Senior Manager, Compensation

orionadvisor; Omaha (NE); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Orion is seeking a Senior Manager, Compensation to lead our core annual compensation deliverables, merit cycles, market pricing, bonus payments, and sales compensation plans. You will manage a small team within the HR Business Partner organization and drive modernization of compensation processes.

The role requires a hybrid work model with on-site presence several days weekly at a designated office. You will partner with HRBPs and leaders on day-to-day compensation questions and produce

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in HR, business, accounting, finance or related field.
• 4+ years of experience in broad-based compensation programs.
• Experience owning recurring compensation deliverables (merit, market pricing, bonus, sales comp).
• Strong analytical skills and advanced Excel proficiency.
• Excellent verbal and written communication with HRBPs and leaders.
• Proven ability to deliver deadline-driven compensation processes.
• Experience with HRIS/compensation systems; interest in automation/AI benefits.
• Experience administering sales incentive/commission plans.
• Cross-functional collaboration with Finance on compensation data & reporting.
• CCP certification is a plus, not required.
• Ability to navigate organizational change confidently.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of compensation partners.
• Own the annual merit increase cycle end to end with timelines and calibration.
• Own the annual bonus/incentive cycle and coordinate with Payroll and Finance.
• Own market pricing and salary structure reviews using benchmarking data.
• Own the annual sales compensation plan process with Sales Leadership and Finance.
• Maintain job evaluations, salary ranges, and compensation structures with accuracy.
• Answer day-to-day compensation questions from HRBPs and leaders.
• Build and maintain compensation dashboards and ad hoc pay analyses.
• Communicate compensation data clearly to HRBPs, leaders, and teams.
• Escalate sales comp questions to sales leadership and Finance as needed.
• Identify opportunities to streamline recurring processes with automation/AI.
• Be a steady voice on compensation during org changes.
• Ensure compliance with pay transparency, wage and hour, and related laws.

Skills

Change Management

Compensation Strategies

Compensation Structures

Excel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field

Tools

HRIS / Compensation Systems

Job description

About this Opportunity:

As Senior Manager, Compensation, you’ll own Orion's core annual compensation deliverables, the merit cycle, market pricing, bonus payments, and sales compensation plans, and provide the leadership needed to drive each to successful, on-time completion. Sitting within the HR Business Partner organization and reporting to the VP, HR Business Partners, you’ll be accountable for results while leading a team of two. You will be responsible to identify outcomes that simplify and modernize how compensation work gets done, and serve as a steady, informed voice for the Compensation function as part of the broader Business Partner team.

It is anticipated that an incumbent in this role will work as a Hybrid employee , with three (3) or more days each week required on-site at one of the listed office locations.

Candidates should be located within a commutable distance to an office. Internal candidates currently aligned to an Orion office location may be given preference; however, internal candidates with varying work arrangements may be considered based on experience and business needs. Work location is subject to change based on business needs.

In this role, you’ll get to:

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of compensation partners.
• Own the annual merit increase cycle end to end, directing the Compensation Partner’s execution of the timeline and system readiness, and delivering clear calibration support, guidelines, and outcomes to HRBPs and leaders.
• Own the annual bonus/incentive payment cycle, directing accurate calculations and timely payouts, and ensuring clean coordination with Payroll and Finance.
• Own the annual market pricing and salary structure review, directing the Compensation Partner’s use of Orion’s established job evaluation and benchmarking methodology, and finalizing structure updates based on survey data.
• Own the annual sales compensation plan process, directing the Sales Compensation Partner’s work and partnering with Finance to finalize plan updates each Q3 and Q4 in alignment with sales leadership.
• Direct the Compensation Partner’s maintenance of job evaluations, salary ranges, and compensation structures, ensuring documentation stays current, accurate, and easy for HRBPs to apply consistently.
• Partner with HRBPs and leaders on day-to-day compensation questions, including new hire offers, promotions, adjustments, retention actions, and off-cycle changes.
• Build and maintain compensation dashboards and reporting for the Business Partner team and leadership; deliver ad hoc analysis on pay equity, budget impact, and trends.
• Translate compensation data and recommendations into clear, audience-appropriate communications and materials for HRBPs, leaders, and team members.
• Serve as the escalation point for sales compensation questions from sales leadership and plan participants, coordinating with Finance on data and calculation matters as needed.
• Identify opportunities to streamline and simplify recurring compensation processes, including exploring automation and AI-enabled tools, to increase the speed and accuracy of the annual cycle.
• Serve as a knowledgeable, steady voice on compensation matters for the Business Partner team as roles and structures are evaluated over the coming year.
• Ensure compensation practices comply with applicable pay transparency, wage and hour, and other regulatory requirements.

What looking for talent who has:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in broad-based compensation programs (executive or board-level compensation experience not required).
• Experience owning and leading recurring compensation deliverables (merit, market pricing, bonus, sales compensation) to completion, including directing the work of others.
• Strong analytical and Excel skills, with the ability to build clear, audience-ready reports and presentations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; comfortable advising HRBPs and leaders directly and confidently.
• Proven ability to deliver recurring, deadline-driven processes (merit, bonus, market pricing, sales compensation) accurately and on schedule.
• Experience with HRIS/compensation systems; interest in or experience with automation or AI-enabled tools that improve HR process efficiency is a plus.
• Experience administering or overseeing sales incentive or commission plans, including calculations and plan documentation.
• Experience partnering cross-functionally with Finance or similar teams on compensation-adjacent data and reporting.
• CCP certification a plus, not required.
• Ability to work effectively and communicate steadily through periods of organizational change.
• Owns and manages relationships with stakeholders directly and work effectively with people at all levels in an organization

Recommended Skills:

• Change Management
• Compensation Strategies
• Compensation Structures