Senior Compensation Manager

OpenGov; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

OpenGov is seeking a Senior Compensation Manager to lead the evolution and scale of our compensation programs. You will own program design, cycle execution, equity planning, and manager enablement while building data-driven infrastructure and automated workflows to scale with the business.

The role combines hands-on work with strategic direction, acting as a trusted advisor to HRBPs, People Managers, Talent Acquisition, and cross-functional partners to ensure internal equity and competitive

Qualifications

• Senior compensation professional with program ownership and analytics experience.
• Ability to influence HRBPs, managers and cross-functional partners.
• Experience designing and executing compensation cycles and equity plans.

Responsibilities

• Administer and evolve openGov's compensation programs including cycles and promotions.
• Maintain integrity of compensation data, job architecture, and salary ranges.
• Advise HRBPs, managers, and FP&A on compensation decisions for equity and budgets.
• Build trusted relationships with cross-functional partners to apply compensation philosophy.

Skills

Compensation strategy

Data analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

People leadership

Equity planning

Modeling and benchmarking

Tools

Workday

Job description

OpenGov is the leader in AI and ERP solutions for local and state governments in the U.S. More than 2,000 cities, counties, state agencies, school districts, and special districts rely on the OpenGov Public Service Platform to operate efficiently, adapt to change, and strengthen the public trust. Category-leading products include enterprise asset management, procurement and contract management, accounting and budgeting, billing and revenue management, permitting and licensing, and transparency and open data. These solutions come together in the OpenGov ERP, allowing public sector organizations to focus on priorities and deliver maximum ROI with every dollar and decision in sync. Learn about OpenGov’s mission to power more effective and accountable government and the vision of high-performance government for every community at OpenGov.com.

Job Summary

As the Senior Compensation Manager, you will lead the evolution and scale of OpenGov's compensation programs in alignment with our business objectives, combining hands-on program ownership with strategic analytics and AI-enabled operations. You'll serve as a trusted compensation advisor to HRBPs, People Managers, Talent Acquisition, and cross functional partners across the business - helping them navigate compensation decisions with clarity and confidence. You'll own the full compensation toolkit - program design, cycle execution, equity planning, and manager enablement - while building the data-driven infrastructure and automated workflows that let compensation scale ahead of the business, not behind it. This is a player-coach role: you'll do the work yourself building models, running benchmarks, owning cycles, while also setting direction and raising the bar for other professionals on the team.

Responsibilities

Compensation Advisory & Program Management

• Administer and evolve OpenGov's compensation programs - comp cycles, promotions, and variable pay - serving as project lead across each program

• Maintain the integrity of compensation data and systems, including internal job architecture, career paths, salary scales, and comp ranges aligned with our compensation philosophy

• Serve as a strategic advisor to HRBPs, People Managers, and FP&A, providing business-relevant compensation guidance and recommendations for new and existing employees to ensure internal equity, external competitiveness, and budget alignment

• Build trusted, consultative relationships with cross-functional partners, helping them apply compensation philosophy confidently to real business decisions

Equity Planning

• Own equity planning and administration, including new-hire and refresh grant guidelines, vesting structures, and equity budget modeling

• Partner with Finance and Legal on equity program design, plan changes, and compliance requirements

• Advise HRBPs and business leaders on equity-related questions for offers, promotions, and retention scenarios

Strategic Analytics

• Design and build compensation metrics, reports, and tools that inform program decisions and forecast/analyze compensation outcomes

• Lead competitive intelligence on market trends and talent movement, particularly for premium and fast-moving job families (e.g., AI/ML, engineering, data science)

• Analyze compensation data to surface trends, outliers, and risk areas, translating findings into clear, actionable recommendations for HR and business leaders

Enablement

• Create and deploy compensation content and training for HRBPs, Talent Acquisition, Managers, and Employees, spanning foundational and complex compensation topics

• Promote understanding of OpenGov's compensation philosophy and practices across the organization, building relationships that result in trusted partnership