Compensation Manager - San Diego HQ (onsite)

Role Summary

Based in San Diego, onsite. Responsible for managing the implementation and administration of compensation programs and processes across the organization. Provide expert compensation support to HRBPs and business leaders; serve as the liaison between the business and the compensation team, balancing needs with corporate guidelines. Apply market data and internal equity practices to deliver effective compensation solutions, manage vendor relationships, and lead cross-functional initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Manages and leads customer facing compensation activities including (but not limited to) market analyses for annual processes, job evaluations, ad-hoc market analyses, and implementation of corporate compensation programs
• Key liaison to the business to gather feedback on compensation programs / policies
• Manages vendor relationships and oversees project work with external consultants such as Aon, ensuring deliverables meet quality standards and timeline requirements
• Manages compensation system processes and reporting, including maintenance of data in Workday, Payfactors and other compensation tools
• Reviews and analyzes job offers to ensure alignment with compensation guidelines and market data, providing recommendations to HRBPs and hiring managers
• Leads cross-functional initiatives by working with internal resources to accomplish compensation objectives
• Creates and maintains reports from Payfactors and other systems to support decision-making and identify trends or potential issues
• Collaborates with HR teams to develop and maintain job families and career ladders that align with business needs and market practices
• Delivers specialized training to HR colleagues and managers on compensation tools, processes, and best practices
• Provides support for international compensation matters, including market data interpretation and localized compensation recommendations
• Serves as a subject matter expert and coordinates efforts with IT, HR Operations, Payroll, and other relevant departments on compensation system processes
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or related field
• Required: 6+ years of progressive compensation experience in a publicly traded company, including experience with designing, planning, communicating, training, rollout of all components of total pay (base, STI and/or Sales Incentive Plans, and equity)
• Preferred: Life Sciences industry experience
• Preferred: Certified Compensation Professional (CCP)
• Required: Demonstrated experience in job analysis techniques and job evaluation methods
• Required: Extensive experience with compensation systems and tools, preferably Workday and Payfactors
• Required: Proven/progressive experience leading cross-functional, company-wide initiatives and working with external/internal resources to accomplish objectives
• Required: Experience managing vendor relationships and consultant projects
• Required: Strong analytical skills with advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office with emphasis on MS Excel and PowerPoint
• Required: Advanced knowledge of implementing compensation programs and principles
• Required: Strong understanding of the laws governing compensation
• Required: Proven project management skills to handle multiple priorities simultaneously
• Required: Vendor management experience and ability to effectively oversee consultant work
• Required: Leadership skills to guide cross-functional teams and initiatives
• Required: Critical thinking skills and very strong attention to detail
• Required: Ability to communicate effectively, influencing without authority, and make presentations to various stakeholders including C-Suite
• Required: Results-oriented, being able to anticipate issues and develop solutions
• Required: Ability to deal with ambiguity and adapt to changing priorities
• Required: Customer service orientation with strong interpersonal skills to build productive relationships

Skills

• Compensation systems and tools (Workday, Payfactors)
• Market analysis and data interpretation
• Vendor management and coordination of external consultants
• Reporting and data analysis for decision-making
• Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management
• Training and enablement for HR teams and managers
• International/global compensation considerations
• Effective communication and presentations
• Project management and prioritization
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or related field