Manager, Compensation, Los Angeles, Ca

Key Responsibilities will include the following:

Leadership & Operations

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop a team of compensation professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, and exceptional client service.

• Manage the team's day-to-day operations, workload, and priorities to ensure timely, accurate, and high-quality service delivery.

• Recruit, onboard, coach, evaluate, and develop team members through regular performance feedback and professional development.

• Establish, monitor, and communicate meaningful team and individual performance metrics that promote accountability, quality, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.

• Identify opportunities to improve operational effectiveness, streamline processes, and leverage technology to enhance efficiency and the client experience.

• Measure client satisfaction with compensation services and implement improvements informed by feedback.

• Foster strong partnerships across HR and the university, promoting collaboration and a consistent, high-quality client experience.

Compensation Consulting & Program Administration

• Manage the administration of staff compensation programs and services, ensuring compliance with university policies, applicable regulations, and service delivery standards.

• Provide expert consultation to HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, managers, and university leaders regarding job evaluations, market pricing, salary recommendations, promotions, reclassifications, equity reviews, and other compensation-related matters.

• Review and evaluate job descriptions for appropriate classification, job family placement, and internal equity; oversee appeals and exception requests.

• Oversee participation in internal and external salary surveys and ensure accurate market analyses that support sound compensation recommendations.

• Ensure the integrity of compensation data and job profile information within HR systems while supporting ongoing process improvements and technology enhancements.

• Maintain current knowledge of federal, state, and local compensation regulations, wage and hour laws, compensation methodologies, and industry trends.

• Communicate compensation analyses and recommendations effectively, using market data, benchmarking resources, and clear methodology to support informed decision-making.

• Promote a culture of equity, respect, accountability, and ethical conduct consistent with USC's values and Code of Ethics.

Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Human Resources, or a related field. A combination of education and experience may be considered whereappropriate.

• Four to six years of progressively responsible compensation experience, including demonstrated success leading, coaching, and developing professional staff.

• Experience administering compensation programs in a corporate, healthcare, higher education, or similarly complex organization.

• Strong knowledge of compensation principles, job evaluation methodologies, market pricing, salary administration, and applicable wage and hour laws.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret compensation data and communicate findings clearly to diverse audiences.

• Strong analytical, critical thinking, problem-solving, and customer service skills.

• Excellent interpersonal, written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence stakeholders at all organizational levels.

• Proven ability to communicate effectively in face-to-face and group settings with diverse stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, service-oriented environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation.

• Experience administering compensation programs in higher education or another large, decentralized organization.

• Experience with compensation survey tools, job evaluation methodologies, and job classification frameworks.

• Demonstrated success coaching and developing employees at varying career stages.

• Experience presenting complex compensation analyses using data visualization, benchmarking, and clear business narratives to support decision-making.