytics, reporting models, and decision-support materials for Firm leadership.
• Track compensation-related decisions, agreements, and related implications.
• Collaborate with Partner Accounting, Partner Relations, Partner Operations, Tax, Finance, Strategic Planning, and Firm leadership to ensure accurate reflection of compensation decisions and payments.
• Maintain strong controls, confidentiality, data quality, and process discipline for compensation work.
• Lead, coach, and develop Compensation & Evaluation team members; identify staffing, process, system, or governance improvements.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical ability

Data analysis

Project management

Communication

Discretion/confidentiality

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting/Finance/Business/Economics/Human Resources/Data Analytics

Tools

Excel

Financial systems

Data management tools

Reporting platforms

Job description

Partner Compensation & Evaluation Associate Director | Global Law Firm | Chicago, IL

Our prestigious and globally recognized AM LAW 50 law firm client is hiring an experienced Partner Compensation and Evaluation Associate Director in their Chicago HQ office. The Partner Compensation & Evaluation Associate Director is responsible for leading the Firm’s Partner Compensation & Evaluation function, including support for the Partner evaluation process, compensation review cycles, compensation analytics, documentation, reporting, and coordination with adjacent Partner Matters functions. This role will provide leadership and operational discipline for an increasingly complex function, ensuring compensation and evaluation activity is accurate, timely, confidential, well-controlled, and aligned with Firm leadership expectations as the Firm’s Partner population and compensation structures continue to evolve, including income partner-related processes. Working closely with the Partner Services Director, Partner Relations, Partner Operations, Partner Accounting, Tax, Finance, Strategic Planning, Firm leadership, and other stakeholders, this individual will serve as a key compensation and evaluation process leader, analytical partner, and coordination point for sensitive Partner compensation matters.

Our client firm is offering a highly competitive salary, bonus and benefit package.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the Partner Compensation & Evaluation function and manage the team responsible for compensation process support, evaluation coordination, analytics, reporting, documentation, and stakeholder coordination.
• Establish clear priorities, timelines, accountabilities, handoffs, controls, and service expectations for compensation and evaluation activity.
• Manage support for the Partner evaluation and compensation review process, including preparation for Management Committee compensation review meetings.
• Coordinate evaluation-related timelines, materials, data inputs, stakeholder follow-up, process documentation, and leadership reporting.
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative factors to support compensation discussions, leadership decision-making, Partner promotions, and other Partner population changes.
• Oversee the development of compensation analytics, reporting, models, and decision-support materials for Firm leadership.
• Track compensation-related decisions, individual agreements, committee determinations, special arrangements, and separation-related compensation implications.
• Coordinate closely with Partner Accounting, Partner Relations, Partner Operations, Tax, Finance, Strategic Planning, and Firm leadership to ensure compensation decisions, changes, payments, and reporting are accurately reflected.
• Maintain strong controls, documentation standards, confidentiality protocols, data quality, and process discipline for compensation and evaluation-related work.
• Lead, coach, and develop Compensation & Evaluation team members, including clarifying roles, managing workload allocation, supporting training, providing feedback, and identifying staffing, process, system, or governance improvements.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business, Economics, Human Resources, Data Analytics, or related field.
• Minimum of 12 years of progressive experience in compensation, finance, accounting, analytics, human resources, professional services administration, or a related function.
• Experience managing confidential compensation, performance evaluation, financial, or senior stakeholder-related processes.
• Demonstrated analytical capability, including experience developing reports, models, dashboards, decision-support materials, or executive-facing analysis.
• Experience leading teams, managing projects or processes, and coordinating work across functions.
• Demonstrated ability to operate in a complex, matrixed, service-oriented environment.

Preferred

• Experience in a large law firm or sophisticated professional services organization.
• Experience with Partner compensation, professional services compensation, performance evaluation, executive compensation, or equity / income partner structures.
• Advanced degree, MBA, CPA, SHRM certification, compensation certification, or related credential.
• Experience with financial systems, compensation systems, data management tools, or advanced Excel / reporting platforms.

OTHER SKILLS AND ABILITIES

The following will also be required of the successful candidate:

• Strong organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Good judgment
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities.