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Human Resources Jobs

Compensation Manager

City of Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City, UT

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JOB DETAILS
SALARY
$121,948–$155,822 Per Year
SKILLS
Analysis Skills, Auditing, Benchmarking, Budgeting, Business Administration, Certified Compensation Professional, City Administration, Collective Bargaining, Communication Skills, Compensation Analysis, Compensation Management, Compensation and Benefits, Contract Review, Cost Forecasting, Data Visualization, Employee Assistance Plan, Employee Retention, Employment Law, Finance, Financial Planning, Funding, Government, HRIS/HRMS, Health Insurance, Human Resources, Human Resources Certification, Human Resources Management, Industrial Relations, Leadership, Life Insurance, Market Analysis, Market Surveys, Negotiation Skills, Payroll Software/Services, Peoplesoft, Pivot Tables, Problem Solving Skills, Public Administration, Quantitative Research, Reimbursement, SAP, SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources), Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Statistics, Team Lead/Manager, Vision Plan
LOCATION
Salt Lake City, UT
POSTED
1 day ago
Position Title:
Compensation Manager
Job Description:
The Compensation Manager is a strategic, forward-thinking leader responsible for designing and administering the City's compensation and job classification programs. This role oversees pay structures, job classification,market analysis, incentive programs and compensation analytics that inform key workforce decisions. The Compensation Manager ensures compensation programs are competitive, equitable, legally compliant and aligned with organizational goals. As the City's lead compensation expert, this role providesdata-driven insights and recommendations to support compensation decisions and labor negotiations, helping shape sustainable and fiscally responsible wage strategies.

The ideal candidate will:
  • Be a compensation leader who can design innovative programs that balance budget constraints, workforce needs, and organizational priorities.
  • Translate complex data into clear, actionable recommendations and communicate effectively with City administration, department leaders, negotiating groups and employees. This will require advanced Excel or statistical analysis skills (e.g. pivot tables, modeling, regression analysis).
  • Proactively anticipate and address issues such as pay compression, pay equity, recruitment challenges, and retention risks.
  • Bring experience in the public sector and working closely with bargaining units (strongly preferred).
Early application submittal is encouraged. An initial review of resumes will be conducted on May 18, 2026.

POSITION SALARY RANGE: $121,948 to $155,822 (E36) estimated annually based on experience and qualifications.

Use our total compensation calculator to see your earning potential in this role!

Relocation expense reimbursement may be available for candidates requiring relocation to Utah as part of a conditional offer of employment.

This position is eligible for full city benefits, including:
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental, Vision and Life Insurance
  • Paid vacation and personal leave
  • Six to twelve weeks of paid parental leave from day one of employment
  • Retirement contributions toward a pension plan and/or 401(k)
  • A robust Employee Assistance Plan (EAP)
  • Up to $4,000 tuition reimbursement annually
  • Discounted supplemental benefits like pet insurance and legal services
JOB DUTIES:
  • Leads the development, implementation, design, and maintenance of the city's official classification and compensation plans.
  • Conducts ongoing audits of job descriptions to ensure accurate classification and alignment with city-wide job structures.
  • Supervises a team of analysts and specialists, providing daily oversight of their workloads and performance.
  • Leads annual market salary surveys and equity studies to ensure the city remains competitive in attracting and retaining talent.
  • Manages, coordinates, and supports the city's Citizens Compensation Advisory Committee (CCAC), including draft and transmittal of the Committee's annual report due March 1 of each calendar year.
  • Collaborates and provides strategic guidance and recommendations to departments in order to forecast costs for pay plan changes and operate within allocated program budgets.
  • Serves as the lead subject matter expert to provide recommendations, real-time data and technical advice to the primary labor relations negotiator regarding the feasibility of wage and benefit proposals.
  • Drafts and reviews proposed contract language related to wage scales, shift differentials, and other pay allowances to ensure technical accuracy and administrative feasibility.
  • Coordinates with Finance and Budget teams to ensure that all proposed wage settlements align with the city's long-term fiscal plans and legislative funding mandates.
  • Directs the implementation of newly negotiated wage tables into payroll and HRIS systems, ensuring accurate application of pay grades and effective dates.
  • Interprets and translates ratified collective bargaining agreements into actionable pay rules within the HRIS system.
  • Effectively builds and maintains relationships of trust with peers, outside partners, vendors, and third-party compensation providers.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
  • A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Human Resources, Public Administration, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field and five to eight years of progressively responsible Human Resources experience including compensation administration. Education and experience may be substituted on a year-for-year basis.
  • Ability to perform complex modeling, salary benchmarking, and quantitative research to maintain equitable pay structures.
  • Knowledge of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), EEOC, and state/local employment laws specific to the public sector.
  • Skill in administering and interpreting employee compensation plans, union contracts, and city policies from a compensation perspective.
  • Expertise in managing Human Resource Information Systems (e.g., Workday, SAP, or PeopleSoft) and Excel for data visualization.
  • Ability to translate complex data into clear reports for city leadership and explain compensation decisions to diverse employee groups.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Master of Public Administration (MPA) or Master of Business Administration (MBA).
  • Direct experience in public sector/government HR is highly preferred.
  • Certified Compensation Professional (CCP).
  • SHRM-CP/SCP, SPHR, or IPMA-SCP (International Public Management Association for HR) certification.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
  • Light physical effort. Comfortable working positions, handling of light weights, intermittent sitting, standing and walking. May be exposed to discomfort associated with constant monitoring of computer display screens.
  • Frequent exposure to stress as a result of human behavior and the demands of the position.


The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by persons assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required of personnel so classified.

All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.

Full Time/Part Time:
Full time
Scheduled Hours:
40

About the Company

C

City of Salt Lake City

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