The Role
The Senior Compensation Analyst is responsible for designing and administering competitive compensation programs, managing market pricing studies, conducting job evaluations, ensuring pay equity, and compliance with legislation.
Summary Generated by Built In
If you think your skills, experience and aspirations make you a good match for this position, we encourage you to apply.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Senior Compensation Analyst serves as a strategic and analytical partner responsible for the design, evaluation, and administration of competitive compensation programs, including base pay and variable incentive programs. This role supports primarily U.S.-based compensation programs while maintaining global scope and accountability for assigned international markets. Reporting to the Chief Talent Officer, the position provides expert guidance on pay decisions, market competitiveness, internal equity, and compensation governance to support business strategy, talent outcomes, and regulatory compliance. The role also supports pay equity analysis and compliance with applicable compensation-related legislation, ensuring compensation programs align with regulatory requirements and organizational equity commitments across U.S. and applicable global markets.
As part of the recruitment process, candidates that progress beyond the initial phone screen stage will be required to complete an online skills assessment which includes evaluating proficiency in core compensation principles and Microsoft Excel, which will be part of the next interview round.
HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL DO
Job Architecture, Evaluation & Internal Equity
- Conduct job evaluations using established job evaluation methodologies to ensure internal equity and alignment with the organization’s job architecture.
- Partner with HR and business leaders to review new, evolving, or complex roles and recommend appropriate job levels and pay positioning.
- Perform internal equity analyses and develop recommendations to address gaps while balancing business, talent, and budget considerations.
Market Pricing & Salary Structures
- Lead large-scale market pricing studies using external survey data to assess competitiveness across roles and geographies (US primary plus some international markets).
- Manage the annual review and update of salary structures based on market trends, internal data, and organizational strategy.
- Conduct market benchmarking for short-term incentive and variable pay programs to assess competitiveness and support program design decisions.
- Develop cost-effective compensation solutions and present findings and recommendations to senior HR and, on occasion, support the presentation to business leadership.
Survey Management & External Benchmarking
- Complete and submit relevant compensation surveys; maintain documentation of survey participation and outcomes.
- Coordinate with external consultants and vendors on specialized surveys or custom market studies.
- Support budgeting and forecasting for compensation survey participation and related expenses.
Compensation Programs & Annual Cycles
- Support the design, execution, and governance of annual compensation cycles, including performance reviews, merit increases, and related approval workflows.
- Analyze outcomes of annual programs to assess effectiveness, equity, and alignment with pay-for-performance principles.
- Provide guidance to HR partners and managers on compensation guidelines, program mechanics, and decision-making.
- Support the design, administration, and annual execution of variable pay and incentive programs, including data validation, modeling, and payout analysis.
- Partner with HR, Finance, and business leaders to ensure incentive outcomes align with plan design, performance results, and governance guidelines.
- Analyze incentive plan effectiveness and provide recommendations to improve alignment with pay-for-performance objectives.
- Conduct periodic pay equity analyses to identify disparities, assess root causes, and develop recommendations to address gaps while balancing legal, financial, and organizational considerations.
- Monitor and support compliance with compensation-related legislation, including pay transparency laws, minimum wage and minimum exempt salary requirements, federal contractor provisions, and other applicable regulations.
- Partner with Legal, HR, and leadership to ensure compensation programs, structures, and practices align with evolving regulatory requirements and internal equity standards.
Systems, Data Integrity & Process Improvement
- Partner with HRIS & HR Ops, plus Payroll/Finance as applicable, to ensure accuracy and integrity of compensation-related data in the system of record.
- Serve as a compensation subject matter expert on pay programs for HR system implementations or enhancements impacting.
- Identify opportunities for automation and process improvements within compensation administration.
- Support system configuration, data flows, and reporting related to variable pay and incentive plan administration.
Governance, Education & Advisory Support
- Review and recommend updates to compensation policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure clarity, compliance, and scalability- for US and international markets where the company operates.
- Act as a trusted advisor to managers and HR colleagues on compensation decisions and policy interpretation.
- Develop and deliver compensation-related training and contribute to audit, education, and quality assurance activities.
HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED
- Minimally an associate’s degree/Diploma in Business/HR Management or related field required.
- CCP or progress toward CCP certification strongly preferred.
- Minimum of 6+ years of progressive compensation experience, preferably in a mid-to-large, complex organization with multiple locations.
- Experience working with compensation surveys, job evaluation methodologies, annual compensation cycles, and variable pay/incentive programs.
- Strong knowledge of compensation principles, job architecture, market pricing, and pay-for-performance programs.
- Strong analytical skills, detail and accuracy orientation, checks work quality, able to recognize patterns and data concerns (e.g. ability to translate data into clear, actionable recommendations).
- Proficiency in HRIS and compensation management systems; advanced Excel and data analysis capabilities.
- Ability to discuss compensation concepts and application with team members and internal clients; including ability to influence and advise with confidence, discretion, and sound judgment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex concepts clearly.
- Understanding of U.S. compensation regulations and general awareness of global pay practices.
- Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, and deliver high-quality outcomes in a fast-paced environment.
The salary range for this position is $99,840 to $124,800 annually. This salary range is the range we believe is the anticipated range of possible base compensation at the timing of the posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the anticipated salary range for the position. Employees may be eligible for discretionary bonuses. We offer a full benefit package including medical, dental and vision coverage and flexible spending account options and voluntary insurances. We have paid time off, flex-time schedules, remote work options and a 401k plan and employee perk programs. For a general overview of our benefits, please visit our careers page at https://www.cannondesign.com/careers/benefits. Actual compensation may vary from posting based on geographic location, work experience, education and/or skill level.
ABOUT OUR FIRM
CannonDesign is a design practice where strategy, experience, architecture, engineering, and social impact converge. We don’t just dream up solutions — we create and bring them to life in ways to solve some of the biggest challenges facing our clients and the society. At the heart of everything we do is Living-Centered Design, a bold commitment to using our talents to not just improve the world but to truly reshape it for the better. It’s more than a philosophy — it’s who we are, and it drives us to make a meaningful, lasting difference every day.
ABOUT WORKING HERE
- We are relentless in our pursuit of client adoration (not simply satisfaction). Consistent delivery of the best service is what we are about.
- We are committed to ensuring our practice provides equal opportunities for all employees, as we strive to connect with communities around us and focus on the future of design. We support equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts that benefit all employees through the leadership of our DEI Council, our Employee Resource Groups which are open to everyone, and other community initiatives.
- We’re about communication and transparency here. If you want to talk to someone about an idea you have, or a challenge that needs addressing, we’re ready for you.
Please note that candidates can only apply to our positions on our company Careers site. It's not uncommon for scammers to create positions that look legitimate on other sites; never enter your information or apply for CannonDesign positions on any platform. Should an issue arise that you feel we should be aware of, please contact us. Please provide your resume and portfolio when applying.
As a condition of employment, all employees are expected to complete mandatory training, including compliance training, within required timeframes and adhere to our internal policies and our Code of Conduct.
CannonDesign is an Equal Opportunity Employer. CannonDesign is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from any and all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. It is therefore the firm’s policy to prohibit discrimination and harassment against any applicant, CannonDesign employee, vendor, contractor, or client on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. It is also CannonDesign’s policy to prohibit any and all forms of retaliation against any individual who has complained of harassing or discriminatory conduct, or participated in a firm or agency investigation into such complaints.
Top Skills
Hris
Excel
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The Company
What We Do
As an integrated design firm, we do a lot of things. But at our core, we help people continuously flourish.
We leverage the heart, passion and intelligence of our more than 1,000 creative thinkers to develop solutions for some of the greatest challenges facing our clients and society. Whether designing for equity in education, accessible healthcare, inclusive communities, new scientific discoveries or the “next big idea” in business, we partner with organizations to help them improve human life.
We do this through a design approach we created called Living-Centered Design. Our approach realizes that to create a world where people continuously flourish, we must address the complex interdependencies that exist between people, businesses, communities, society and the environment.
Learn more at cannondesign.com/livingcentereddesign.
