Sr. Manager of Compensation & Benefits

Fusion Recruiters; Racine (WI); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Fusion Recruiters is partnering with a client in Racine, WI to hire a Senior Manager, Compensation & Benefits. This hybrid role includes one onsite day per week and reports to the VP of Total Rewards.

You’ll lead a team of three professionals while partnering with leaders to translate data into practical compensation and benefits strategies. The ideal candidate has 8–12+ years in compensation and benefits, 3–5+ years of people leadership, expertise in salary structures and market benchmarking,

Qualifications

• 8–12+ years of progressive experience in compensation and benefits, or total rewards, with deep expertise in U.S. compensation.
• 3–5+ years of people management experience with a demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing professionals.
• Strong knowledge of salary grades and structures, geographic differentials, job architecture, compensation philosophy, market benchmarking, and annual merit cycles.
• Demonstrated experience leading annual compensation planning processes and benefits programs.
• Strong working knowledge of employee benefits, including health, welfare, retirement, and wellness programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team, creating an environment that encourages collaboration, accountability, ideas, and thoughtful challenge
• Develop and execute compensation strategies that align with business objectives, organizational needs, and talent priorities
• Lead annual compensation planning processes, including merit increases, promotions, market adjustments, and incentive programs
• Develop and maintain salary structures, job architecture, compensation frameworks, and geographic differentials
• Conduct market pricing and benchmarking analyses using external salary surveys and internal data to ensure competitive and equitable compensation practices
• Partner with HR Business Partners, managers, and senior leaders on compensation recommendations, complex pay decisions, and sensitive employee matters
• Evaluate and administer short-term and long-term incentive programs while ensuring alignment with business and talent objectives
• Lead pay equity analyses and recommend thoughtful corrective actions where appropriate
• Oversee health, welfare, retirement, and wellness programs, evaluating plan performance, utilization trends, employee feedback, cost effectiveness, and competitiveness
• Manage relationships with benefits brokers, consultants, and third-party administrators while supporting annual renewals and open enrollment
• Ensure compensation and benefits programs remain compliant with applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including FLSA, ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, IRS regulations, and pay transparency requirements
• Support compensation and benefits audits, reporting requirements, regulatory filings, and governance documentation
• Leverage compensation, benefits, and workforce analytics to identify trends, opportunities, and business implications
• Develop executive-level reporting and present data-driven findings and recommendations to senior leadership
• Partner closely with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, and compensation expense management
• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition on offer strategies, market competitiveness, and compensation positioning
• Serve as a credible and trusted business partner to executives and leaders, balancing employee needs, business objectives, organizational practices, and sound judgment
• Help lead through change in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where priorities may shift and the organization must be willing to adapt and pivot
• Maintain the highest level of confidentiality and discretion when handling sensitive compensation, benefits, employee, and organizational information

Skills

People management

Compensation strategy

Budgeting and forecasting

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Change management

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

SuccessFactors

Excel

Job description

At Fusion Recruiters, we partner with organizations that are building stronger teams, evolving their businesses, and investing in the people who drive their success — and this opportunity is no exception. We’re excited to support our client in their search for a strategic and established Senior Manager, Compensation & Benefits to join their Human Resources team in Racine, WI.

*This is a hybrid position with one in office day per week, currently Wednesdays. Reporting to the VP of Total Rewards, the Senior Manager, Compensation & Benefits will lead a team of three benefits and total rewards professionals while serving as a trusted partner to business leaders and HR teams across the organization. The Senior Manager will bring deep U.S. compensation expertise, and ideally, a well-rounded understanding of benefits, and the business acumen to translate data and organizational needs into thoughtful, practical recommendations. This is an opportunity for an established people leader to influence compensation and benefits strategy, develop a high-performing team, and help shape programs that support attraction, retention, engagement, performance, and organizational growth.

What You'll Do

Lead, coach, and develop a team, creating an environment that encourages collaboration, accountability, ideas, and thoughtful challenge

Develop and execute compensation strategies that align with business objectives, organizational needs, and talent priorities

Lead annual compensation planning processes, including merit increases, promotions, market adjustments, and incentive programs

Develop and maintain salary structures, job architecture, compensation frameworks, and geographic differentials

Conduct market pricing and benchmarking analyses using external salary surveys and internal data to ensure competitive and equitable compensation practices

Partner with HR Business Partners, managers, and senior leaders on compensation recommendations, complex pay decisions, and sensitive employee matters

Evaluate and administer short-term and long-term incentive programs while ensuring alignment with business and talent objectives

Lead pay equity analyses and recommend thoughtful corrective actions where appropriate

Oversee health, welfare, retirement, and wellness programs, evaluating plan performance, utilization trends, employee feedback, cost effectiveness, and competitiveness

Manage relationships with benefits brokers, consultants, and third-party administrators while supporting annual renewals and open enrollment

Ensure compensation and benefits programs remain compliant with applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including FLSA, ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, IRS regulations, and pay transparency requirements

Support compensation and benefits audits, reporting requirements, regulatory filings, and governance documentation

Leverage compensation, benefits, and workforce analytics to identify trends, opportunities, and business implications

Develop executive-level reporting and present data-driven findings and recommendations to senior leadership

Partner closely with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, and compensation expense management

Collaborate with Talent Acquisition on offer strategies, market competitiveness, and compensation positioning

Serve as a credible and trusted business partner to executives and leaders, balancing employee needs, business objectives, organizational practices, and sound judgment

Help lead through change in a fast-paced, dynamic environment where priorities may shift and the organization must be willing to adapt and pivot

Maintain the highest level of confidentiality and discretion when handling sensitive compensation, benefits, employee, and organizational information

What You'll Bring

8–12+ years of progressive experience in compensation and benefits, or total rewards, with deep expertise in U.S. compensation.

3–5+ years of people management experience with a demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing professionals

Strong knowledge of salary grades and structures, geographic differentials, job architecture, compensation philosophy, market benchmarking, and annual merit cycles

Demonstrated experience leading annual compensation planning processes and benefits programs

Strong working knowledge of employee benefits, including health, welfare, retirement, and wellness programs

Experience with compensation audits, pay equity, regulatory compliance, and/or global compensation programs preferred

Experience with SuccessFactors or a similar HRIS platform

Strong analytical and business acumen with the ability to interpret complex data, evaluate organizational needs, and develop thoughtful recommendations

Demonstrated ability to influence managers, executives, and senior leaders and gain buy-in around complex or sensitive decisions

Strong communication and relationship-building skills with the confidence to navigate challenging conversations with professionalism and credibility

Ability to balance policy and organizational practices with a genuine understanding of the business and its people

Established people leadership experience and a genuine commitment to developing others

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field required

Preferred Experience

Experience within manufacturing, consumer products, or a multi-site organization

Experience managing compensation programs across complex organizational structures

Exposure to global compensation programs and/or global merit cycles

Experience with compensation audits, pay equity analysis, and related corrective actions

Experience partnering closely with Finance on compensation budgeting, forecasting, and expense management

Experience partnering with Talent Acquisition on compensation strategy and market competitiveness

Experience developing executive-level total rewards reporting and presenting recommendations to senior leadership

Experience managing benefits brokers, consultants, and third-party administrators

Experience supporting benefits renewals, open enrollment, and employee communications

Familiarity with compensation and benefits compliance requirements, including FLSA, ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, IRS regulations, and pay transparency requirements

Why You'll Love Working Here

Our client offers an opportunity to join a highly analytical, customer-service-oriented, collaborative, and nimble team that values ideas and thoughtful problem solving. The organization values professionals who take the time to understand the business, evaluate the needs behind a request, consider potential solutions, and make recommendations that appropriately balance employee needs, business objectives, and organizational practices.

Highlights include:

High-visibility role reporting to the Director of Total Rewards and partnering with executives and senior leaders across the organization

Opportunity to shape compensation strategy, benefits programs, pay equity initiatives, incentive programs, and broader total rewards practices

Ability to influence attraction, retention, engagement, and organizational performance through thoughtful rewards strategy

Dynamic, fast-paced environment where adaptability and change agility are highly valued

Collaborative team culture that encourages ideas, opinions, and constructive challenge

Hybrid work environment with one required onsite day per week

Minimal travel requirements

Take the Next Step

If you're an established compensation and benefits leader who brings strong people leadership, analytical rigor, and the confidence to influence at all levels of an organization, we’d love to connect. If you thrive in dynamic environments, embrace change, and approach Total Rewards as a true business partnership, apply through Fusion Recruiters today to start a conversation about how your experience and aspirations align with this exciting opportunity.