Compensation Manager

Grand Canyon Education (GCE) is a rapidly growing educational service company that has long been an industry leader in providing educational, operational, and technological support services to the post-secondary education sector. Formerly part of Grand Canyon University (GCU), GCE still works closely with GCU to benefit thousands of students, families, and the local inner-city community. We put people first, drive innovation, and do good in the community that we live and work in.

The Compensation Manager oversees the Compensation Analyst and leads the design, implementation, and administration of competitive and equitable compensation programs for Grand Canyon Education, Inc. and its client, Grand Canyon University. Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Human Resources, this role partners with Finance and academic and administrative stakeholders to support workforce planning, talent attraction and retention, and regulatory compliance within a higher-education environment.

This role provides oversight of job architecture, position classification, salary structures, market pricing, and pay equity analyses for faculty, staff, and administrative roles. The Compensation Manager ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, including FLSA, while promoting transparency, consistency, and best practices. Additionally, the role delivers data-driven insights and strategic guidance to support executive decision-making on compensation initiatives.

Schedule: Hybrid 
Benefits: Full benefits portfolio including tuition package

What You Will Do:

• Lead the design, implementation, and administration of all compensation programs and processes.
• Evaluate program effectiveness, model cost impacts, and present data-driven recommendations; research market trends and best practices using surveys and external benchmarks.
• Develop and deliver compensation communications and training to ensure understanding, perceived value, and regulatory compliance.
• Draft, implement, and maintain compensation policies and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable compensation-related laws and regulations, including FLSA, ACA, and IPEDS.
• Design and maintain salary structures, job architecture, and position title frameworks to support internal equity, market competitiveness, and compliance.
• Oversee administration of special compensation programs, including faculty and DOE-regulated enrollment operations, in collaboration with leadership.
• Partner closely with HR, Finance, Payroll, IT, Legal, Talent Acquisition, Workday, and external vendors to deliver effective compensation solutions.
• Provide consultative guidance to executive leadership, HR Business Partners, and Talent Acquisition on compensation strategy, job levels, job descriptions, and pay decisions.
• Analyze and resolve moderate to highly complex compensation issues using strong analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills.
• Respond to escalated compensation inquiries, assess employee needs, and recommend timely, compliant resolution options.
• Supervise, train, and mentor the Compensation team; plan and assign work, evaluate performance, and support professional development in accordance with organizational policies.

What You Will Have:

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business, or a related field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Compensation Certifications preferred, CCP.
• Successful track record in positions of increasing responsibility within the compensation function, which includes a minimum of 8 years of direct Human Resources and compensation experience, including classification programs with a minimum employee base greater than 3500, preferably multistate.
• Four years in a Human Resources leadership role.
• Ability to operate at a strategic level with senior executives as at a tactical operational level.
• Experience with business analytics.
• Must pass pre-employment background investigation.

Why work at GCE:

• Exceptional workplace benefits include medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, flexible spending accounts, a 401K savings plan
• Generous time off plan and 11 paid holidays
• Paid time off to volunteer in the community or at GCU sponsored events
• Free covered parking
• We also offer full-time employees, their spouses, and dependent children an Education Tuition Discount Program

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